Baez bashes two homers as Cubs stay alive

CHICAGO -- Wade Davis peered toward home plate and prepared to throw his 48th and most important pitch of the game Wednesday night.

With a runner on first base, Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Cody Bellinger represented the winning run at the plate. Justin Turner and his imposing bat waited on deck.

The Chicago closer unleashed a 92 mph four-seam fastball. It saved both the game and the season for the Cubs, as Bellinger grounded into a game-ending double play.

Chicago held on for a 3-2 win over the Dodgers to stave off elimination in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series. Javier Baez hit two home runs and Willson Contreras homered once for the Cubs, who trimmed their series deficit to 3-1.

Game 5 is scheduled for Thursday night at Wrigley Field.

"Great to have this win," said Baez, the second baseman who fielded Bellinger's grounder and whipped a throw to shortstop Addison Russell to start the double play. "Because, if not, we were going home."

Chicago improved to 11-15 when facing elimination.

"I want there to be pressure," said Cubs manager Joe Maddon, who was ejected in the eighth inning for arguing a foul-tip call. "I want there to be a carrot at the end of the stick. I want all of that."

Bellinger and Turner each hit solo home runs for the Dodgers. The defeat snapped a six-game postseason win streak for Los Angeles, which remains one victory shy of reaching the World Series for the first time since 1988.

"We don't expect anyone to lay down," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "It's a very talented group. They're the world champs, and you know they're going to fight to the end. So today, they did.

"We got beat today. And I think the thing is, you can't win them all."

Right-hander Jake Arrieta (1-0) battled into the seventh inning in what might have been his final game with the Cubs. The soon-to-be free agent allowed one run on three hits in 6 2/3 innings. He walked five and struck out nine.

Dodgers left-hander Alex Wood (0-1) allowed three solo home runs and a single in 4 2/3 innings in his first career postseason start. He walked none and struck out seven.

Davis posted the highest pitch count of his career, in the regular season or postseason, among games in which he earned a save. He allowed a home run to Turner to lead off the eighth and pitched around three walks to record the final six outs.

A bizarre sequence in the eighth as Dodgers center fielder Curtis Granderson appeared to swing and miss at strike three. After plate umpire Jim Wolf conferred with the other umpires, the call was overturned and ruled a foul tip.

Maddon was ejected after a vehement argument with replays being displayed on the video board showing that Granderson did not make contact. Davis officially struck out Granderson on the next pitch, and he also struck out Chase Utley to escape the jam.

"That can't happen," Maddon said. "The process was horrible. ... If Granderson hits the next pitch out, I might come running out of the clubhouse in my jockstrap."

Chicago jumped to a 2-0 lead in the second behind solo home runs from Contreras and Baez.

Contreras stood to admire his monster shot, which traveled an estimated 491 feet and slammed off the video board in left field. Baez pulled a towering blast just inside the left field foul pole.

Los Angeles cut the deficit to 2-1 in the following inning on Bellinger's line-drive shot down the right field line. The homer was Bellinger's first of the series and second of the postseason.

Baez homered again in the fifth to increase Chicago's lead to 3-1. He clubbed a low pitch into the first row of the left field bleachers for the first multi-homer postseason game of his career.

Baez became the fifth Cubs player to homer twice in a playoff game. The last player to do so was Aramis Ramirez in Game 4 of the 2003 NLCS.

"Tonight, I just said to myself not to try too much, and I didn't," Baez said. "And there you have it."

NOTES: Cubs 2B Javier Baez entered the night in an 0-for-20 postseason skid. ... Dodgers OF Yasiel Puig hit safely for the fifth time in seven postseason games. ... Cubs OF Albert Almora Jr. batted in the leadoff spot for the first time in the series and went 1-for-4. ... Dodgers C Yasmani Grandal made his series debut and went 0-for-1 with three walks. ... Cubs C Willson Contreras and Dodgers 3B Justin Turner became the third and fourth players to homer off the left field video board in 2017.

A year after 1st title since 1908, Cubs trail Dodgers 3-0

By ANDREW SELIGMAN
Associated Press

CHICAGO (AP) — Kyle Schwarber had fans roaring, thinking the Chicago Cubs just might be ready to tighten the NL Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Turns out, his home run in the first inning was about all they had to cheer.

