Tristan Peters punctuated a seven-run fifth inning with a two-run triple and Anthony Kay pitched five strong innings as the surging Chicago White Sox defeated the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers 8-2 on Friday.
American League Central-leading Chicago improved to 3-0 on a five-game homestand against the top two clubs in the National League. The White Sox have won four of five overall and eight straight at Rate Field.
Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani missed the game with left knee inflammation, an injury he sustained during Thursday’s victory in Pittsburgh. Manager Dave Roberts said resting Ohtani was a precautionary move and “not an (injury list) situation.”
White Sox pitchers retired 19 consecutive batters to close the game.
Bryan Hudson, Trevor Richards and Chris Murphy combined for four innings of perfect relief after Kay (6-1) scattered two runs and four hits in five innings. He walked one against seven strikeouts while hitting two batters.
Staked to a lead on Andrew Benintendi’s first-inning solo home run, Kay surrendered the advantage after four batters in the top of the second. Miguel Rojas tied the game with an RBI double and Santiago Espinal’s single drove in Rojas for a 2-1 lead. The Dodgers loaded the bases with one out, but Kay regrouped and retired 11 of the last 12 Dodgers he faced.
Los Angeles starter Roki Sasaki allowed baserunners in each of his first four innings but yielded only one run. Chicago knocked him from the game in the fifth as six of the first seven batters reached base — including three via walk.
Miguel Vargas doubled home the go-ahead run to make it 3-2. After Braden Montgomery worked a bases-loaded walk, Chase Meidroth greeted reliever Blake Treinen with a two-run single. Two batters later, Peters lined a ball into the gap in right center for a two-run triple.
Meidroth and Vargas had three hits apiece for the White Sox, who outhit the Dodgers 10-4.
Sasaki (3-4) lost for the first time since May 2. He allowed seven runs on seven hits in 4 1/3 innings with three walks and four strikeouts.
Rojas collected two hits for Los Angeles, with his double the only one to go for extra bases.
