White Sox cap sweep of Astros with 11-inning win

(TSX / STATS) -- CHICAGO -- As soon as his 11th-inning single scooted through the right side of the infield and he rounded first base, Yoan Moncada suddenly had nowhere to run.

The Chicago White Sox rookie second baseman's teammates quickly surrounded him and doused him with a combination of water, Gatorade and ice.

His first walk-off hit sparked an instant celebration following only the White Sox's second sweep of the season and first since April.

Moncada hit a game-tying home run in the ninth inning and then followed it with the decisive single in the 11th as the White Sox beat the American League-leading Houston Astros 3-2 on Thursday night.

"It was something indescribable," Moncada said of his game-winning moment. "My feelings, all my emotions were through the roof."

Moncada's game-winning single off Houston reliever Francis Martes finished off the rally. Leury Garcia singled to open the 11th and took second base on an error. However, before Moncada could deliver the game-winner, he had to rally the White Sox, who were down to their final two outs in the ninth inning.

Moncada tied the game on a one-out solo home run off Astros closer Ken Giles, who had converted 22 of 24 save opportunities before Thursday. The White Sox then put runners on first and second after back-to-back walks, but Giles struck out Yolmer Sanchez to force extra innings.

By then, Moncada had done just enough damage to set up his next at-bat in the 11th.

"Obviously, that's big," manager Rick Renteria said of Moncada's performance. "He homers and then he wins it with a base hit there late. He did a nice job, and he is taking some nice swings."

David Holmberg (2-3) earned the win after recording the last out in the top of the 11th inning.

Martes (4-2) took the loss as the Astros' struggles since the All-Star break continued. Houston lost for the seventh time in nine games.

"We'll figure it out -- we've got a good group in there," Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. "Every team goes through these stretches, and this is really one of the first tough stretches where we have had a couple of weeks where we haven't gotten the results that we've wanted. But the reality is, you have to play good baseball. We'll turn it around, we'll do it."

Luke Gregerson pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the eighth to protect Houston's 2-1 lead. The White Sox threatened when Avisail Garcia singled and reached third on a fielder's choice and a throwing error by Astros catcher Juan Centeno.

After Gregerson struck out Sanchez and Tim Anderson, then intentionally walked Omar Narvaez to load the bases, he got pinch hitter Alen Hanson to ground out to first.

The Astros led 2-0 in the sixth inning after Marwin Gonzalez produced a two-out double that scored Yuli Gurriel, who reached on a fielder's choice. The White Sox answered with a run in the sixth when Avisail Garcia, who doubled with one out, scored on a Sanchez fielder's choice.

Jake Marisnick led off the third inning with a solo home run to give the Astros a 1-0 lead, driving a 1-0 pitch by White Sox starter Carlos Rodon deep into the left field bleachers for his 14th homer.

Houston starter Brad Peacock pitched 6 1/3 innings of one-run ball. He scattered seven hits while striking out five and walking one.

Rodon allowed two runs on nine hits in eight innings. He struck out four without issuing a walk, which helped set up Chicago's third straight victory -- all against the American League Central leaders.

"For us to sweep a team like the Astros that are the best team in the league is something that enhances our confidence," Moncada said. "That's something making us feel a more comfortable (with) our talent."

NOTES: Astros CF George Springer was used in the designated hitter spot Thursday, a day after coming off the disabled list, and he went 0-for-4. Manager A.J. Hinch expects to use Springer as a DH this weekend against the Texas Rangers as Springer gets re-acclimated after missing 13 games with a left quad injury. ... White Sox 3B Matt Davidson expects to start swinging a bat Friday as he continues to deal with a right wrist contusion. He hopes to return Tuesday when the White Sox against the Los Angeles Dodgers. ... RHP Reynaldo Lopez will make his White Sox debut Friday against the Kansas City Royals. Lopez went 6-7 with a 3.79 ERA and 131 strikeouts in 22 starts this season with Triple-A Charlotte. He replaces RHP Mike Pelfrey in the rotation after the veteran was moved to the bullpen.

