They got off to a decent start. Aaron Civale didn’t allow a hit in the first three innings. They didn’t score, but they had three hits in the first two innings.
Unfortunately for the Tribe, things crumbled from there. The White Sox hit two home runs in the fourth inning, including a 3-run shot from James McCann that instantly put the game in doubt for Cleveland.
Civale had allowed two home runs in 58⅓ innings coming into the game. That number doubled in two pitches.
It was just the start for Chicago, who ended up scoring at least one run in four straight innings en route to an 8-0 lead.
The Indians couldn’t put together any sort of rally at the plate. In fact, their offense was nonexistent for most of the game. The White Sox retired 17 straight Indians hitters starting with Francisco Lindor’s line drive to right field that ended the second inning. Greg Allen broke up the streak with a single in the eighth inning.
It was an unexpected bullpen game for Chicago. Dylan Cease was supposed to be on the mound, but he was an unexpected scratch. Jose Ruiz opened for Chicago, tossing 1⅔ innings. The White Sox used four pitchers on the night.
The Indians’ first five hitters were 1-for-39 in the final two games of this series. Both Oscar Mercado and Yasiel Puig had been on fire at the plate, but they couldn’t get anything going against the White Sox.
The Indians need a lot of help if they’re going to find their way into the playoffs. They aren’t mathematically eliminated, but they’re officially on life support.
Cleveland has to sweep the Nationals this weekend in Washington. They also need the Rays to lose two of three games against the Blue Jays to tie Tampa Bay for the second Wild Card spot. They are two games behind the Rays going into Friday.