Yu Darvish shut down Chicago after Schwarber went deep, putting the Cubs on the verge of being swept in the NLCS for the second time in three years after Tuesday’s night’s 6-1 loss.

After knocking out Los Angeles last fall on the way to their first World Series championship since consecutive titles in 1907 and 1908, hopes of another parade are just about dashed.

“Tomorrow is a Game 7. We have three or four Game 7s in a row coming up right now,” manager Joe Maddon said.

Jake Arrieta will try to keep the series going when he opposes Dodgers lefty Alex Wood on Wednesday night. Arrieta can become a free agent this winter, so it might be his final start for Chicago. And unless the Cubs get their offense and struggling bullpen in order, the season could come to a close.

Chicago has been in tough spots before, rallying from a 3-1 deficit to beat Cleveland in seven games for the World Series title last year. The Cubs also pulled out a wild victory at Washington in Game 5 of the Division Series this month after failing to close out the Nationals at Wrigley Field.

“I don’t think there’s any need to change anything,” said Kris Bryant, who had two hits after going 1 for 8 through the first two games of the series. “I think we can even play more loose because ... no one’s expecting us to come back except the guys in this room.”

It was Bryant who asked “why not us?” after the Cubs won Game 5 to send the 2016 World Series back to Cleveland and start their historic comeback. It will take another epic effort to knock off Los Angeles, particularly the way they are hitting.

The Cubs are batting .160 with four extra-base hits through three games.

“Of course we expected more,” Maddon said. “It’s somewhat surprising. I don’t want to use the word disappointing.”

Batting second, Schwarber hit an opposite-field drive to left-center for a 1-0 lead in the first.

“Hey, whenever you jump out to an early lead, you want that to be the momentum,” Schwarber said. “Any way that you can get the crowd into it — the players are enjoying it, I’m enjoying it, whatever it is — you want that to be momentum.”

Darvish took the Cubs and the crowd right out of it, holding Chicago to one run and six hits in 6 1/3 innings. Chicago starter Kyle Hendricks couldn’t match him.

The right-hander gave up four runs and six hits, including solo homers to Andre Ethier and Chris Taylor. It was his second straight shaky start after outpitching Nationals ace Stephen Strasburg in a dominant effort to win Game 1 of the NLDS.

Los Angeles led 3-1 with runners on first and second and none out in the sixth when Carl Edwards Jr. — erratic in the playoffs after a strong season — relieved Hendricks and walked Austin Barnes with one out. Joc Pederson flied out and Edwards walked Darvish on four pitches. After Taylor struck out to end the rally, boos came ringing from the Wrigley Field stands.

Struggling reliever Mike Montgomery gave up two more runs in the eighth. With runners on first and second, pinch-hitter Charlie Culberson struck out, only for the pitch to ricochet off catcher Willson Contreras’ arm for a passed ball that allowed Logan Forsythe to score. With runners at the corners, Kyle Farmer followed with a sacrifice fly.

“That’s a great ballclub over there,” Cubs shortstop Addison Russell said. “They’re doing things right.”

The Cubs could be on the way out, after barely squeezing past Washington. They experienced more drama on their way out west after that draining series.

Their cross-country flight to Los Angeles made an unscheduled stop in Albuquerque because Jose Quintana’s wife, Michel, experienced an irregular heartbeat. The team remained on the ground for five hours to change pilots.

Quintana joined his teammates in Los Angeles on Friday night and started Game 1 the following night.

The Cubs could be excused for feeling a bit drained. Though Schwarber shot down that idea, saying, “We’re not running out of gas at all,” Russell notices some signs of fatigue.

“I wouldn’t say we’re running out of gas,” he said. “I would just say some things here and there are a little bit fatigued. But we put the right guys out there every single day."

Happ right at home in Cubs' victory over Pirates

(TSX / STATS) -- PITTSBURGH -- It was Ian Happ's second trip home as a major-leaguer, and the Chicago Cubs' rookie made sure what surely was his final game at PNC Park this season was a good one.

"It's always great for me to come home and play at PNC. I had a lot of family and friends out there," Happ, from suburban Mt. Lebanon, said after he had three hits, scored twice as the Cubs' leadoff batter and threw a runner out at home from center field in Chicago's 8-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Cubs (77-63) salvaged a split in the four-game series after dropping the first two by a combined 16-3.

