White Sox Snap Losing Streak Against Cubs, Cardinals Beat Rockies

By ESPN

Just getting a win against any team, anywhere, felt good for the scuffling Chicago White Sox.

That it came at Wrigley Field against the Cubs made it a little sweeter.

Adam Engel and Matt Davidson homered and the White Sox snapped a nine-game losing streak with a 3-1 victory over their crosstown rivals in their North Side ballpark on Monday.

"I was emotional just because we've been down eight days in a row," White Sox manager Rick Renteria said. "We've been looking for a victory and looking for our (starter) to give us a little length and he did."

Miguel Gonzalez (5-9) allowed one run and seven hits in 7 1/3 innings to end a four-game losing streak and win for just the second time in 11 decisions.

Engel lined his third homer of the season off reliever Justin Grimm (1-1) into the wind and several rows into the left-center bleachers to snap a 1-all tie in the sixth. Davidson led off the eighth with his 19th homer, which sailed over the left-field stands and onto Waveland Avenue.

"It felt good just to put us ahead," Engel said.

Jose Abreu had two hits and doubled in a run for the AL-worst White Sox, who ended their longest slide in four years.

The Cubs lost for just the second time in 10 games following the All-Star break to fall a half-game behind idle first-place Milwaukee in the NL Central. Monday's game was the first of four consecutive this week between the Cubs and White Sox.

In his first start since June 4 because of tendinitis in his pitching hand, Cubs right-hander Kyle Hendricks pitched 4 1/3 innings and allowed a run and eight hits.

The 27-year-old was 16-8 with a major league-best 2.13 ERA last season and his return is one key to the defending World Series champions' rotation down the stretch.

Hendricks struck out five and walked none, but White Sox hitters battled to extend at-bats and drove up the righty's pitch count. Hendricks was replaced by Grimm with one out in the fifth after throwing his 92nd pitch -- one that resulted in Abreu's RBI double that tied it at 1.

Hendricks said he felt fine physically, but was out of sync.

"It was good being back out," Hendricks said, "but if really didn't go the way I wanted it too. I've just got to get back that fastball command, be more aggressive with less pitch count."

Cubs manager Joe Maddon agreed Hendricks wasn't his old self yet, but said the righty took a solid step.

"He threw like 90 pitches, which was good to get him stretched out into the next start," Maddon said. "It's a good outing to build off of."

White Sox reliever Anthony Swarzak got four outs for his first career save in eight chances. After Kris Bryant's infield single and a walk to Anthony Rizzo with two outs in the ninth, he struck out Willson Contreras looking.

"It took a long time, and it's nice that I went in there and got it done," Swarzak said.

Jon Jay had four hits, including a double, for the Cubs, but they left 12 men on base. Maddon credited Gonzalez for his craftiness.

"We just couldn't get a hit with runners in scoring position," Maddon said.

Gonzalez's start was his second after missing nearly a month with right shoulder inflammation. He lost to Clayton Kershaw and the Los Angeles Dodgers last Tuesday despite allowing only one run in six innings.

The White Sox led 2-1 when Cubs loaded the bases against Gonzalez with two outs in the seventh. But Rizzo lined out to Engel on the warning track in center.

Cardinals 8, Rockies 2

Randal Grichuk is riding his longest home run streak in the majors.

Grichuk hit a two-run homer, Mike Leake pitched seven scoreless innings and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Colorado Rockies 8-2 on Monday night.

Leake's six-strikeout performance was his best since giving up one run over eight innings against Washington on June 30. It was the first win for Leake (7-8) against the Rockies since Aug. 10, 2011.

"That was the goal, attack their weaknesses," Leake said. "Fortunately, today I was able to consistently hit my spots."

Kevin Siegrist pitched the Cardinals out of a two-on, one-out jam in the eighth by getting Gerardo Parra to strike out and Mark Reynolds to fly out. Tyler Lyons struck out the side in the ninth.

The Cardinals improved to 20-5 against the Rockies at home since the 2010 season. Colorado fell to 3-14 in its last 17 road games.

Grichuk's two-run homer off Rockies starter Antonio Senzatela (10-4) gave the Cardinals a 4-0 lead in the fourth, extending his home run streak to a career-high four games. He is the 11th player in the major leagues to have such a streak this season.

"It's going to be a challenge for him every single day to lay off the high fast balls and the breaking balls low in the zone and once he gets a better handle on that, which I think he's going to continue to improve on, he's going to cause damage when he finds the ball," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said.

Grichuk's home run binge came as soon as he was activated from the disabled list Friday. The DL stint followed an option down to Triple-A earlier this season, his second such option in as many seasons.

Matheny said Grichuk has taken each setback in stride.

"A lot of it is the mindset and he goes down with a plan to fix things and then stay the course," Matheny said. "We've all been rewarded when he gets it right."

Jose Martinez and Tommy Pham each hit solo home runs in the seventh off Chris Rusin to make it 6-0. It was Martinez's second pinch-hit homer of the season and fourth total for St. Louis.

Dexter Fowler and Pham led off the bottom of the first with walks and both scored to give the Cardinals a 2-0 lead. Senzatela, who didn't walk a batter will pitching a career-high eight innings against St. Louis on April 26, needed 39 pitches and Nolan Arenado's diving catch that saved at least another run to get out of the first inning.

Senzatela lasted just four innings, matching his season low in a start. It was the second straight start in which he gave up four runs.

"From the start of the game I didn't have my fastball command," Senzatela said. "It was a real struggle for me."

Jairo Diaz gave up two runs while walking a career-high three in one inning of relief.

Pat Valaika's third career pinch-hit home run in the eighth was the Rockies' offense, as Zach Duke failed to record an out in relief of Leake.

Rockies manager Bud Black said Leake pitched well.

"He was moving the ball around and the guy's in the top ten in ERA for a reason," Black said. "He's a good pitcher. He kept the ball off the barrel."

Monday, June 24 Scoreboard

Chicago White Sox 3, Chicago Cubs 1

Houston 13, Philadelphia 4

Toronto 4, Oakland 2

Cleveland 6, Cincinnati 2

Kansas City 5, Detroit 3 (F/12)

Baltimore 5, Tampa Bay 0

St. Louis 8, Colorado 2

Miami 4, Texas 0

Arizona 10, Atlanta 2

Seattle 4, Boston 0

Los Angeles Dodgers 6, Minnesota 4

New York Mets 5, San Diego 3

Pittsburgh 10, San Francisco 3

Tuesday, July 25 Schedule (All Times Central)

Chicago White Sox at Chicago Cubs, 1:20 p.m.

Cincinnati at New York Yankees, 6:05 p.m.

Milwaukee at Washington, 6:05 p.m.

Houston at Philadelphia, 6:05 p.m.

Oakland at Toronto, 6:07 p.m.

Los Angeles Angels at Cleveland, 6:10 p.m.

Kansas City at Detroit, 6:10 p.m.

Baltimore at Tampa Bay, 6:10 p.m.

Miami at Texas, 7:05 p.m.

Colorado at St. Louis, 7:15 p.m.

Atlanta at Arizona, 8:40 p.m.

Boston at Seattle, 9:10 p.m.

Minnesota at Los Angeles Dodgers, 9:10 p.m.

New York Mets at San Diego, 9:10 p.m.

Pittsburgh at San Francisco, 9:15 p.m.