Cubs may have suffered two losses against Giants

(TSX / STATS) -- SAN FRANCISCO -- It was bad enough for the Chicago Cubs that they left AT&T Park having lost twice in a three-game series in the wake of the San Francisco Giants posting a 3-1 win Wednesday afternoon.

To leave town fearing they've lost cleanup hitter Willson Contreras to a hamstring injury could put a far more serious crimp in Chicago's postseason hopes than the two losses.

Contreras came up limping running to first base while making the final out of the eighth inning.

"He's a DL candidate," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "We'll have to wait and see. That's no fun. Apparently he pulled a hamstring. Maybe we'll get lucky and it's just a bad cramp."

The Cubs flew after the game to Arizona for a series that starts Friday. On Thursday, Contreras, who has 21 homers and 70 RBIs and who was the National League Player of the Week last week, will have an MRI to determine the scope of the injury.

"He's been carrying us," starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks said. "It's definitely a blow, not good. It gets quiet in the dugout. You feel bad for him, a guy who works so hard."

The Giants were on the other end of the injury equation. Madison Bumgarner, who spent three months on the disabled list with a left shoulder sprain, was back and as filthy as ever. He was dinged for a third-inning homer by Albert Almora Jr. but allowed just three other hits and one walk in seven innings.

Since his return, he has made six starts. In the last four, he has allowed four runs total while striking out 25 and walking five in 24 innings.

"I feel normal," Bumgarner said. "I'm throwing the ball really well. I'll throw as many pitches as they'll let me. They've got to be smart about it, but I'm feeling good. It's the mindset of being healthy in arm strength and the mindset of making pitches again."

While the Cubs are in first place in the National League Central, the Giants are dead last in the NL West. Having Bumgarner back, however, levels the playing field.

Three times in his last four starts he has matched up with likely playoff teams, and the Los Angeles Dodgers, Diamondbacks and now the Cubs have struggled to do much against him.

The Giants, while 24 games under .500 at 46-70, have back-to-back series wins over the Diamondbacks and Cubs, two NL powers.

"It's no coincidence," the Giants' Hunter Pence said.

The right fielder drove in the game's final run with a homer in the eighth inning.

"Having him back is a big impact, not only in the games he starts but just his presence. His mentality seeps into everyone."

San Francisco scored first on an RBI single from Joe Panik in the second. Almora tied the score in the third by going deep, and the game sat there until Denard Span, Ryder Jones and Jarrett Parker backed up hits in the seventh.

"We scrapped, we scratched and clawed for runs in that seventh inning today," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "There were some balls that weren't hit hard, but they put them in play. It's good to get some wins, and get some wins against two pretty good ballclubs, Arizona and Chicago. It makes for a great flight heading to Washington."

The Cubs' flight to Phoenix, while much shorter, will be more difficult for the Central leaders to enjoy.

"Other guys have to say 'we have to pick up the slack,'" Maddon said of a future where Contreras might not be a factor. "I've seen it before when your best player at the moment goes down. Guys start to pick it up."

NOTES: Cubs RF Ben Zobrist opened the game with a single. He is now 7-for-15 lifetime against Giants LHP Madison Bumgarner. ... In a bit of irony, Willson Contreras, who is normally the Cubs' catcher, was at first base, the idea being to give his legs a bit of a rest. ... RHP Mark Melancon (right pronator strain) will travel with the Giants to Washington and it's possible that he will be activated from the disabled list Friday. ... Giants OF Hunter Pence's homer was his second of the homestand. He hadn't hit a home run at AT&T Park all season before these two. ... The Cubs put RHP Koji Uehara on the disabled list with tightness in his neck. Justin Grimm was recalled from Triple-A Iowa. ... San Francisco RHP Johnny Cueto, still dealing with a blister, will travel with the team to Washington. The plan will be for him to do some light throwing over the weekend.

Gonzalez bounces back to lead White Sox past Astros

(TSX / STATS) -- CHICAGO -- Considering how poorly his last outing went, all Miguel Gonzalez was looking for Wednesday night was to take a step in the right direction.

Dominating the American League's best team certainly got the job done.

Gonzalez took a shutout into the eighth inning, and Tim Anderson homered and drove in three runs as the Chicago White Sox beat the Houston Astros 7-1.

