The post White Sox 9, Rays 4: Maldonado slugs White Sox to victory appeared first on Sox On 35th.
Yes, you read that correctly. The White Sox’s seven-game losing streak is over, thanks in part to Martin Maldonado, who launched his first homer in a White Sox uniform. Earlier RBIs by Paul DeJong and Andrew Vaughn had the Sox clinging to a narrow 2-0 lead before the home run blew the game open. Eloy Jimenez added some insurance with his third homer of the season in the seventh inning. Late signee Tommy Pham made his White Sox debut, finishing 2-for-5 with a pair of singles and a run scored.
Chris Flexen was solid in his return to the rotation, going five innings and allowing no runs on just two hits. The bullpen wasn’t great, but they got the job done, and the White Sox held on.
With this win, the Sox are 4-22 and still firmly in fifth in the AL Central.
W: Chris Flexen (1-3) | L: Zach Eflin (1-3) |
Statcast Breakdown
Box Score
Offensive Recap:
Pitching Recap:
Notable Performances
Chris Flexen: 5.0 IP, 0 R, 2 H , 3 BB, 2 K
Though these stats don’t light up the scoreboard, Flexen turned in his best start in a White Sox uniform, holding the Rays scoreless just long enough to earn the victory.
Paul DeJong: 2-4, RBI, R
DeJong has been solid at the plate over the last couple week, and that continued Friday. He’s been an upgrade at Shortstop from last year thus far.
Martin Maldonado: 2-4, HR (1), 3 RBI
Though Maldonado still hasn’t crossed half the Mendoza line, this was by far his best game of the season offensively. Unfortunate news for Korey Lee, who probably just lost many at bats at no fault of his own.
Eloy Jimenez: 1-3, HR, 2 RBI, BB
Eloy has been better since returning from the IL, launching his third homer in the last week. He’ll look to get more consistent as the White Sox desperately look for some thunder in the middle of their lineup
Next Matchup
The White Sox can clinch their first series win of the 2024 season tomorrow evening. Jonathan Cannon will make his third MLB start against former division rival Aaron Civale.
Catch it on NBC Sports Chicago, with first pitch at 6:10 pm Central Time.
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Featured Image: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
The post White Sox 9, Rays 4: Maldonado slugs White Sox to victory appeared first on Sox On 35th.