CHICAGO - Slumping José Ramírez connected for a go-ahead, two-run homer off Lance Lynn in the sixth inning and the Cleveland Indians bounced back from being no-hit, beating the Chicago White Sox 4-2 Thursday.
After Carlos Rodón just missed a perfect game in pitching a no-hitter Wednesday night, there was a different kind of tension this time as the benches emptied in the bottom of the first.
Adam Eaton singled and tried to advance when Indians right fielder Josh Naylor threw to third, hoping to get lead runner Tim Anderson. Eaton arrived ahead of the throw back to second, but was called out when his hand came off the bag while shortstop Andrés Giménez stood his ground and held the tag.
Eaton grabbed Giménez’s leg, began barking and then pushed Giménez in the chest with two hands. Indians starter Aaron Civale plunked Eaton with a pitch in the upper arm in the third.
Eaton said he had stopped at second and that Giménez lifted arm off the bag. Eaton complained to second base umpire Bill Miller to no avail.
"I let the emotions get the best of me," Eaton said. "Any time you get pushed off the bag and you’re safe, it’s a little frustrating."
Lynn was nursing a 1-0 lead when Ramírez launched a full-count pitch with two outs deep to right for his third home run. Giménez led off the inning with a ground-rule double before Ramirez ended his 0-for-19 skid.
Manager Terry Francona was happy to see his team finally break through offensively and earn a split in the four-game series.
"We were kind of at a point where we’ll take anything." Francona said. "They ran some really good pitching at us. And we had to scratch for everything we got and it was enough today."
Ramírez was ready this time against Lynn, who throws a variety of fastballs that cut and sink.
"I wasn’t paying attention to my number of at-bats without hits, but it was really good to get away with a split in the series" Ramírez said through an interpreter.
Civale (3-0) allowed only a run — in the first — and five hits through six innings in his third straight strong start. The 25-year-old right-hander struck out four, walked two and lowered his ERA to 2.18.
Nick Wittgren and James Karinchak followed with a scoreless inning each. Emmanuel Clase allowed an unearned run in the ninth, but got his third save.
Lynn (1-1) permitted his first two earned runs this season on five hits through six innings, while striking out 10 and walking none. The right-hander had tossed his second career shutout in his previous outing, fanning 11 last week against Kansas City.
"For the most part, everything went well," Lynn said. "One mistake today cost us the game and they were able to add on after that."
"You know who (Ramírez) is and you know what’s he’s about, but when you lose it still feels the same. It doesn’t matter who gets you."
Giménez drove in an insurance run with a ground out in the seventh. The Indians added an unearned run in the eighth when reigning AL MVP José Abreu made a fielding and throwing error on Ramírez’s grounder.
Anderson returned to the White Sox lineup and had two hits. The 2019 AL batting champ suffered a left hamstring injury on April 4 in Anaheim.
Anderson led off the game with a single and came around to score Chicago’s first run on Yoán Moncada’s RBI hit.
ROSTER MOVE
To make room for Anderson, the White Sox designated OF Nick Williams for assignment. Williams, went 0 for 10 with two walks in four games.
TRAINER’S ROOM
White Sox: Manager Tony LaRussa said RHP Dylan Cease was with the team Thursday, felt good and after the game announced that the pitcher tested negative for COVID-19. Cease will be able to make his scheduled start on Friday at Boston.
On Wednesday, Cease had some symptoms associated with the coronavirus, but GM Rick Hahn said the right-hander hadn’t tested positive. Cease was placed on the injured list and RHP Zack Burdi was recalled from the team’s alternate site as a backup.
UP NEXT
Indians: Cleveland starts LHP Logan Allen (1-1, 2.70) versus Reds. RHP Jeff Hoffman (1-1, 3.86) on Friday at Cincinnati.
White Sox: RHP Dylan Cease (0-0, 3.86) starts against Nick Pivetta (2-0, 3.27) at Boston on Friday.