CLEVELAND (AP) — Elvis Andrus hit one of the White Sox's five home runs off rookie Hunter Gaddis — and backed up a pregame swipe at the Guardians — as Chicago cut Cleveland's lead in the AL Central to three games with an 8-2 victory in a makeup game Thursday.
Andrus connected in the fifth inning off Gaddis (0-2), who became the first Cleveland pitcher to allow five homers in a game since Luis Tiant in 1969.
On Wednesday, Andrus raised some eyebrows by telling reporters he expected the first-place Guardians "to crumble, the closer we get."
Gavin Sheets hit a two-run homer in the second to start Chicago's homer barrage against Gaddis, and Andrew Vaughn, Yoán Moncada and Yasmani Grandal joined Andrus by hitting shots off the right-hander.
Lance Lynn (7-5) limited the Guardians to two run and six hits in 6 1/3 innings. The right-hander is 5-0 in his last seven starts.
Cleveland had its winning streak stopped at six as it began a run of nine straight games against the White Sox and Minnesota Twins, the club's two closest pursuers in one of baseball's only tight division races.
Before the game, Guardians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti said he had heard about Andrus' comment but dismissed it as "outside noise."
It got a little louder for Cleveland.
Sheets and Vaughn connected for consecutive homers in the second off the 24-year-old Gaddis, who was making his second major league start.
Gaddis started the inning by walking Eloy Jiménez and Sheets followed with his 13th homer, a shot into the seats in right that brought a shouting Andrus out of the dugout to high-five teammates along the rail.
Vaughn fouled off two pitches before making it 3-0 with his 16th homer of the season, which again sent Andrus into celebration.
Moncada connected for his 10th homer in the third and Grandal hit No. 5 in the fourth before Andrus, who signed with Chicago on Aug. 19, made it 6-1 with his leadoff homer in the fifth.
After Moncada doubled and scored on José Abreu's single, Guardians manager Terry Francona pulled Gaddis, who's the third pitcher in team history to give up five homers.
CLEMENTE'S DAY
Several Cleveland players along with first-base coach Sandy Alomar Jr. wore Roberto Clemente's No. 21 as baseball honored the late Hall of Fame outfielder, who died nearly 50 years ago.
Coincidentally, this was the 21st Roberto Clemente Day, which celebrates both his on-field excellence (15-time All-Star, four-time batting champion) and selflessness in the community. He died in a plane crash on his way to bringing emergency supplies to earthquake-ravaged Nicaragua.
UP NEXT
White Sox: RHP Lucas Giolito (10-9, 5.18 ERA), 4-0 in his last seven starts, will start the series opener in Detroit on Friday against RHP Matt Manning (2-2, 3.73).
Guardians: RHP Triston McKenzie (10-11, 3.05) will start Friday's opener against the Twins, who haven't yet announced their starter.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press.
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