Indians extend winning streak to 8 games with 9-3 win over White Sox
CHICAGO (AP) -- Jose Ramirez had four hits, including a homer, Carlos Santana and Michael Brantley also homered, and the Cleveland Indians beat the Chicago White Sox 9-3 on Friday night for their eighth straight victory.
Ramirez went 4 for 5 and drove in three runs, and Yan Gomes had two hits and two RBIs. The Indians, who had 16 hits, have homered in all eight games of the streak.
Danny Salazar (4-5) allowed two runs on three hits in six-plus innings to win his second straight start since being activated from the disabled list.
Matt Davidson hit his 20th home run for Chicago, which has dropped 13 of 14.
White Sox starter Derek Holland (5-10) allowed six runs on nine hits in 4 1/3 innings. He has surrendered five or more runs in five of his last seven starts.
Ramirez opened the scoring with a homer leading off the second. The Indians extended the lead to 2-0 in the fourth on Gomes' RBI single.
Holland limited the damage in the first four innings, but wasn't as fortunate in the fifth. Santana and Francisco Lindor started the rally with back-to-back singles and advanced to second and third on a wild pitch.
After Holland retired Brantley on a comebacker -- with the runners holding -- Chicago manager Rick Renteria opted to intentionally walk Edwin Encarnacion to load the bases and bring up Ramirez, who promptly singled to left to drive in two to make it 4-0.
The next two batters, Austin Jackson and Brandon Guyer, each walked to force in a run and end Holland's night. Gomes capped the rally with an RBI single to left off reliever Chris Beck to extend the lead to 6-0.
Santana homered leading off the sixth and Giovanny Urshela doubled in a run in the seventh to make it 8-0.
Salazar had allowed only two singles through six innings, but started the seventh by walking Yoan Moncada and Davidson followed with a 412-foot blast to left.
Brantley's home run in the eighth made it 9-2. Moncada then doubled in a run in the bottom of the inning.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Indians: INF Jason Kipnis (right hamstring strain) is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Columbus on Saturday. He'll be the DH in the first game. "If all goes well, he'll play second base on Sunday," manager Terry Francona said . OF Lonnie Chisenhall (right calf strain) is progressing and is expected to begin running the bases this weekend.
UP NEXT
Indians RHP Corey Kluber (8-3, 2.74 ERA) faces RHP Miguel Gonzalez (4-9, 4.60) in the second game of the series. Kluber has reached double digits in strikeouts in seven of eight starts, including 14 in his last start against Toronto on Sunday. Gonzalez is 1-1 with a 1.35 ERA over his last two starts.
