Ramirez hits slam, 3-run shot, Indians rout Chisox
José Ramírez hit a grand slam and a threerun homer in his first two plate appearances after missing a month with a broken hand, and the Cleveland Indians pounded the Chicago White Sox 11-0 on Tuesday night in Chicago.
Roberto Pérez and Óscar Mercado also went deep for the Indians, who won for the sixth time in seven games to remain a halfgame back of Tampa Bay for the second AL wild card. The Rays topped the New York Yankees 2-1 in 12 innings.
Mike Clevinger (13-3) pitched seven innings of five-hit ball and struck out 10 while extending his scoreless streak to 18 innings.
The switch-hitting Ramírez homered from both sides for the fourth time. He finished with a career-best seven RBIS.
Batting left-handed, Ramírez drove a 3-1 Cleveland’s Jose Ramirez connects for a grand slam during the first inning of Tuesday’s game against Chicago. The Indians rolled 11-0. pitch from Carson Fulmer (1-2) into the right-field stands with two outs in the first inning. It was his second career grand slam.
Ramírez connected again in the third, this time from the right side against Héctor Santiago. His 22nd homer went deep into the left-field stands.
The 27-year-old Ramírez was activated from the 10-day injured list prior to the game. He broke a bone in his right hand on Aug. 24 against Kansas City and had surgery two days later.
Ramírez hit .254 with
20 homers and 75 RBIS in his first 126 games this season. The two-time All-star batted .320 with 15 homers and 45 RBIS in 46 games in July and August before getting hurt.
Dan Otero and Phil Maton finished the combined six-hitter with a scoreless inning apiece.
White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson, who entered leading the majors with a .334 batting average, went 1 for 3. Zack Collins had two hits.
Santiago replaced Fulmer after the first and yielded seven runs over four innings.
After Ramírez’s slam in the first, Pérez made it 5-0 with his 24th homer in the second.
Following Ramirez’s shot in the third, Mercado hit a three-run drive to left-center in the fifth.
TWINS 4, TIGERS 2: Willians Astudillo and Eddie Rosario fueled a four-run seventh inning, and Minnesota overcame an injury to starter Jake Odorizzi to beat Detroit. Odorizzi (15-7) pitched two-hit ball through six innings but was pulled with a tight left hamstring after warming up for the seventh. NATIONALS 4-6, PHILLIES 1-5: Trea Turner’s goahead grand slam in the sixth inning lifted Washington to a victory in Game 2 over Philadelphia for a doubleheader sweep that helped the Nationals clinch an NL wild card.
PIRATES 9, CUBS 2: Chicago committed five errors, including two in a seven-run seventh inning, and moved to the brink of playoff elimination with a defeat to Pittsburgh that extended its losing streak to seven.
A’S LOSE RELIEVER AFTER SHOWER FALL: Oakland Athletics reliever Lou Trivino will miss the rest of the regular season and likely the playoffs after cracking a rib falling in the shower. Oakland will also be without righthander Blake Treinen the rest of the season because of a hip and back injury. Trivino was 4-6 with a 5.25 ERA in 61 games this season. Treinen was 6-5 with a 4.91 ERA in 57 games.