CHICAGO — Cleveland’s Danny Salazar couldn’t sustain his swing-and-miss stuff against Jose Abreu and the
Chicago White Sox.
Abreu connected for his second multihomer game in three days and the Chicago White Sox ended a 14-game
losing streak against Cleveland, beating the Indians 7-3 Thursday night.
Salazar (0-1) struck out 10 in 3 2-3 innings, but he also gave up five runs and six hits, including
homers by Abreu and Alexei Ramirez.
Salazar struck out eight through three innings, with the only out not recorded by a strikeout coming when
Adam Eaton tried to stretch a single into a double in the third inning.
According to Elias Sports Bureau, Salazar became the first pitcher from the modern era (since 1900) to
have 10 or more strikeouts in less than four innings.
“I rather see it over seven innings. Again, the stuff is there. He is young. He is still learning how to
pitch. We love him to death, but there is still some learning to do,” Francona said.
Abreu hit tape-measure drives in the second and fifth innings and drove in three runs. The Cuban slugger
hit the first two homers of his major league career Tuesday in Colorado.
Abreu has four homers and 14 RBIs in 10 games.
“Going around the league, I think you would give the advantage to the pitchers because he hasn’t seen
them. Eventually, there’s going to be some going back and forth and trying to figure out how to pitch
him,” White Sox manager Robin Ventura said.
“He’s just talented. He hits things hard, and when he hits it hard, they go a long way, whether it’s left
field or right field. He’s doing it for us.”
Ramirez homered and drove in three runs for Chicago. The Indians had outscored the White Sox 102-45 in a
streak that dated to last June.
Salazar, the 24-year-old right-hander, tied his career high with 10 strikeouts in his second start of the
season, but Salazar’s problem was that when the White Sox made contact, it was solid.
Cleveland staked Salazar to a 2-0 lead by scoring twice in the top of the first.
Abreu homered to lead off the bottom of the second to cut the lead in half, but Asdrubal Cabrera got the
run back with a homer leading off the third.
The White Sox tied it 3 in the bottom of the third on a leadoff homer by Ramirez and an RBI single by
Eaton.
“He left some breaking balls up, he left some fastballs up. Again, there was a lot swings and miss but
hitters get more dangerous the deeper they get in counts,” said Francona, who pulled him after 93
pitches.
White Sox starter John Danks (1-0) got off to a rocky start, but settled down to allow three runs and six
hits in six innings.
“The third inning on, I felt like I was able to throw the ball where I wanted to. I kept it down better.
It was a kind of a tale of two games,” Danks said.
Chicago took a 5-3 lead and chased Salazar in the fourth as Ramirez drove home a pair with a double.
Abreu later homered to left field off left-handed reliever Josh Outman.
NOTES: With infielder Lonnie Chisenhall beginning a three-day paternity leave on Thursday, the Indians
called up Justin Sellers from Triple-A Columbus. “Lonnie will rejoin us Sunday,” manager Terry Francona
said. “His wife is having the baby at 7 a.m. (Friday). He gave us a heads-up a while back just so we
could plan for it. The rule in place now is good. A guy should be back with his wife or family and you
shouldn’t be short-handed.” … In the second game of the series Friday night, the White Sox will send
ace LHP Chris Sale (2-0) to the mound against RHP Carlos Carrasco (0-1). … The Indians had their
eight-game winning streaked at U.S. Cellular Field snapped.