Leave it to Adam Eaton to stir things up.
Both dugouts and bullpens emptied in the first inning of the White Sox’ 4-2 loss to the Indians Thursday after Eaton shoved Indians shortstop Andres Gimenez after getting called out trying to stretch a single into a double. Eaton was safely on the bag, but felt Gimenez lifted his arm off the base, and the out ruined a second-and-third with no outs opportunity.
“I let the emotions kind of get the best of me there just because I felt like any time you get pushed off the bag when you are safe, it’s a little frustrating,” Eaton said.
Yoan Moncada’s two-out single scored Anderson, who hit Aaron Civale’s first pitch for a single, and the Sox did not score again until Luis Robert led off the ninth with a triple and scored on an error.
“The umpire [Bill Miller] ruled it was just a hard tag,” manager Tony La Russa said. “You start pressing like that, you can just beat the heck out of the guy you’re tagging, just knock him off the base. I don’t think that’s allowable. I mean, you can’t go to the first baseman and knock him over, the third baseman.”
Right-hander Lance Lynn made his third solid start, following Carlos Rodon’s no-hitter with two hitless innings to start the game and allowing two runs over six innings. Lynn struck out 10 but Jose Ramirez’ two-run homer with two out and two strikes in the sixth produced the first earned runs scored against Lynn (0.97 ERA) and erased a 1-0 Sox lead.
The Sox managed five hits after the first inning, two in the infield and one a pop fly by Yermin Mercedes that fell for a double.
Cease passes tests
Right-hander Dylan Cease passed precautionary tests for the coronavirus after going on the IL with symptoms Wednesday and was cleared to travel with the team to Boston. Cease’s turn to pitch is Friday and he is expected to make the start.
Anderson returns
Shortstop Tim Anderson was activated off the the 10-day injured list, and outfielder Nick Williams was designated for assignment to make room on the 26-man roster.
Williams was 0-for-10 with two walks in four games. The Sox have a week to trade Williams or attempt to pass him through outright waivers.
42
Major League Baseball celebrate Jackie Robinson Day, with all players and uniformed personnel wearing No. 42 to commemorate the 74th anniversary of the Hall-of-Famer breaking baseball’s color barrier in 1947.
This and that
Jose Abreu (.184) struck out three times and made two errors on the same play.
