Ramirez's bad-hop single gives Indians sweep of White Sox
CLEVELAND -- Jose Ramirez's bad-hop single drove in the winning run as the Cleveland Indians completed a three-game series sweep with a 3-2 victory in 10 innings over the Chicago White Sox on Sunday at Progressive Field.
The win extends the Indians' home winning streak to eight games.
The victory went to Dan Otero (2-0), who pitched a scoreless top of the 10th.
Rajai Davis led off the bottom of the 10th with a double into the left-field corner, his fourth hit of the game, off David Robertson (0-1). A sacrifice bunt by Jason Kipnis moved Davis to third.
The White Sox intentionally walked Francisco Lindor and Mike Napoli to load the bases with one out.
White Sox manager Robin Ventura then went with a five-man infield and two-man outfield. Carlos Santana popped out to third for the second out, and Ventura went back to the conventional four-man infield and three-man outfield.
Ramirez hit a sharp groundball that bounced over the glove of first baseman Jose Abreu for a single, driving in Davis with the winning run.
Chicago had a chance to score in the top of the eighth. Cleveland starter Carlos Carrasco struck out Tim Anderson to start the inning, but Adam Eaton bounced a double off the left-field wall.
Indians manager Terry Francona went to reliever Bryan Shaw to face Abreu, who was 1-for-10 lifetime versus Shaw. Abreu popped out to Santana for the second out, and Shaw retired Melky Cabrera on a grounder to first to end the inning.
Carrasco pitched 7 1/3 innings, giving up two runs and five hits with six strikeouts and four walks.
In the bottom of the eighth, the Indians had an even better chance to score. Francisco Lindor singled with one out off reliever Zach Putnam. Napoli singled to left field but Lindor, trying to go from first to third, was easily thrown out at third by Cabrera.
For six innings it was a pitcher's duel between Carrasco and White Sox lefty Carlos Rodon.
Both pitchers gave up a run in the first inning and a solo home run in the fourth. Rodon came into the game with a record of 3-0 and a 1.52 ERA in sixth career appearances (five starts) versus Cleveland.
Carrasco was making his eighth start of the season. He spent most of the month of May on the disabled list with a strained groin.
With the score tied at 2-2, Rodon gave up a one-out single to Michael Martinez in the bottom of the seventh. Zach Putnam then relieved Rodon. Putnam struck out Davis, and on strike three catcher Alex Avila threw out Martinez attempting to steal second for an inning-ending double play.
In 6 1/3 innings, Rodon threw 99 pitches, giving up two runs and eight hits, with eight strikeouts and one walk.
The White Sox took an early lead with a run in the first inning off Carrasco. Anderson led off the game with a double down the left-field line. Eaton's sacrifice bunt moved Anderson to second and Anderson scored on a double to center field by Abreu.
The Indians, who outscored the White Sox 7-1 in the first innings in the three-game series, scored a run in the bottom of the first. Davis led off with an infield single. He went to second on a bunt single by Kipnis. Davis then stole third base, and scored the tying run on a sacrifice fly by Napoli.
The White Sox took a 2-1 lead in the top of the fourth on a solo home run by Cabrera, who came into the game with a .444 career average against Carrasco.
The Indians got that run back in the bottom of the fourth on a solo home run by Juan Uribe to tie the game at 2-2.
NOTES: Indians 1B Mike Napoli has hit 15 home runs, 11 of them at Progressive Field. Napoli is tied for the American League lead for most home runs at home. ... The Indians entered the game with a record of 2-4 versus Minnesota and Sunday's victory makes them 19-6 against all the other American League Central teams. ... The White Sox, who lead the American League in fielding percentage, have played errorless ball in 36 of their last 44 games, including a franchise-record 12-game errorless streak in early May. ...The White Sox have signed one of their two first-round picks in the June draft, RHP Zack Burdi, from the University of Louisville. Chicago selected Burdi with the 26th overall pick.