Garrett Crochet dominates again as White Sox blank Blue Jays to snap 4-game skid
TORONTO (AP) — The Chicago White Sox gave the ball to Garrett Crochet on Tuesday night, hoping to snap a losing streak.
Once again, the left-hander delivered.
Crochet extended his scoreless innings streak to 19, three relievers backed him for a two-hitter, and Corey Julks and Danny Mendick had two RBI apiece as the White Sox snapped a four-game losing streak with a 5-0 win over the Toronto Blue Jays.
Crochet (5-4) allowed two hits, struck out four and walked just one in six innings to win his fourth straight start.
“He’s a special one,” White Sox catcher Korey Lee said. “We’re lucky that we have him on our team. He had all his pitches working in the zone. Good things happen when we have options like that.”
Crochet hasn’t allowed a run in his last three starts after allowing just one over six innings against the St. Louis Cardinals on May 5.
“Throwing up those zeroes like that, giving the bullpen a little rest, that was amazing,” Julks said. “That was my first time seeing him throw. I was very impressed.”
Behind Crochet’s continued dominance, the White Sox avoided falling a season-worst 21 games below .500 and snapped a seven-game losing streak in Toronto in the process.
The teams wrap up their three-game series Wednesday night, which also concludes a six-game road trip for the White Sox. They were swept by the Yankees in New York over the weekend.
Chicago returns to Guaranteed Rate Field on Thursday night to begin a four-game series with the Baltimore Orioles.
2-out magic
All five White Sox runs in Tuesday’s win came with two outs.
“That’s something that we’ve needed here for a little bit,” manager Pedro Grifol said. “Guys stepped up.”
Crochet, meanwhile, retired the first 13 batters before Toronto designated hitter Justin Turner snapped a career-worst 0-for-30 slump with a double in the fifth inning.
But Crochet retired the next two batters to strand Turner.
“From the first batter on, I’m pretty aware of it,” Crochet said of not allowing a baserunner until the fifth.
“In about the third inning, I was trying to get myself to stop thinking about it. I probably forgot about it going into the fifth inning. Then I gave up the hit, and I was like, ‘Dammit.'”
Ernie Clement’s single in the sixth was the only other hit off Crochet.
“We hit some balls hard but didn’t get much going,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “You tip your hat to a good pitcher.”
John Brebbia worked the seventh, Jordan Leasure pitched the eighth and Michael Kopech struck out the side in the ninth to finish off the two-hitter.
Toronto left-hander Yusei Kikuchi (2-4) lost his third straight decision, allowing three runs, two earned, and five hits in six innings.
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Nicky Lopez opened the scoring with a two-out single off Kikuchi in the second. His single drove in Lee, who had reached on a throwing error by third baseman Clement.
Chicago’s Eloy Jiménez left after straining his left hamstring while scoring from second base on Julks’ two-out single in the top of the fifth inning. Gavin Sheets took over as the designated hitter in the seventh.
Grifol said he expected Jiménez to miss at least a couple of games but wasn’t sure how long the absence might last.
“We won’t know until tomorrow,” Grifol said. “Obviously you’ve got to see how he wakes up.”
Andrew Vaughn drew a one-out walk in the fifth and Jiménez doubled him to third. Paul DeJong struck out before Julks singled. Jiménez slowed up rounding third and limped off the field.
Mendick made it 5-0 with a two-out double off left-hander Tim Mayza in the eighth.
Trainer’s room
White Sox: OF Luis Robert Jr. (right hip) wil play five innings in an Arizona Complex League game on Wednesday, Grifol said.
Up next
Blue Jays RHP Chris Bassitt (3-6, 5.03 ERA) is expected to start Wednesday’s series finale. The White Sox will promote RHP Nick Nastrini (0-2, 7.88) from Triple-A Charlotte to face the Blue Jays. RHP Mike Clevinger had been scheduled to face Toronto but will be pushed back to Thursday.
Wednesday’s first pitch is scheduled for 6:07 p.m.
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