Cleveland Guardians relief pitcher Emmanuel Clase, left, slaps hands with catcher Cam Gallagher after striking out Chicago White Sox’s Seby Zavala to end the game, Thursday, May 18, 2023, in Chicago. The Guardians won 3-1. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
CHICAGO (AP) — Cam Gallagher snapped a long hitless drought with an RBI single during Cleveland’s two-run seventh inning, and the Guardians beat Dylan Cease and the Chicago White Sox 3-1 on Thursday to salvage the series finale.
Rookie Gabriel Arias homered and doubled for the Guardians, who were outscored 15-5 in the first two games. Nick Sandlin (2-1) got four outs for the win, and Emmanuel Clase worked the ninth for his MLB-leading 15th save.
The Guardians went ahead to stay in the seventh. With one out and runners on second and third, rookie Brayan Rocchio hit a grounder shortstop Tim Anderson flubbed for an error. Rocchio was credited with his first major league RBI when Will Brennan scampered home to make it 2-1.
Gallagher then drove in Arias with a single to left against Gregory Santos. Cleveland’s catchers were 0 for 44 with 26 strikeouts in May before Gallagher’s hit.
It was just the third hit of the year for Gallagher, Cleveland’s backup behind the plate. He ended an 0 for 34 drought dating to April 9.
“That was probably the longest I’ve gone without getting hit,” said Gallagher, who threw out two Chicago baserunners on steal attempts. “You know I was coming up there and there was a potential pinch-hit situation.
“Tito (manager Terry Francona) gave me the go-ahead and, you know, I was fortunate to come up with that extra run.”
Luis Robert Jr. had two hits for Chicago, including a double. Seby Zavala hit an RBI single in the fourth.
Cease (2-3) was charged with three runs and five hits in 6 1/3 innings. The right-hander is 0-3 in his last seven starts.
“I was doing a good job of pouring in strikes,” Cease said. “I didn’t necessarily have my sharpest stuff.”
Cleveland rookie Logan Allen allowed seven hits in 5 2/3 innings in his fifth career start. The left-hander struck out five and walked one.
Cease retired 13 of his first 14 hitters. Josh Bell hit a leadoff single in the second for Cleveland, but he was erased on a double play.
Arias drove the first pitch he faced in the fifth into the stands in right-center, tying it at 1 with his second homer. He entered hitting .169.
“I was talking to the hitting coaches today and the plan was to be aggressive,” Arias said through a translator. “They mentioned that I had been a little too passive.”
The Guardians were without All-Star third baseman José Ramírez, who is on the bereavement list. Rocchio was recalled on Tuesday to fill his roster spot.
HENDRIKS IN TOWN
White Sox closer Liam Hendriks, who is recovering from stage-4 non-Hodgkin lymphoma, was in the team’s clubhouse Thursday.
Manager Pedro Grifol said the 34-year-old right-hander will throw a bullpen session or live batting practice on Friday. Then Hendriks and team management will discuss the next step in his comeback.
“He’s a real good self-evaluator, he’ll be telling us what he feels,” Grifol said. “There’s no blueprint on this one. There’s very, very little information. It hasn’t happened much.”
Hendriks tossed an inning in a rehab assignment at Triple-A Charlotte on Tuesday, yielding a solo homer and a walk in one inning. Grifol said bringing Hendriks to Chicago made sense because he “needed a change of venue.”
D DOWN
Solid defense helped the White Sox win the first two games of the series. Anderson’s error with the infield drawn in stung Chicago in this one.
“It was just one of those plays,” Grifol said. “He was in good position. He said he moved his feet. I’m sure he’ll make them nine out of 10 times.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Guardians: 1B Josh Naylor (left leg soreness) ran before the game. He was out of the lineup, but available off the bench.
White Sox: 3B Yoán Moncada didn’t start in a day game following a night contest as he recovers from a bulging lumbar disc. … C Yasmani Grandal, (right hamstring), who left Wednesday’s game in the sixth inning, was at DH on Thursday.
UP NEXT
Guardians: RHP Cal Quantrill (2-2, 3.97 ERA) faces Mets RHP Carlos Carrasco (0-2, 8.56 ERA) on Friday in the opener of a three-game series in New York.
White Sox: Michael Kopech (1-4, 5.74 ERA) takes the mound against Kansas City RHP Zack Greinke (1-4, 5.01 ERA) on Friday to start a three-game set on the South Side.