Albert Almora Jr. hit a two-run homer, and Anthony Rizzo went 2-for-2 with two runs, two RBIs and two walks as Chicago pounded out 13 hits to back starter Jon Lester, who got stronger over the course of his six innings.

"Yeah, it was a good day all around for the whole team," Happ said. "Jonny fought hard and pitched a heck of a game, and everybody did their part on offense."

Chicago scored a run in each of the first four innings, then scored two in the fifth for a 6-1 lead. Almora's homer made it 8-1 in the seventh.

"We put up that picket fence early," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "We could have scored a lot more runs. We left a lot of chicken on the bone."

Chicago left seven on and was 3-for-14 with runners in scoring position.

Pittsburgh (67-74) added a run in the eighth on Jordan Luplow's RBI double.

Lester (10-7), in his second start after coming off the disabled list, gave up one run and five hits in his six innings. He set the Pirates down in order in the fifth and sixth. He walked four and struck out five.

"The first couple innings, (I was) able to get ahead of guys, just wasn't really able to get them out as quickly as we would have liked to," Lester said. "Whether that's a little bit of rust or being too fine, I don't know, but we got through it and a couple good defensive plays helped."

Lester kept the Pirates off-balance.

"Veteran guy making pitches," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. "We had some punch-outs looking. You normally want to get guys on and run them into the barrel. You have to put some balls in play."

Pittsburgh starter Jameson Taillon (7-6) gave up six runs and 11 hits in 4 2/3 innings, with one walk and three strikeouts. Taillon hasn't won since Aug. 11 but was coming off a no-decision against Cincinnati in which he pitched six scoreless innings.

"Frustrating, I guess, is probably the best word," Taillon said. "I felt strong. I felt great. But no one cares how you feel. You've got to go out, get results and get guys out. I feel great, but they were just hitting every single mistake I made."

Hurdle said earlier that Taillon, 25, might be asked to skip his next start or perhaps even get shut down for the rest of the season.

Maddon can see why.

"That kid's so good," Maddon said. "He might be losing a little steam right now. He wasn't as sharp as I've seen him in the past."

Chicago got the leadoff batter on base in four of the five innings Taillon started.

In the first, Happ singled to right, went to third on Kris Bryant's double off the wall in right and scored on Rizzo's sacrifice fly.

The Cubs made it 2-0 when Javier Baez led off the second with a double to the corner in left, went to third on a grounder and scored on Rene Rivera's sacrifice bunt. Taillon fielded the bunt but twisted his body awkwardly and stumbled a bit as he turned to make the throw to first. He was briefly seen by a trainer.

Taillon might have had an RBI in the second, but Happ scooped up his single to shallow center and gunned down Jordy Mercer trying to score from second.

"How about the throw to the plate?" Maddon said. "I didn't really pick up on how tight he was until once he made the throw."

Happ led off the third with a double high off the wall in right and, an out later, scored on Rizzo's single up the middle for a 3-0 lead.

Pittsburgh scored in the third to make it 3-1. Starling Marte and Max Moroff walked and moved up on Andrew McCutchen's groundout. Marte scored on Josh Bell's groundout.

Chicago increased its lead to 4-1 in the fourth on Lester's RBI double after back-to-back, one-out singles by Jason Heyward and Rivera.

In the fifth, Baez drove in a run with a sacrifice bunt and Heyward rapped an RBI double for a 6-1 lead as Chicago chased Taillon.

NOTES: The start was delayed 53 minutes by rain. ... Pittsburgh RHP George Kontos (groin) was reinstated from the disabled list. ... Pittsburgh RF Gregory Polanco (hamstring) and INF/OF Adam Frazier (hamstring) could come off the DL on Friday for the series opener at St. Louis, manager Clint Hurdle said. ... Chicago begins an important NL Central series Friday against Milwaukee. RHP John Lackey (11-10, 4.74 ERA) faces the Brewers RHP Jimmy Nelson (11-6, 3.59) in the opener.

