Yermin Mercedes got his first five major-league hits and drove in four runs, while Jose Abreu hit a grand slam for the Chicago White Sox in their 12-8 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Friday.
Mercedes, a 28-year-old catcher playing in his second career game, went five-for-five in an extraordinary performance as Chicago’s designated hitter.
He delivered a two-run single in the fourth and a two-run double in the ninth inning of Chicago’s first victory this season.
Photo: AFP
“I’m so excited right now,” Mercedes said. “I don’t even know what to say right now, or what I want to say, but I’m just so happy.”
“There were a lot of great things that happened, and the greatest thing was the designated hitter,” said manager Tony La Russa, who got the first victory of his second stint running the White Sox.
After failing to catch on during three years in the Nationals’ system, Mercedes played independent ball in 2014 before grinding his way up the minors with Baltimore and Chicago, who snagged him as a Rule 5 pick in 2017.
Photo: AFP
Mercedes got just one plate appearance as a pinch-hitter for the White Sox last season.
“I just want to cry every time I see I’m in the majors right now,” Mercedes said. “It’s a long time. I’ve got a big history, so it’s about time, but it’s hard for me because just looking around, and I’m like: ‘It’s real. I’m here.’”
Albert Pujols hit a three-run shot for his 663rd career homer, Shohei Ohtani homered in the ninth inning and Mike Trout had two hits for the Angels.
Jose Iglesias and Dexter Fowler both got their first hit for their new club, but Los Angeles’ long-standing rotation problems have already returned this year.
Abreu staked the White Sox to a big early lead when he cracked his third career slam off Andrew Heaney (0-1) in the third inning.
Heaney retired Chicago’s first seven batters before falling apart, allowing eight of the next nine to reach base and yielding seven runs on five hits.
Heaney “was throwing the ball really well, and they got some two-strike hits,” Angels manager Joe Maddon said. “The bottom of their order was really impressive today.”
That bottom section included Mercedes, who batted eighth. His two-run single put the White Sox up 7-1 in the fourth, but Los Angeles gradually trimmed the margin to 7-6 before Chicago’s five-run ninth.
Tim Anderson homered and Yasmani Grandal added a two-run double before Mercedes doubled to left.
“He was impressive,” Abreu said of Mercedes. “I think he made history, and we have to be very proud of what he did tonight.”
Michael Kopeck (1-0) won in his first appearance since 2018, and Liam Hendriks got a four-out save in his White Sox debut.
Ohtani launched a two-run homer with two outs, but the Australian closer struck out Anthony Rendon to end it.
Dallas Keuchel lasted just four innings, yielding five hits. His six runs allowed were his most since joining Chicago, though three were unearned.
In Denver, Colorado, Trevor Bauer took a no-hit bid into the seventh inning of his Los Angeles debut before allowing a pair of two-run homers as the Dodgers held on after building a big lead to beat the Colorado Rockies 11-6.
The game had a little bit of everything, including a gray cat making a surprise appearance in center field before being ushered out by stadium personnel.
Bauer (1-0) purred along through six innings until Trevor Story broke up the no-hit bid with a single and Charlie Blackmon ended the shutout with a two-run homer.
Ryan McMahon later followed with another two-run homer. David Price eventually replaced Bauer and gave up back-to-back homers to Dom Nunez and Sam Hilliard, suddenly turning a 10-0 rout into a 10-6 game.
Bauer went 6-1/3 innings and allowed four runs while striking out 10.
In other games on Friday, it was:
‧ Padres 4, Diamondbacks 2
‧ Orioles 3, Red Sox 0
‧ Rays 6, Marlins 4
‧ Athletics 5, Astros 9
‧ Mariners 3, Giants 6
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