A combined one-hitter in the nightcap of a doubleheader Tuesday nudged the Chicago White Sox one step closer to claiming their first series victory of the season.
The host White Sox welcome the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday afternoon while trying to salvage a split of a six-game homestand.
Chicago sends one of its more consistent starters to the mound as right-hander Mike Clevinger gets the ball. Clevinger (2-0, 2.20 ERA) is coming off a no-decision in his home debut Friday, when he scattered one hit, five walks and five strikeouts in six shutout innings against the Baltimore Orioles.
After losing Game 1 of Tuesday’s doubleheader 7-4, the White Sox regrouped in the nightcap. Righty Lucas Giolito and three relievers combined on a one-hit shutout in Chicago’s 3-0 victory.
Jake Burger hit a three-run home run in the first inning to spark the White Sox, who snapped a slide of five losses in six games.
“Everybody’s fine,” Chicago righty Lance Lynn said. “You know it’s April, but you know you’ve got to get it moving just to make sure you don’t get too far behind.”
Burger has five home runs, tied with Luis Robert for the club lead, and four of them came during the current homestand.
The Phillies were unable to secure their first three-game winning streak of the season with the loss in Tuesday’s nightcap.
Brandon Marsh notched the team’s lone hit with a double leading off the eighth inning. Leadoff man Bryson Stott struggled to an 0-for-4 night as his season-opening 17-game hitting streak ended.
Stott lined a deep fly to the warning track in the ninth inning, but Robert, the Chicago center fielder, tracked it down.
Righty Taijuan Walker (1-1, 4.20 ERA) is set to start for Philadelphia. Facing the host Cincinnati Reds on Friday, Walker recorded his first victory of the season after allowing one run and four hits in six innings with two walks and four strikeouts.
“The biggest thing was to get through the six innings,” Walker said. “There’s still a couple of things to work on. I feel like I got behind in counts, but it was good to come back. The pitch count [98] was a little lower. Overall, it was a lot better.”
Philadelphia jumped ahead 5-1 after three innings.
“You get an early lead like that, it makes my job easier,” Walker said. “Just go out and be aggressive and make them put it in play and let the defense work for me.”
Walker is 2-2 with a 3.86 ERA in four career starts against the White Sox, with 16 strikeouts in 23 1/3 innings. Clevinger defeated the Phillies in his only appearance against them, delivering five innings of one-hit ball last May while pitching for the San Diego Padres.
–Field Level Media
