Reds 10-2, White Sox 4-8
CHICAGO -- Gordon Beckham drove in three runs and rookie pitcher Carlos Rodon posted an impressive victory in his first major league start as the Chicago White Sox beat the Cincinnati Reds 8-2 to gain a doubleheader split on Saturday at U.S. Cellular Field.
Rodon, the former No. 3 overall pick, pitched six solid innings and allowed only four hits and two earned runs after being thrust into starting after the White Sox lost starters Chris Sale and Jeff Samardzija to suspensions.
The White Sox (11-16) scored three runs in the seventh inning to help avoid the doubleheader sweep.
Left fielder Melky Cabrera drove in center fielder Adam Eaton with an RBI single. Eaton walked to lead off the inning and advanced to second on a balk. First baseman Adam LaRoche followed with an RBI single to give the White Sox a five-run cushion before Beckham drove in his third run of the night to push Chicago's lead to 8-2.
Cincinnati (15-15) never responded.
Leading by a run in the sixth inning, the White Sox extended their lead to 5-2 when right fielder Avisail Garcia and Beckham each delivered solo home runs off of Reds starter Jason Marquis.
The two long balls were the third of the game for the White Sox, who broke a nine-game drought without a home run earlier this week against the Tigers.
The Reds won the first game of Saturday's doubleheader 10-4. Cincinnati broke the game open with seven runs in the ninth inning, capped by left fielder Marlon Byrd's three-run homer.
Reds starter Johnny Cueto pitched 8 1/3 solid innings before being touched up for three runs in the ninth.
In the nightcap, the White Sox jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second inning as shortstop Alexei Ramirez blasted a two-run homer off Marquis. Ramirez hit his 100th career homer in the seventh inning of Chicago's loss in the first game.
Reds first baseman Joey Votto, who served a one-game suspension in Game 1, tied the second game 2-2 in the third inning when his single scored shortstop Zack Cozart and center fielder Billy Hamilton.
The two hits were the first off Rodon, who had worked exclusively out of the bullpen since being called up from Triple-A Charlotte last month.
The White Sox took a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the fourth on Beckham's RBI single, scoring Ramirez, who had doubled.
NOTES: Reds 1B Joey Votto served his Major League Baseball-imposed one-game suspension in Game 1 of Saturday's doubleheader. Votto was to have sat out Friday against the White Sox for making contact with an umpire during an argument, but that game was rained out. ... Saturday's doubleheader is one of three that the White Sox have scheduled. Chicago will play twice against the Orioles in Baltimore on May 28 and against the Royals on July 17 at home. ... The White Sox remain in a bit of a power outage after snapping a nine-game stretch without a home run on Wednesday against the Tigers. The nine-game drought was Chicago's longest without a home run since they went 14 games in 1989. The White Sox entered Saturday with 14 home runs, which ranked 30th in the majors.