The Chicago White Sox poured on multiple runs in multiple innings in the pouring rain Wednesday against 2021 American League Cy Young Award winner Robbie Ray.
Eloy Jiménez, Tim Anderson and Luis Robert hit solo home runs against the lefty in a 6-4 victory in front of 12,291 soaked fans at Guaranteed Rate Field.
Jiménez’s homer started a four-run second inning. Anderson and Robert hit back-to-back homers in the seventh as the Sox won their fourth straight.
“We had a little chance to do my homework,” said Anderson, who went 3-for-4 with three RBIs. “We had a plan. We succeeded with our plan and stuck to the plan throughout the whole game. We were able to pull out some more runs and stretch the lead a little bit.”
The Sox have had their share of injuries already this season, and Jiménez and second baseman Josh Harrison left Wednesday’s game early.
Jiménez exited with left ankle soreness. After further evaluation, the Sox said X-rays were negative and he is day to day with a bruised ankle.
Jiménez fouled a pitch off his ankle during a third-inning at-bat that ended in a strikeout. He was in left field the next two innings before Leury García hit for him in the fifth.
Harrison, who made two nice defensive plays, left before the eighth with lower back stiffness. The Sox said he’s being further evaluated.
“I’m sure (Jiménez will) be sore, so I doubt he’ll play (Thursday),” manager Tony La Russa said. “And actually as much as Josh has played, he wasn’t in there for (Thursday). He felt a little bite there. He plays hard. He’s all over the field too.”
La Russa added with a smile: “They may talk me out of it (Thursday) morning because I can be intimidated with the best of them. Players’ manager. It’s probably best to use the roster. The other guys want to play, why push it?”
Jiménez has been one of the most productive hitters in the Sox lineup, leading the team with seven RBIs.
“Just a real smart approach,” La Russa said. “He’s doing a lot of preparation he takes into the game. He’s an intelligent guy and he works well with our hitting coaches and he also gets mentored by our veterans. When there’s a man on second base he tries to get a base hit and not hit a home run.”
Wednesday’s game began as a matchup between two Cy Young winners.
Dallas Keuchel, who won the award in 2015 with the Houston Astros, allowed three runs on six hits with five strikeouts and no walks in five innings in his first start of the season. He earned the 100th victory of his career.
“It means more to me than I originally thought it was going to,” Keuchel said of win No. 100. “You never can take anything for granted in this game and I’m very thankful to have lasted this long.”
Ray, who won the Cy Young Award last year with the Toronto Blue Jays, allowed six runs on 10 hits with four strikeouts and two walks in 6⅓ innings.
“The lake gods were kind to us a little bit: It rained on Robbie and it sprinkled on me,” Keuchel said. “I’m a firm believer of great pitching beats good hitting any day, and it was really nice to see us still swinging the bat.
“We have one of the best lineups, when healthy, I’ve ever seen. And we play well at home. Regardless of rain or not, chances are we’re going to put up some runs. I was just trying to do my thing and get us in the dugout as quick as possible.”
La Russa said Keuchel’s outing was “a real boost for us.”
He noted a key play in the sixth when right fielder Adam Engel made a leaping catch at the wall to rob Jesse Winker. Reliever Kyle Crick raised both hands to the air in acknowledgement of the play.
Crick, José Ruiz and Kendall Graveman pitched scoreless innings. The Mariners scored an unearned run in the ninth against closer Liam Hendriks, who collected his second save.
Despite a couple of starters exiting early, the Sox continued their winning ways.
“Our mantra coming out of camp was you’ve got to be tough enough physically and mentally for six months,” La Russa said. “We’re going to have a lot of challenges — everybody is, all 30 teams. Never give in, never give up.”
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