CHICAGO _ Yoan Moncada homered for the first time since Aug. 1 during his first at bat Saturday, but he was overshadowed by back-to-back home runs James Shields surrendered to the Indians during a 3-1 loss at Guaranteed Rate Field.
The evening started off on a high note as the Sox honored Jim Thome for his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Thome gave a speech flanked by family and former coaches and teammates, including Mark Buehrle. The team celebrated his accomplishment with a bobblehead in his likeness and the weird looking off-roader the team gave to the avid deer hunter as a gift. His daughter, Lila, sang the national anthem, like she did during his induction in July.
"It's just a dream," Thome told reporters before Saturday's pregame ceremony. "How would you ever imagine that? I'm very proud and it's something that's very special."
Shields' two most common themes from this season played out once again on Saturday: lack of run support (3.86 average, 11th-lowest among American League starters) and his penchant for giving up homers.
Shields plugged through the first three innings with little incident, and escaped Michael Brantley's double off Avisail Garcia's fielding error without giving up a run. But in the fifth, catcher Omar Narvaez' throwing error at second turned into the Indians' first run when Greg Allen's RBI single scored Roberto Perez from third.
In the seventh, Shields' curveball appeared to float on him and Brantley jacked it to right field. Facing Jose Ramirez next, he hung a fastball and Ramirez tattooed it 424 feet to right center.
Shields left in the seventh having given up seven hits.
There was at least one positive.
Moncada entered Saturday's play hitting .132 with just two homers since the All-Star break. On Saturday, he zeroed in on Trevor Bauer's belt-high fastball and launched it 409 feet to right field during his first at-bat, his first home run since Aug. 1.
Moncada also has hit safely in three straight games, his first such string since July 6-8.
In the eighth, Sox reliever Luis Avilan pelted Melky Cabrera to load the bases with one out. But he got Jason Kipnis to pop out, and after a pitching change, Jeanmar Gomez coaxed a groundout from Brandon Guyer.
DH Daniel Palka nearly activated the "clutch gene," the nickname going around for his talent for high-pressure home run. Friday's walk-off hero had a man on first with the Sox down 3-1 in the ninth but his fly to right was caught at the wall by Greg Allen.