The White Sox will look to sweep Astros when the three-game series concludes Thursday.

Six days after allowing seven runs in 1 2/3 innings against the Boston Red Sox, Gonzalez (6-10) gave up one run on five hits and struck out four while walking only one in eight innings. He earned his 50th career victory.

"Us as starters have four days to think about what we have to do to get better, and you always have that in back of your mind," Gonzalez said. "But you try to keep it as short as possible and not think about it when you're out there. But it was definitely a good one today."

Derek Fisher got to Gonzalez with a solo home run to lead off the eighth inning.

Anderson sparked the White Sox in the fifth and sixth innings, when Chicago hit Astros starter Colin McHugh (0-1) hard and tallied all of its runs. Anderson's RBI double in the sixth gave the White Sox a 5-0 lead before Leury Garcia followed with a two-run single.

"I'm feeling more like myself," Anderson said.

Staked to a big lead, Gonzalez took care of the rest before David Holmberg pitched a scoreless ninth inning to close out the victory.

"It was a great game overall," Gonzalez said. "We knew coming in (that) the Astros have a pretty good offensive team. Everything works off your fastball, and it was pretty nice to be able to capitalize and do a better job than I did last outing. (I'm) pretty happy with it."

After McHugh had only allowed two hits in the first four innings, Nicky Delmonico singled to lead off the fifth before Anderson followed with his 11th home run of the season to break the scoreless tie.

Omar Narvaez followed with a single before Garcia delivered a one-out, ground-rule double. Yolmer Sanchez's two-run single extended the lead to 4-0 before McHugh got out of the inning with a double play.

Both teams wasted early scoring chances. The Astros had runners on second and third with one out in the second inning, but Gonzalez got Brian McCann to fly out before striking out Fisher.

"It was just a night when (Gonzalez) used all of his pitches pretty effectively," Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. "The (game) results are obviously going to be tough on our guys, but I always like our approach. We've got to go up ready to hit. We just couldn't get anything to get started until the end.

"All in all, just not a good night."

After breaking out for the seven runs, the White Sox not only picked up their second straight win against the Astros, but they recorded their first series victory in nearly six weeks by capturing the first two games.

"I think the last couple of games we've played pretty good baseball," Chicago manager Rick Renteria said. "When you do that, these guys have had really good approaches at the plate, done some nice things in the field, they're communicating, they're talking. It's a process. I think they're kind of growing into it."

NOTES: Astros CF George Springer returned after missing 13 games with a left quad injury and went 1-for-4 in the leadoff spot. "He's such a stable part of our team in so many ways -- it's nice to have him back," manager A.J. Hinch said. ... Astros 1B Tyler White was sent to Triple-A Fresno to make room for Springer. White hit .310 in nine games with three home runs and nine RBIs. White was optioned over 3B J.D. Davis, who was called up from Fresno on Saturday. ... White Sox RF Avisail Garcia played for a second straight day despite still experiencing some inflammation in his right thumb. Garcia returned Tuesday after missing 12 games with a strained ligament in the thumb. Chicago manager Rick Renteria said Wednesday he would monitor how Garcia's thumb progresses. After going 2-for-5 on Tuesday, Garcia was 0-for-3 on Wednesday.

Astros look to continue ascent vs. reeling White Sox

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(TSX / STATS) -- CHICAGO -- The Houston Astros look to build upon the best record in the American League when they visit the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night to open a three-game series.

Houston (71-40) is coming off a series victory over the Toronto Blue Jays and boasts a major-league-best 38-15 record on the road. The Astros have scored more runs (656) and hit more home runs (182) than any other team in baseball this season.

Meanwhile, Chicago (41-68) is in a freefall in the first year of its long-term rebuilding project. The White Sox have lost six games in a row and have posted a miserable 3-19 record since the All-Star break.

Life will not get any easier for the White Sox as they face Houston's ace.

Left-hander Dallas Keuchel (9-1, 2.15 ERA) will try to notch his 10th victory in his 14th start of the season. Keuchel, who has reached double-digit victories on two occasions (2014, 2015), also is going for career win No. 60.

