The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Bieber, Tribe blast White Sox
Rookie hasn’t lost on road; Encarnacion has big night at the plate
CHICAGO » Shane Bieber remained perfect on the road with six scoreless innings, Francisco Lindor led off the game with a home run and the Indians beat up the White Sox, 10-2, on Sept 26.
Edwin Encarnacion finished 3 for 4 with a three-run homer and drove in four runs for the AL Central champs.
Bieber (11-5) improved to 7-0 on the road, setting a single-season record with most road wins without a loss by a Cleveland pitcher. The 23-year-old rookie has yet to lose a road game in his 11 career starts.
He retired the first eight batters and didn’t allow a hit until Yoan Moncada reached after hitting an unusual high bouncer back to Bieber with two outs in the fifth. Bieber, who got a laugh out of it, didn’t even have a chance to make a throw to first.
In his final start of the regular season, Bieber coasted through the White Sox lineup, allowing just two hits. He finished with nine strikeouts and two walks.
Kevan Smith broke up the shutout with an RBI single with one out in the ninth off Indians reliever Oliver Perez. Adam Engel also added an RBI single off Adam Cimber.
In the home finale and fan appreciation night, the White Sox finished 30-51, their worst performance at home in a full season since the last-place 1948 team won 27 games.
There was a scare in the eighth inning, Erik Gonzalez, who came in as a defensive replacement for the Indians, was hit off the left side of his helmet during an at-bat.
Gonzalez, who was hit by White Sox reliever Rob Scahill, was down for several minutes while being tended by team trainers and was helped off the field.
On the third pitch of the game, Lindor hit his ninth leadoff homer of the season off White Sox starter Jace Fry (2-3), extending Lindor’s team record. It was his 12th career leadoff home run and his 37th home run of the season.
Jose Ramirez led off the third inning with a double off White Sox reliever Aaron Bummer and scored on Encarnacion’s single.
Encarnacion tagged White Sox reliever Ryan Burr with a three-run shot in the fourth inning. It was his 32nd of the season.
Roberto Perez greeted White Sox reliever Jeanmar Gomez with an RBI single in the fifth and Michael Brantley added a sacrifice fly.
Jason Kipnis hit a tworun double in the sixth and Perez ended Gomez’s night with an RBI double to make it 10-0.
Fry, used throughout the season as a reliever, made his first career start on what manager Rick Renteria called a “bullpen day.” Fry only lasted an inning.
Josh Donaldson had a career-best four walks for Cleveland.
Trainer’s room
INDIANS » RHP Carlos Carrasco will start the season finale at Kansas City but manager Terry Francona plans to use fellow righty Trevor Bauer as a reliever in the game. “We’ll flip-flop what we did (Tuesday),” he said a day after Bauer made his second start since returning from a stress fracture in his leg. The manager added Bauer was “doing good” after Tuesday’s outing . ... Brantley was back in the lineup after leaving Tuesday’s game with a right calf contusion. WHITE SOX » 1B Jose Abreu is done for the season with an infection on his right thigh. He’s been out since Sept. 16 with the infection. He will not travel with the team to Minnesota for the final road trip. He hit .265 with 22 home runs and 78 RBIs.
Up next
INDIANS » RHP Josh Tomlin (2-5) is scheduled to start for the Indians on Sept. 28 at Kansas City. WHITE SOX » Right-handers Reynaldo Lopez (79) and Lucas Giolito (1012) will start in a Sept. 29 doubleheader against the Twins. Lopez allowed one run over seven innings in a win against the Cubs in his last start. Giolito pitched 6 2-3 innings, allowing five runs on seven hits in a loss to the Cubs on Sept. 22.