Indians defeat White Sox for record 15th straight win

(TSX / STATS) -- CHICAGO -- As dominant of a pitcher as Corey Kluber may be, when the Cleveland Indians ace is provided with an early dose of offense, he becomes even more dangerous.

And at a time when the Indians already seem untouchable, lights-out pitching and timely hitting are proving to be a winning combination.

Kluber struck out 13, and Erik Gonzalez hit two of Cleveland's five homers as the Indians won a franchise-record 15th straight game, beating the Chicago White Sox 11-2 on Thursday night.

The Indians won 14 straight last season, and they became the first team since the 1935-36 Chicago Cubs to win 14 or more consecutive games in back-to-back seasons.

Edwin Encarnacion, Francisco Lindor and Greg Allen also went deep for the Indians.

Kluber (15-4) cruised after the Indians jumped out to an early 4-0 lead and kept adding to it with the collection of home runs.

"When you've got a guy like Kluber on the mound and you score early, man, it sure makes you feel good," Indians manager Terry Francona said.

As good as Francona may have felt about Thursday's team record-setting result that comes a season after the Indians won an American League pennant, he and his team aren't getting too wrapped up with such things.

"One game at a time," Kluber said of the Indians' approach. "It sounds boring, but that's what we're doing -- coming to the field every day prepared to win that day's ballgame."

Kluber, who struck out at least 10 for the 14th time this season, allowed three hits and two runs while walking one over seven innings. He retired 20 of the final 22 hitters he faced.

Gonzalez, who homered in the third and ninth innings, drove in four runs. Allen hit his first career home run as part of a three-run seventh inning. Lindor went 3-for-6 with three runs and finished a double shy of hitting for the cycle.

It was more than enough for Kluber, who recovered after giving up a pair of solo home runs in the first inning.

"(It was just about) adjusting to what their approach was," Kluber said. "I just kind of felt like they were swinging at every pitch hoping it was going to be a fastball, but when we went to more off-speed, it took them awhile to make the adjustment."

The Indians jumped on White Sox emergency starter Mike Pelfrey (3-11) for four first-inning runs. After Lindor's leadoff triple, Austin Jackson followed with an RBI double. Pelfrey then walked Yandy Diaz before Encarnacion hit a three-run home run to stake Cleveland to a 4-0 lead.

Lindor led off the second inning with a solo home run before Gonzalez drilled a two-run homer off Pelfrey in the third inning to extend the lead to 7-2.

Pelfrey, who started after left-hander Carlos Rodon was forced to miss his scheduled start with shoulder stiffness, gave up seven runs and eight hits over four innings. Pelfrey struck out four and walked three.

Rodon said after the game that his shoulder didn't feel right while he was warming up. He felt tightness and knew he couldn't go.

That forced manager Rick Renteria's hand.

"You hate to use a guy and wear him out, but (Pelfrey) was going to eat up as many pitches as he could, hold as many innings as he could get through," Renteria said.

The White Sox got on the board in the first inning when Yolmer Sanchez and Jose Abreu each both hit solo home runs. But it was far from being enough to slow down the Indians, who will look to extend their winning streak on Friday at home against the Baltimore Orioles after going 11-0 on the road trip that concluded Thursday night.

"It's lots of fun," Lindor said. "We've won lots of game because everybody is contributing and everybody is doing what they're supposed to do. The whole team is having fun -- it's not just one player."

NOTES: Indians 3B Yandy Diaz left the game due to a left elbow contusion after being hit by a pitch. ... Cleveland 3B Jose Ramirez missed the game with a sore right wrist. Manager Terry Francona said Ramirez could miss a couple of games. ... RHP Jake Petricka was placed on the 10-day disabled list with a right elbow strain. Manager Rick Renteria said he was uncertain whether Petricka, who is 1-1 with a 7.01 ERA in 27 appearances, would return this season. ... White Sox OF Willy Garcia was sent on a rehabilitation assignment to Class A Kannapolis. Garcia has been on the DL since Aug. 1 after sustaining a concussion following a collision with teammate Yoan Moncada.

Cubs beat Pirates 1-0 on Avila's triple in ninth

(TSX / STATS) -- PITTSBURGH -- It wasn't a trick question. Just an inquiry about an unusual situation.

So, Alex Avila, how many broken-bat triples have you had in your career?