In two starts since coming off the disabled list after recovering from a neck ailment, Keuchel has shown signs of vulnerability. He allowed a total of six earned runs in eight innings (6.75 ERA) over the two outings, and he took his first loss of the season Wednesday against the Tampa Bay Rays.

In five career starts against the White Sox, Keuchel is 2-2 with a 2.67 ERA. He has walked nine and struck out 30 in 33 2/3 innings.

White Sox left-hander Derek Holland (5-11, 5.27 ERA) is scheduled to face the Astros in his 22nd start. The veteran started the season well but has struggled along with the rest of the team in recent months. He is 1-7 with an 8.65 ERA in 12 appearances (11 starts) since June 2, and he has lost each of his past five decisions.

Holland is familiar with Astros' hitters from his years in the AL West as a member of the Texas Rangers' rotation. In 13 starts against Houston, he is 5-3 with a 4.50 ERA. He has allowed an average of one home run per outing.

The Astros might welcome back injured outfielder George Springer, who has been on the 10-day disabled list because of discomfort in his left quadriceps. The team plans to determine before the Tuesday game whether he is ready to return. Springer is hitting .310 with 27 home runs and 66 RBIs in 93 games.

"I've been doing everything you can think of (to rehab)," Springer said to the Houston Chronicle when asked about a possible return in Chicago. "There's a lot I have to continue to do, and we'll see what happens."

Meanwhile, the White Sox will wait and see whether third baseman/designated hitter Matt Davidson is ready to return. Davidson, who leads the team with 22 home runs, has missed five games in a row because of a bruised right wrist that he sustained when he was hit by a pitch from Blue Jays right-hander Marcus Stroman.

White Sox manager Rick Renteria said his players should not put their heads down amid a long losing streak.

"We're playing some really good clubs," Renteria said to MLB.com. "We're going to go out there every single day to hopefully play clean baseball on every side of the ball, on the bases, in the field and with the stick. Hopefully we'll continue to play a little better baseball."

Cubs' Quintana, Giants' Blach meet in battle of lefties

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(TSX / STATS) -- SAN FRANCISCO -- Jose Quintana is learning as much about his new team as the Chicago Cubs are learning about their new left-handed starter.

Quintana hopes to take another positive step Tuesday night when he makes his fifth start with Chicago against the Giants and left-hander Ty Blach in the second game of a three-game set.

Chicago took the opener 5-3 on Monday.

Quintana (6-9, 4.42 ERA overall; 2-1, 4.13 ERA for the Cubs) surrendered six runs over five innings in his last start, Thursday against the Arizona Diamondbacks. That was the only downer on an otherwise strong start since moving from the south side of Chicago with the White Sox to the north side. Arizona hit three home runs on a hitter-friendly day at Wrigley.

"My approach never changes. I just focus on throwing the ball well and hitting my spots and getting my outs," Quintana said. "My confidence is high."

Because of that attitude, Cubs pitching coach Chris Bosio is confident Quintana will continue to give Chicago what it wants.

"Before the umpire rolls that ball out, he'll be the guy who picks it up before it stops," Bosio said of Quintana. "He's a true competitor, loves the game, and he's ready to go every fifth game."

The Cubs saw plenty in the 28-year-old native of Colombia that might not have been evident while he was going 4-8 with 4.49 ERA over 18 starts with the White Sox this year.

"He's an up-tempo pitcher who likes to be aggressive, which fits our style," Bosio said. "He's one of the boys. It was nice for him to stay at home, basically come across town, and he fits in with what we do."

Quintana is 0-1 with a 5.40 ERA in one career start against the Giants. The loss was in 2014 while with the White Sox. He pitched 6 2/3 innings and allowed four runs on four hits. He struck out seven and walked two.

"Every time I go to the mound, I try to do the best I can," Quintana said. "That's where I have control. And it's a really good team. I'm just real happy to be here."

San Francisco hopes Blach (7-7, 4.24 ERA) can maintain his recent form as well as the success he experienced against the Cubs earlier this season. On May 22 at Wrigley Field, he went seven innings, allowing three runs with three strikeouts and no walks in a 6-4 victory in his lone career start vs. Chicago.

