The White Sox had their second-highest scoring game of the season in Saturday’s 10-3 win over the Athletics.
It was a well-rounded day as seven players recorded at least one hit, and eight drove in at least one run. Right fielder Michael A. Taylor led the way with three doubles and three RBI. On the mound, Tyler Gilbert opened with a scoreless inning before Jonathan Cannon pitched 7.2 innings with three earned runs.
The White Sox lineup got to work early. Luis Robert Jr. hit Jeffrey Springs’ changeup 352 feet for a solo home run in the game’s second at-bat. After an Edgar Quero walk, the White Sox rattled off three straight doubles from Lenyn Sosa, Michael A. Taylor and Brooks Baldwin, good for a four-run first inning.
Rookie catcher Edgar Quero continued his strong start with a sharp RBI single to score Miguel Vargas, who now has seven hits in the last four games. Andrew Vaughn’s sacrifice fly in the next at-bat made it a 6-0 White Sox lead in just the second inning.
Taylor notched his second double in the sixth and eventually came in to score with a Jake Amaya sacrifice fly. The White Sox blew the game open for good as the seventh inning began with three consecutive walks. Taylor stayed hot with his third double, driving in Robert and Quero. Bobby Dalbec put the White Sox into double digits with a single that scored Vaughn.
The White Sox have tried a new strategy with the pitching staff the last two days, utilizing left-hander Tyler Gilbert as a one-inning opener. It’s worked well as he’s held the Athletics scoreless in back-to-back days. Manager Will Venable then turned to right-hander Jonathan Cannon, who had previously started five games with a 4.81 ERA.
Cannon had his longest outing of the season, lasting 7.2 innings with six hits, three earned runs, two walks and five strikeouts. He retired six of the first seven batters before Brent Rooker led off the fourth with a double. Two groundouts were enough to put the Athletics on the board, and Cannon got out of the inning by striking out JJ Bleday with three changeups.
He tossed scoreless fifth and sixth innings, not letting any Athletics get past second base. Cannon’s changeup was an especially effective pitch in Saturday’s game. In the seventh, though, he allowed a leadoff home run to Luis Urias, who hit an inside sinker 369 feet. But Cannon stayed strong and retired the next five batters.
Cannon nearly closed out the final eight innings of the game, but Venable pulled him with two outs in the ninth. He had thrown 95 pitches and allowed a triple and an RBI single in the ninth to make it a 10-3 game. Penn Murfee came in and recorded the final out with one pitch, a ground out by Gio Urshela.
The White Sox entered Saturday tied for 25th in MLB in runs scored. But with their second-highest scoring game of the season, they improved to 7-20 ahead of Sunday’s series finale in West Sacramento.
