Triston McKenzie threw 5 2/3 shutout innings to help the Cleveland Guardians to a 4-0 win against the visiting Chicago White Sox on Monday in the opener of their three-game series.
McKenzie (1-1), who was limited to four starts and 16 innings last season because of injuries, allowed three hits, struck out two and walked four on 87 pitches.
Jose Ramirez hit a two-run home run, Steven Kwan had three hits and scored a run and Andres Gimenez and Josh Naylor each had two hits and a run for the Guardians, who have won eight of their first 10.
The White Sox used a string of relief pitchers, starting with left-hander Tanner Banks (0-1), who allowed one run and two hits in 2 1/3 innings, striking out five without a walk.
The White Sox, who finished with four hits, have lost nine of their first 10.
Banks struck out five of the first six batters he faced before Gimenez doubled into the left field corner on the first pitch of the bottom of the third inning.
Gimenez was still on second with one out when Brayan Rocchio hit a hard grounder that went off the glove of shortstop Braden Shewmake and into shallow left for an error, allowing Gimenez to score from second for a 1-0 lead.
Dominic Leone replaced Banks with runners on the corners and one out and induced an inning-ending double play.
The Guardians loaded the bases off Leone with one out in the fourth on two singles and a walk. Tim Hill replaced Leone and hit Gimenez with a pitch to force in a run and extend Cleveland’s lead to 2-0.
After Kwan singled to center with one out in the fifth, Bryan Shaw entered for Hill and surrendered the two-run homer to Ramirez on a 2-2 slider to push the score to 4-0.
McKenzie departed after giving up a two-out single to Andrew Benintendi in the sixth.
Tim Herrin came in and walked Dominic Fletcher but then struck out pinch hitter Paul DeJong.
Hunter Gaddis pitched a scoreless seventh for Cleveland, Cade Smith did the same in the eighth and Emmanuel Clase finished out the ninth.
–Field Level Media
