After faltering with the bases loaded all game, Alex Rios wouldn’t let the White Sox come up empty again. Rios hit a game-ending grand slam in the 10th inning to lift soon to be eliminated Sox to a 7-3 win over the Cleveland Indians on Saturday. Rios’ one out, first-pitch shot off Chris Perez (3-7) was the Sox first game-ending home run this season and his first career grand slam.The blast came after the White Sox loaded the bases with one out for the fifth time in the game. In each of the first four occasions, the Sox didn’t score, leaving the bases full.The White Sox squandered bases-full situations in the first, sixth, eighth and ninth, and stranded 15 runners during the first nine innings before Rios snapped the streak in the 10th.Rios struck out with the bases full in the first inning and has struggled to a .222 average this season, making Saturday’s triumph that much better. The Sox had plenty of baserunners all day, with 10 hits and a season-high 11 walks but went just 3 for 15 with runners in scoring position.Alejandro De Aza doubled twice, walked and scored two runs.Gordon Beckham had a double, two walks and two RBI.Sergio Santos (4-4) threw a scoreless inning to get the win in relief. Santos combined with Chris Sale to strike out six straight batters during the late innings. Shelley Duncan doubled, homered and scored two runs for Cleveland. Matt LaPorta added a two-run double and Jim Thome singled twice.Indians starter Fausto Carmona allowed six hits and three runs in 5 1/3 innings, lowering his ERA to 9.14 ERA in four starts against the White Sox this season. Perez took the loss and wasn’t too happy about the circumstances that led up to it, especially the walks.
“Very rarely you see major-league pitchers one through five have to struggle throwing strikes,” Perez said. “We’ll have our off-days here and there, but not our whole bullpen.”
Phil Humber was sharp in his six innings, holding Cleveland to two runs and striking out seven, but settled for a no-decision on Saturday after throwing just 73 pitches.The Indians went ahead on LaPorta’s two-run double in the fifth, snapping Humber’s streak of 13 1/3 scoreless innings. LaPorta was making his first start for the Indians since Aug. 29, the day before he was sent down to Triple-A Columbus.Adam Dunn singled in the sixth, ending a string of 18 hitless at-bats, and started the rally. De Aza doubled off the center-field wall, sending Dunn to third and Carmona to the showers after 103 pitches. Chad Durbin replaced Carmona and walked Brent Morel and Beckham, forcing in Dunn with the tying run. Juan Pierre singled in De Aza, giving Chicago a 3-2 lead. Duncan greeted reliever Jesse Crain with a homer to left-center in the seventh, tying the score 3-all. Duncan has with five homers and 10 RBI in seven games over the last week.But the hero was Rios, not a title he’s been able to claim often this season.
NOTES—First base umpire Ed Rapuano had to leave the game in the fourth inning because of sore neck. Indians RHP Josh Tomlin (elbow) is doing “very well” with his throwing program and the team is leaning toward not shutting him down, manager Manny Acta said. … DH Travis Hafner (foot) ran the bases on Saturday but Acta said there is still no timetable on his return. 3B Jack Hannahan (calf strain) will rejoin the Indians in Texas, though Acta is not sure when he’ll return to game action. The Indians will send Ubaldo Jimenez to the mound for Sunday’s series finale against Zach Stewart. Jimenez is 2-1 with a 5.56 ERA since he was acquired from Colorado on July 31. Stewart is coming off a one-hit shutout of Minnesota on Sept. 5 in which he carried a perfect game into the eighth inning.