The 26-year-old native of Denver has won three of five decisions over his past six appearances, posting a 3.05 ERA in that span.

Blach was especially effective in his last start on Thursday -- an eight-inning outing in which he allowed two runs on six hits during an 11-2 victory over the Oakland A's. He also crushed a three-run home run, a drive estimated at 416 feet.

"It was the Ty Blach show," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said after the win. "He's been one of the silver linings we've seen this year."

Blach will try to get San Francisco back in the win column a night after the Cubs feasted on another Giants lefty, Matt Moore. Chicago's left-handed batters accounted for six of the team's eight hits against Moore.

"We really have to fix this left-handed deal," Bochy said. "Lefties are having too much success off (Moore). If you look at the year, he's got too good of stuff to have left-handers hitting him like this."

Arrieta's pitching, Baez's inside-the-park HR spark Cubs

(TSX / STATS) -- SAN FRANCISCO -- Jake Arrieta wasn't at his best Monday night. However, whenever he is pitching in California, everything seems to come out all right.

Javier Baez hit an inside-the-park home run to stake his starter to an early lead, and Arrieta continued his pitching prowess in the Golden State as the Chicago Cubs beat the San Francisco Giants 5-3.

Arrieta (11-8) scattered nine hits over 6 1/3 innings and allowed three runs (two earned).

"Physically, I didn't really feel on my game," he said. "I noticed it from the start, when I started to play catch to the pregame side. What I really wanted to do was be efficient and not put guys on for free."

First-place Chicago (59-52) increased its lead over second-place Milwaukee to 1 1/2 games in the National League Central while snapping San Francisco's modest two-game winning streak.

"I'm a scoreboard watcher. Guilty," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "But if you take care of your own business, you'll be OK."

Chicago closer Wade Davis remained perfect in save situations by earning his 24th of the season with a scoreless ninth. That after Pedro Strop and Brian Duensing combined for 1 2/3 innings of scoreless, hitless relief.

"I thought Jake was really good," Maddon said. "Give Duensing and Strop credit, they were outstanding again tonight. They settled that thing down when it needed to be settled down. I'll take it."

In leading the Cubs to their 16th win in 23 games since the All-Star break, Arrieta improved to 7-1 with a 1.14 ERA in his past nine regular-season starts in California dating back to Aug. 25, 2015.

Arrieta struck out five and didn't walk anyone as the Giants lost at home to Chicago for only the third time in nine games.

"When you have a lead, that's exactly what you want to do -- pitch to contact, work the corners and try to keep guys off balance, and I was able to do that really well," Arrieta said.

Staked to a 5-0 lead, Arrieta surrendered his first two runs in the sixth inning on rookie Ryder Jones' first career home run, into the right-center-field bleachers. Pablo Sandoval, who doubled earlier in the inning, scored on Jones' homer.

The Giants chased Arrieta an inning later when Joe Panik singled to plate Denard Span, who reached with an uncharacteristic one-out, two-base error on Chicago right fielder Jason Heyward.

"Those guys did some good things," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said of his hitters. "We had some good at-bats in that game. It comes down to you have to get hits with runners on base."

The Cubs scored twice on the team's first inside-the-park home run in over a year. Baez hit a ball of the right-center-field fence that bounced back toward right after Carlos Moncrief misplayed the drive. Moncrief was playing right field in just his sixth game with the Giants.

With Heyward leading the way after his two-out single, Baez steamed around the bases and slid across the plate head-first to barely beat a tag from catcher Buster Posey, who had to wait for Moncrief's strong throw, which raised an eyebrow from Maddon.

"That guy, that might be the best arm I've seen," Maddon said. "That's a Bo Jackson arm. That was Bo good. That was a big hit at the time."

Moncrief smiled when he heard Maddon's remark, but he had a different take on the play.

"I was trying to go as hard as I can to keep that run from scoring," Moncrief said. "It wasn't like I'm trying to make the best throw of my life. I was just trying to keep the guy from scoring.