"Not many," Avila said, shaking his head. "I haven't broken many bats (at all), either."

Avila hit just such a liner down the right-field line in the ninth inning Wednesday night. It drove in the only run to break up a pitchers' duel as well as Chicago's three-game losing streak, lifting the Cubs to a 1-0 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park.

Anthony Rizzo drew a one-out walk against Pittsburgh reliever Daniel Hudson (2-6) in the ninth. Pinch-runner Leonys Martin stole second, and after Ian Happ struck out, Avila drove in the winner.

Chicago (76-63) has a chance to split the four-game series Thursday. The Pirates (67-73) saw their four-game win streak end.

Pedro Strop (4-4) pitched the eighth inning for the win. Wade Davis tossed the ninth for his 29th save.

Pitching was the story for most of the game as starters Gerrit Cole and Jose Quintana matched shutout innings.

Cole, the Pittsburgh starter, in particular, was stellar. He pitched eight scoreless innings, giving up two hits -- an infield single by Javier Baez in the second and a broken-bat single to left by Jon Jay in the eighth. He struck out eight and walked four, throwing 108 pitches.

"Cole pretty much had no-hit stuff," said Avila, who struck out two of the three times he face Cole. "The way he was locating with 97 (mph on his fastball), slider, curveball, he was excellent. You just had a feeling that we weren't going to have many opportunities against him. If he made a mistake, we weren't able to capitalize on it.

"He had unbelievable stuff. Just try to outlast him and keep the game where it was until we got into their bullpen and see if we got an opportunity there."

It was a strong bounce-back effort from Cole's previous start, when he gave up five earned runs in six innings against the Cincinnati Reds, but he still hasn't won at PNC Park since June 13.

"I was able to get the pitch count back down in the middle innings," Cole said. "They needed to try to put something together and we just kept making good pitches early in the count and got rewarded for it."

Quintana, who won three of his previous four starts, threw six scoreless innings. He allowed six hits and one walk with six strikeouts. He threw 105 pitches.

"I felt pretty good," Quintana said. "It was a battle, a really good game, both starters. My mind was, 'Keep the game close.'"

The Cubs had runners on first and second in each of the first two innings. After back-to-back one-out walks in the first, Cole got Rizzo to ground into a double play.

The Cubs got a two-out walk and Baez's infield single in the second before Cole struck out Quintana.

Cole, particularly in the first, showed some frustration with the calls from plate umpire Paul Nauert.

"It wasn't like he wasn't efficient in the first," Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle said. "There was some calls that could have gone our way and could have shortened that inning up. To make the pitch to get out of that inning was pretty impressive, as well, and then he just stayed on a roll."

Quintana's strikeout was the start of Cole's string of setting down 14 Cubs in a row, until Happ drew a one-out walk in the seventh. Happ advanced to second on a grounder but was stranded.

Pittsburgh got runners to first and second with two outs in the fourth, but Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant made a leaping snag of a liner by Jordy Mercer to end the inning.

"You have to pitch better than good pitching to win. We did," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "That's exactly what happened.

"We had a real (good) level of mental energy; it's just that their pitcher was that good."

NOTES: Pittsburgh RF Gregory Polanco and INF/OF Adam Frazier, both on the disabled list with hamstring injuries, ran the bases. ... Pittsburgh C Francisco Cervelli (left quadriceps) has hit a plateau in his rehab. ... Pittsburgh RHP George Kontos (groin) threw a simulated game Tuesday with no problems afterward or Wednesday. ... Pittsburgh RHP Ivan Nova is expected to start Sunday at St. Louis after his spot was skipped Tuesday so he could regroup. ... Chicago C Willson Contreras (hamstring) is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment Thursday with high Class-A Myrtle Beach. ... Cubs 2B Ben Zobrist was given the night off from the starting lineup in favor of Tommy La Stella, who went 0-for-3. ... Chicago hired former major leaguer Will Venable as a special assistant to the president and general manager.

Indians extend win streak to 14 behind Carrasco 3-hitter

(TSX / STATS) -- CHICAGO -- Carlos Carrasco delivered a three-hitter as the Cleveland Indians claimed a landmark victory on Wednesday night.

