Ian Happ, Cody Bellinger, Isaac Paredes and Nico Hoerner each homered to boost the visiting Chicago Cubs to a 7-6 victory against the slumping Chicago White Sox on Friday.
Losers of 23 of 24, the White Sox surrendered seven runs in the first three innings in the debut of interim manager Grady Sizemore, who took the reins after manager Pedro Grifol was fired Thursday.
The White Sox loaded the bases with two outs in the ninth, but Hector Neris recovered to retire Andrew Vaughn on a flyout and pick up his 16th save.
The White Sox have lost 11 consecutive games at Guaranteed Rate Field, including seven in a row since the All-Star break.
Happ hit a leadoff homer, the first of four given up by White Sox starter Garrett Crochet (6-9), to give the Cubs an early lead. Bellinger added a two-run blast later in the first inning.
In the third, Paredes drilled a two-run homer and Hoerner followed with a blast of his own. Dansby Swanson then hit a single to chase Crochet, who gave up nine runs and seven hits in 2 1/3 innings. He finished with five strikeouts and no walks.
Crochet, the lone All-Star for the White Sox, remained winless since June 7, a span of 10 starts.
Cubs right-hander Jameson Taillon (8-6) benefitted from the early cushion. Taillon retired the leadoff man just once in his five innings. Vaughn hit a solo home run in the fourth to key a four-run rally, and Andrew Benintendi opened the fifth with another shot.
Taillon allowed five runs and nine hits with four strikeouts and no walks.
Bellinger and Pete Crow-Armstrong had three hits each for the Cubs, who outhit the White Sox 16-14. Happ, Paredes, and Hoerner added two hits apiece.
Nicky Lopez and Gavin Sheets each had three hits for the White Sox. Benintendi, Korey Lee and Dominic Fletcher each had two hits.
Touki Toussaint kept the White Sox afloat with 3 1/3 innings of scoreless relief. The White Sox drew within the final margin when Benintendi hit his second solo shot of the night, in the seventh.
The Cubs clinched the season series from the White Sox. The Cubs swept a two-game series at Wrigley Field in June.
–Field Level Media
