Turner homers again as Nationals beat White Sox 12-1
CHICAGO (AP) — Trea Turner's big game got overshadowed a bit by another scary moment involving a fan hit by a foul ball.
Turner homered in the second straight game, Anibal Sanchez pitched into the seventh and the Washington Nationals beat the Chicago White Sox 12-1 on Monday night.
But there were more questions about fan safety when woman was struck by a foul ball off the bat of White Sox outfielder Eloy Jimenez. He hit a hard liner into the stands in the fourth inning just beyond Chicago's dugout on the third base side. The woman was sitting several rows from the field. She was bleeding around the head area, and was covered with a towel.
She walked up toward the concourse with assistance of stadium personnel. The team said she was alert and taken to a hospital for evaluation.
Jimenez put his hands on his helmet after seeing the ball go into the stands. Protective netting at Guaranteed Rate Field extends to the end of the dugouts.
Jimenez was not available for comment after the game.
Major League Baseball said late last month it will keep examining its policy on protective netting at stadiums a day after a foul ball by the Chicago Cubs' Albert Almora hit a young fan during a game at Houston.
TURNER COMES THROUGH
Turner tripled and scored in the third, went deep against Odrisamer Despaigne leading off the fifth and added an RBI double in the seventh. He also struck out leading off the game and in the eighth and popped out in the ninth.
"I felt like I got a couple of pitches to hit in those last two at-bats, but it didn't happen. That's baseball," Turner said. "I think it's one of those things where the more you try, the less likely it's gonna happen."
Sanchez (2-6) gave up one run and four hits. He left after James McCann singled leading off the seventh.
Adam Eaton had three hits, including an RBI single, in his first game at Guaranteed Rate Field since Chicago traded him to Washington at the 2016 winter meetings. Kurt Suzuki added a grand slam during a six-run ninth and had five RBIs to help the Nationals win for the 12th time in 16 games.
Leury Garcia hit a solo homer for Chicago in the sixth inning. Yoan Moncada left the game in the seventh with upper back tightness.
Despaigne (0-1) went six innings in his first major league appearance since a relief outing for the Los Angeles Angels against Oakland last Sept. 30. The 32-year-old right-hander allowed three runs and seven hits after the White Sox purchased his contract from Triple-A Charlotte. But the White Sox fell short after winning eight of 12.
"I'm not satisfied with what I did against the first batter of each inning," Despaigne said. "I'm really confident my next outing will be better than this one."
JUMPING AHEAD
Washington got a run in the second on Suzuki's sacrifice fly and another in the third when Eaton followed Turner's leadoff triple with a bloop single.
Part of the procession in Sunday's win at San Diego when Washington hit four consecutive homers, Turner made it 3-0 when he drove a 2-1 fastball out to left leading off the fifth.
"When we've got Trea getting on base and leading off, it creates a lot of havoc," Nationals manager Dave Martinez said. "It gets us going."
DELMONICO RELEASED
The White Sox released injured outfielder Nicky Delmonico on Monday.
The 26-year-old Delmonico was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte about three weeks ago and had season-ending surgery for a torn labrum in his left shoulder on May 30. He batted .227 with 18 home runs and 54 RBIs over parts of three seasons with Chicago.
The White Sox also placed left-hander Jace Fry (sore left shoulder) on the 10-day injured list.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Nationals: RHP Justin Miller (right rotator cuff strain) pitched a scoreless inning Saturday for Double-A Harrisburg in a rehab appearance. Martinez said Miller will get "a few more games" before potentially moving up. . 1B Matt Adams suffered a left oblique strain on a checked swing in the sixth and will likely miss at least a game or two, Martinez said.
White Sox: Moncada was replaced at third base by Jose Rondon at the start of the seventh inning and is listed as day to day.
UP NEXT
Nationals: LHP Patrick Corbin (5-4, 3.59 ERA) tries to bounce back after getting pounded in back-to-back losses to Cincinnati and San Diego. He allowed a combined 13 runs — nine earned — in 7 2/3 innings.
White Sox: LHP Manny Banuelos (3-4, 7.36 ERA) makes his first start since beating Cleveland on May 30. He lost his previous four outings.