The Indians tied a franchise record with their 14th consecutive victory, beating the Chicago White Sox 5-1 at Guaranteed Rate Field.

Carrasco came within one out of a memorable shutout performance before giving up a two-out, ninth-inning home run to Adam Engel.

However, Carrasco hardly disappointed with the body of work.

"Everything was good today ... fastball, curve, slider," he said. "But as I said before, I think it was more important that we won the game."

Carrasco (14-6) struck out nine, walked none and threw 97 pitches.

Indians catcher Roberto Perez was disappointed that the shutout slipped away.

"I wanted to call a shutout," he said, "but (Carrasco) was awesome tonight. They got two (early) base hits, but right after those two base hits, we got a double play. He made pitches when we needed to, and we got out of trouble."

Cleveland (83-56) improved to a season-high 27 games above .500 and remained 11 games ahead of the second-place Minnesota Twins in the American League Central.

"This shows what kind of team we are and how we're playing baseball," Perez said. "We're having fun out there and competing. It's fun when guys grind out at-bats, try to get on base and take advantage of the opportunities."

Chicago (54-84) dropped its third straight.

Tyler Naquin's fourth-inning sacrifice fly brought home Carlos Santana. In the eighth, Santana padded the lead with a two-run homer, his 23rd long ball of the season.

White Sox starter Reynaldo Lopez (0-3) worked six innings, allowing one run, six hits and two walks with two strikeouts.

"He did a great job today. The numbers looked good, they could have been even better," White Sox manager Rick Renteria said. "As well as Lopey threw well, the game just didn't look clean, and our guys know it."

The Indians collected eight hits, three from Santana, who also walked.

With Cleveland up 1-0, Francisco Lindor's bid to double the lead was denied in the seventh. A potential home run was grabbed over the top of the left field fence by Nicky Delmonico.

Santana greeted reliever Danny Farquhar with a towering two-run homer to right with no outs in the eighth inning, driving in Edwin Encarnacion a 3-0 lead.

Farquhar went on to load the bases -- still with no outs -- for Perez, who reached based on an error while grounding into a fielder's choice. Greg Allen scored from third for a 4-0 lead.

Farquhar departed for right-hander Dylan Covey, who gave up a final run as Allen grounded into a ninth-inning fielder's choice to score Jose Ramirez.

Cleveland came up short on two early scoring opportunities.

The Indians had Lonnie Chisenhall at third with one out in the first but couldn't bring him home.

In the second, Naquin doubled up the middle with one out, moving Yandy Diaz to third. But Perez struck out looking and Lindor popped out along the third base line.

Santana led off the Indians' fourth with a single to center, reached second on a Diaz base hit and moved to third on a wild pitch -- all with no outs. This time, the Indians produced a run as Naquin's sacrifice to left brought Santana home for a 1-0 lead.

Carrasco, meanwhile, kept the White Sox off the bases, retiring the first 12 batters he faced and striking out the side in the fourth.

Carrasco gave up a base hit up the middle to Avisail Garcia to open the fifth, but Garcia was snuffed out on a subsequent double-play grounder by Delmonico.

"There are games -- not a ton -- over the course of a year when everything falls into place," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "Tonight, everything was working for (Carrasco)."

Cleveland set a team record for consecutive victories in 2016, winning 14 straight between June 17 and July 1.

NOTES: The Indians are an major-league-best 35-11 since July 21 and 10-0 on their road trip that ends Thursday in Chicago. ... Cleveland will open a 10-game homestead on Friday, starting with a three-game series against the Baltimore Orioles. ... The Indians send RHP Corey Kluber (14-4, 2.56 ERA) against White Sox LHP Carlos Rodon (2-5, 4.15) on Thursday in the teams' final meeting of the season. ... RHP Michael Kopech, among top prospects in the White Sox organization, visited Guaranteed Rate Field. "I brought my glove if they need me," he said. ... Before the game, the White Sox reinstated INF/OF Nicky Delmonico (sprained right wrist) from the 10-day disabled list.

Indians win 13th straight, pound White Sox

(TSX / STATS) -- CHICAGO -- Cleveland Indians starter Danny Salazar didn't last an inning in his first game back off the disabled list.