"Today we worked on everything, angles coming off the right field wall. That was like the only one like that,. I wasn't really anticipating it would bounce like that. Now I know for next time, though I hope there's not a next time."

Anthony Rizzo was the previous Cub to hit an inside-the-park homer on June 29, 2016, at Cincinnati.

Chicago added a run in the third when Jon Jay scampered home on a short wild pitch that struck out Willson Contreras for the second out.

Jay, who led off the fifth with a single, scored from second on Rizzo's single off Giants starter Matt Moore to make it 4-0. Rizzo scored later in the inning when Albert Almora Jr. singled to left-center.

Moore (3-12) gave up five runs on eight hits and a walk in six innings. He struck out seven.

NOTES: Monday marked the 10-year anniversary of Barry Bonds hitting his 756th home run to break Hank Aaron's major league record. ... The Cubs opened a trip Monday night that represents the final six games they are scheduled to play west of St. Louis this season. Chicago's final 46 games are against clubs in the East and the Midwest. ... Giants rookie Carlos Moncrief started in right field as a healthy Hunter Pence got a rest. ... Cubs C Willson Contreras was honored as NL Player of the Week after batting .455 (10-for-22) with a five home runs and 13 RBIs in six games.

Arrieta-led Cubs open series vs. Giants

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(TSX / STATS) -- SAN FRANCISCO -- Two years ago, Chicago Cubs right-hander Jake Arrieta rode a remarkable second-half run all the way to a National League Cy Young Award.

Arrieta went 12-1 with a 0.75 ERA after the All-Star break in 2015, and he has been heating up since the break this season. In four starts since the break, Arrieta is 2-1 with a 2.05 ERA, a .154 opponents' batting average, 22 strikeouts and seven walks.

The 31-year-old veteran will try to continue that roll on Monday night when the Cubs open a three-game series against the San Francisco Giants and lefty Matt Moore at AT&T Park.

Arrieta's only loss since the break came in his latest start, Tuesday against the Arizona Diamondbacks. He allowed two runs (one earned) and three hits over seven innings with eight strikeouts and two walks in a 3-0 defeat at Wrigley Field.

After that game, Arrieta (10-8, 3.88 ERA) was asked if he thought he could replicate his 2015 finish.

"Yeah, it's possible," he said. "I don't see why not. I think it's possible for all our guys to elevate themselves and pitch at a high level or compete on defense or at the plate at a level higher than they have currently. That's having a lot of confidence in the guys we have. We expect to do some special things this season, and we shouldn't think otherwise."

The defending World Series champion Cubs (58-52) lead the NL Central, but their edge is only a half-game over the Milwaukee Brewers, and Chicago has lost back-to-back series at Wrigley Field. The Cubs dropped two of three to the Diamondbacks, then two of three to the Washington Nationals. Last year, the Cubs went 103-58, the best record in baseball, and finished 17 1/2 games ahead of the second-place St. Louis Cardinals in the Central.

On Sunday against Washington, the Cubs led 4-1 through six innings but gave up two runs in the seventh, five in the eighth and one in the ninth in a 9-4 loss to Washington. Cubs catcher Willson Contreras hit a pair of solo home runs, giving him 21 blasts for the season -- 10 of those since the All-Star break.

Moore (3-11, 5.80 ERA) has been mired in a season-long slump, but he will try to recapture some of the mojo he had the last time he faced the Cubs at AT&T, in Game 4 of the 2016 NL Division Series. Moore allowed two runs (one earned) over eight innings with 10 strikeouts and two walks, but the Cubs rallied to score four times in the ninth for a series-clinching 6-5 victory.

"I remember being in the fourth inning and maybe like 60 pitches," Moore said. "To wind up getting through eight innings, just so many things had to go right from the fourth inning on. For me, I don't think it could get much better, but it definitely left us with a sour taste in our mouth."

Arrieta is 4-2 with a 1.82 ERA in six career starts against the Giants, while Moore is 0-1 with a 4.50 in one regular-season start against the Cubs, a 5-4 loss on May 24 at Wrigley.

The Giants (44-69) are mired in last place in the NL West, but they beat Arizona 6-3 on Sunday and won the series 2-1.