After winning both games on Friday and Saturday, the Cleveland Guardians were looking for the second series sweep in a row.
Things weren’t looking so great from the jump. In the bottom of the first starting pitcher Slade Cecconi gave up a two-run home run before recording a single out and a solo home run before recording the final out. In the bottom of the third, with one out, the White Sox tacked on two more runs. Cecconi gave up a single, walk, and back-to-back RBI singles to put Chicago up 5-0.
Kyle Manzardo broke the seal in the top of the fourth. A lead off home run to right put the Guards on the board.
Slade ended his night after only 3.0 innings pitched. He gave up 8 hits and a walk while allowing five runs to score. Kolby Allard replaced him, pitching the fourth and fifth innings. Allard gave up 1R/ER on 3 hits and a walk.
Cleveland would close the gap in the top of the sixth after a stalled rally in the fifth. Gabriel Arias hit a lead off single and landed on third after Angel MartÃnez hit a ground-rule double to center, forcing a pitching change. With one out, Brayan Rocchio drew a walk to load them up. David Fry pinch hit for Austin Hedges, doubling to left to score two runs and bring the Guards within two. Bo Naylor would come in to catch.
Allard started the bottom of the sixth, but after a ‘tweener single and a walk, Stephen Vogt went to Matt Festa. A wild pitch and a sac fly gave Chicago another run before Festa retired the side.
In the top of the seventh, Kyle Manzardo proved that he is a Cleveland Guardian by demonstrating his hatred for the Chicago White Sox with another solo home run.
Festa stayed in the pitched the bottom of the seventh, going 1-2-3. In the bottom of the eighth Carlos Hernández also went 1-2-3 to give the Guards one last attempt to beat Chicago. In the top of the ninth, Cleveland couldn’t make anything happen falling to the White Sox by a score of 4-6.
The team has an off-day tomorrow before starting an interleague homestand, first against the Miami Marlins.