Salazar in solid command for Tribe
CHICAGO — Danny Salazar continued to pitch like a new man Friday night.
Salazar, in his second start since coming off the disabled list, allowed two runs in six innings, and the Cleveland Indians beat the rebuilding White Sox 9-3 for their eighth straight win. It’s their longest winning streak of the season, but they haven’t been able to pull away from Kansas City in the American League Central because the Royals have won nine straight games.
The Indians placed Salazar (4-5) on the disabled list on June 6 because of a sore right shoulder. He didn’t return until July 22, throwing seven scoreless innings against Toronto in a 2-1 victory in 10 innings. Salazar, in his two starts since being activated, is 1-0 with a 1.38 ERA. He has struck out 16, walked two and allowed four hits.
Salazar has never had a problem striking batters out, but when it comes to control and command it has been a different story. In his last two starts, he’s thrown 69 percent of his pitches for strikes (127-of-183).
On Friday, Salazar didn’t allow a hit until Matt Davidson’s leadoff single in the fifth. He didn’t allow a run until Davidson hit a two-run homer in the seventh. Salazar struck out eight, walked two and allowed three hits to win his first game since May 21 against Houston.
Jose Ramirez, who went 4-for-5 to raise his average to .322, gave the Indians a 1-0 lead with a leadoff homer in the second. It was his 18th home run of the season. He started this season with 19 homers in his career.
Carlos Santana and Michael Brantley homered as well. It was Santana’s 14th homer and Brantley’s eighth, with three of them coming in his last six games.
The Indians finally got to White Sox lefthander Derek Holland. The Newark, Ohio, native entered Friday’s game with a 7-1 record against the Tribe. But Cleveland knocked him out of the game in 4
innings, scoring six runs on nine hits. In his two April wins, Holland held the Indians to one run on four hits in 12 innings.
The White Sox, who have traded away most of their big-league talent, have lost 13 of their last 14 games.