Andrew Benintendi delivered a bases-clearing double in the fifth inning and Miguel Vargas had three hits and two RBIs to boost the visiting Chicago White Sox to a 10-3 victory against the Texas Rangers on Monday.
Chicago scored five runs in the ninth inning and remained one game ahead of the Cleveland Guardians atop the American League Central.
White Sox starter Erick Fedde surrendered a leadoff home run to Joc Pederson and allowed Evan Carter’s RBI single one inning later before the staff settled in. They did so without catcher Kyle Teel, who left the game after sustaining a non-contact, left ankle injury while attempting to tag Ezequiel Duran as he scored on Carter’s hit.
White Sox pitching retired the next 13 hitters before Josh Jung worked a two-out walk against Jordan Hicks in the sixth.
Texas right-hander Jacob deGrom fell to 7-6 after an uneven outing. He set down the side in order in the second and fourth innings but navigated baserunners for much of the rest of his start.
Chicago scored its first run on a Vargas RBI double in the third inning. The White Sox broke the game open in the fifth, as four of the first five batters reached base.
Sam Antonacci singled to tie the game, and Vargas’ infield single loaded the bases two batters later. After Colson Montgomery struck out for the second out of the inning, Benintendi lined deGrom’s 2-2 pitch down the right-field line to give Chicago the lead.
Jake Burger belted a solo home run against Seranthony Dominguez to bring the Rangers within 5-3 in the seventh. The White Sox responded in the ninth, as Vargas doubled home a run ahead of Luisangel Acuna’s two-run single. Randal Grichuk added an RBI triple before Braden Montgomery punctuated the rally with an RBI double.
Antonacci had two hits for Chicago.
Fedde spaced two runs and four hits in four innings with six strikeouts while deGrom allowed five runs and seven hits in 4 2/3 innings. He walked two and struck out six.
Winner Chris Murphy (3-0) had one strikeout in 1 1/3 perfect innings.
Colson Montgomery left the game in the seventh with a right shin contusion.