Fortunately the bullpen -- seven different relievers -- stepped into the breach as the Indians beat the Chicago White Sox 9-4 on Tuesday for their 13th straight victory.

Cleveland (82-56) used four home runs -- including a pair from Jose Ramirez -- to account for most of its runs.

"You never want to see your starter struggle, obviously he's coming off an injury and we really didn't know what to expect," said right-handed reliever Dan Otero, who pitched the second and third innings and eventually claimed the victory. "But we're prepared for anything from the first pitch on. These situations arise and you can't mope. You have to go in there and pitch."

Salazar, activated from the 10-day disabled list (right elbow inflammation) after missing two turns, lasted only two-thirds of an inning and was charged with all four Chicago runs.

"If there's a hiccup along the way, you've probably got a pretty good chance of losing," said Indians manager Terry Francona.

But the Cleveland bullpen collectively turned in a shutout over the next 8 1/3 innings while giving up nine hits, striking out nine walking three.

Jose Ramirez homered twice while Austin Jackson and Yan Gomes each added solo shots as the Indians moved one win shy of matching the franchise's all-time winning streak of 14, set between June 17-July 1, 2016.

Chicago (54-83) dropped its second straight.

Ramirez went 2-for-5 while Edwin Encarnacion and Carlos Santana also had two hits apiece.

Rob Brantly, Avisail Garcia and Tim Anderson each had a pair of hits for the White Sox.

Otero (3-0), the third of eight Indians pitchers, earned the victory in a two-inning effort. He allowed two hits and struck out one.

White Sox starter David Holmberg (2-4) took the loss after working three innings. It was his first start since June 26.

Gomes closed the Cleveland scoring with a three-run homer -- his 11th of the season -- with two out in the ninth off White Sox reliever Chris Beck. The homer brought home Santana and Lonnie Chisenhall.

The Indians opened a 2-0 lead with back-to-back first inning solo home runs from

Jackson and Ramirez. Jackson's homer to left was his seventh.

It was third time this season Cleveland has homered in consecutive at-bats.

Encarnacion scored from third to make it 3-0 on Brandon Guyer's fielder's choice grounder to short.

But the lead was short-lived.

Salazar gave up a fielder's choice grounder to Jose Abreu that allowed Yolmer Sanchez to score from third.

Matt Davidson then clubbed his 24th homer of the season, a two-out shot that brought home Garcia and Brantley for a 4-3 Chicago lead.

"They jumped ahead and then we came back," said White Sox manager Rick Renteria. "They went nine up to the plate in the first and we did the same thing. We were able to capitalize on the long ball that Matty (Davidson) hit and we were right there."

Salazar, quickly pulled for right-hander Nick Goody, threw 26 pitches and allowed four earned runs on one hit, walked two, hit a batter and struck out one in 2/3 of an inning of work.

"(Salazar's) arm feels good because he was firing it," said Francona. "He just had no idea where it was going. He had no feel for his changeup and he was erratic with his fastball."

Goody walked two more before Adam Engel flied out to end a 46-minute first inning.

Ramirez slugged his 25th home run and second of the game with two out in the second, a solo shot to left off Holmberg to force a 4-4 tie. It was sixth career multi-homer game, all this season.

Greg Allen doubled in Guyer and Gomes in the third for a 6-4 Cleveland lead. Allen was caught in a rundown while trying to stretch the hit into a triple.

Holmberg lasted three innings, allowing six runs on six hits. He walked four and struck out two.

NOTES: Starting pitcher Danny Salazar was among three Cleveland transactions Tuesday. They also called up RHP Shawn Armstrong and OF Tyler Naquin from Triple-A Columbus. ... The Indians send RHP Carlos Carrasco (13-6, 3.67 ERA) against White Sox RHP Reynaldo Lopez (0-2, 6.06) in Wednesday's middle game. ... OF Eloy Jimenez was named the White Sox Minor League Player of the Month while RHP Michael Kopech was named Pitcher of the Month on Tuesday. ... Chicago reinstated INF Yoan Moncada from the 10-day disabled list (bone contusion of the right shin) and inserted him in the lineup. The White Sox also called up LHP Jace Fry from Double-A Birmingham and requested waivers on LHP Derek Holland. Fry made his big league and faced three ninth inning batters, giving up a single to one and walking another.