AP, HOUSTON, Texas
The Chicago White Sox used a rare combination to beat the Houston Astros on Wednesday night, with Charlie Tilson hitting a grand slam for his first career homer and the White Sox turning the only triple play in the majors this season in a 9-4 victory.
It is the first time in franchise history that the White Sox have smacked a grand slam and pulled off a triple play in the same game — and only the fourth time a major league team have done it since 1979.
Photo: AFP
The previous club to accomplish the feat was the Detroit Tigers on Sept. 8, 2017.
“The guys today swung the bats very well,” White Sox manager Rick Renteria said. “All around just a pretty good game with a few double plays and a triple play to boot.”
Eloy Jimenez homered twice for Chicago and Tilson’s slam highlighted a six-run sixth inning.
Photo: AP
A night after just one hit in a 5-1 loss, the White Sox got going early in this one, with Jimenez connecting in the second inning and Jose Abreu adding a solo shot in the fourth to give them a 2-0 lead.
The Astros got a homer from Alex Bregman in a three-run fourth to go on top before Chicago’s big inning.
Leury Garcia got things started in the sixth with a single and went to second on an error by left fielder Michael Brantley. The White Sox tied it at 3-3 when Garcia scored on a single by Yoan Moncada.
Abreu singled before Gerrit Cole (4-5) was chased by James McCann’s RBI double that put Chicago up 4-3. He was replaced by Josh James, who walked Yonder Alonso to load the bases. There were two outs when Tilson, who has played 58 games over three big-league seasons, launched a fastball into the right-field seats to extend the lead to 8-3.
“It was very special,” Tilson said. “A long time coming, but couldn’t have asked for a better moment to do it.”
Jimenez, who was 0 for 7 in his first two games after spending almost a month on the injured list with an ankle problem, added a second solo homer in the eighth for the rookie’s second career multihomer game.
“It was a couple of tough days, especially yesterday,” Jimenez said. “It was good for me because it was against one of the best pitchers, too. He’s got really good stuff.”
White Sox starter Ivan Nova (3-4) allowed 10 hits, but just three runs in seven-plus innings to bounce back after giving up nine runs in his previous start. He was helped by a defense who turned four double plays and ended the third inning with Chicago’s first triple play since July 2016 against Atlanta.
With runners on first and second, speedy Jake Marisnick hit a grounder down the third-base line to Moncada. He stepped on the bag for the first out and threw to Yolmer Sanchez at second. Sanchez relayed to first, where the ball just beat Marisnick.
“It takes a perfect alignment of the stars,” Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. “It was not our night.”
Because he was in the perfect spot to grab Marisnick’s grounder, Moncada thought the White Sox might be able to get three outs as soon as he touched third.
“Honestly, yes,” he said through a translator. “I just reacted and from there the play was easy.”
In other games, it was:
‧ Yankees 7, Orioles 5
‧ Red Sox 6, Blue Jays 5 (13i)
‧ Cubs 8, Phillies 4
‧ Rays 8, Dodgers 1
‧ Athletics 7, Indians 2
‧ Brewers 11, Reds 9
‧ Padres 5, Diamondbacks 2
‧ Rangers 2, Mariners 1
‧ Royals 8, Cardinals 2 (G1)
‧ Cardinals 10, Royals 3 (G2)
‧ Mets 6, Nationals 1
‧ Marlins 6, Tigers 3
‧ Rockies 9, Pirates 3
‧ Braves 9, Giants 2
‧ Twins v Angels, postponed
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