ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - Chicago White Sox leadoff hitter Adam Eaton is going to get a few days off to rest a nagging injury.
Eaton came out of Saturday night’s 6-3 loss at Texas, but not because of another collision with big Rangers first baseman Prince Fielder.
“It’s kind of a mixture. … The ankle was bothering me after (Friday), and then my hamstring was bothering a little after that also,” Eaton said. “I knew today was going to be kind of a struggle, but I want to be like a hockey player, so I battled through it.”
One pitch after colliding with Fielder on a slow roller up the first-base line that was foul in the fifth, Eaton came up gimpy while running out an inning-ending grounder.
Manager Robin Ventura said Eaton will get at least three days off to rest. But the disabled list isn’t being considered at this point.
Eaton ran into Fielder right after the first baseman fielded the ball in foul territory. Eaton’s feet came off the ground, but he didn’t fall down and showed no signs of problems until grounding out on the next pitch, and getting a pat on the back from Fielder when he got near the bag.
“I felt like I held my own,” Eaton said. “It’s not our first run-in. Actually in spring training we had a run-in together, too. But he’s fun with it. We have a good relationship. He’s fun-loving. He was holding his ground, so I figured I better hold mine. I had to hold my own for all us small guys.”
Colby Lewis (1-1) allowed one run over 5 1-3 innings for his first win in nearly two years, after elbow surgery and a unique hip procedure.
“It’s pretty sentimental,” Lewis said after his first win since June 17, 2012. “It’s one of those victories that I’m just excited about.”
Jose Quintana (1-1) surrendered five runs and nine hits over five innings, and the White Sox lost their fourth straight.
“He was pretty good. It wasn’t his best stuff, but they are going to get hits, just because of the way the ballpark plays,” Ventura said. “But once they start falling in, those are the ones that hurt you.”
Dayan Viciedo’s two-run single in the eighth got the White Sox within 5-3 before Alexei Ramirez, who entered the game with an AL-leading .379 batting average, grounded into an inning-ending double play.
Ramirez finished 0 for 4 to snap his 21-game hitting streak, the longest streak by a White Sox player since Carlos Lee’s franchise-record 28 in a row 10 years ago, and drop his average to .357.
“He was hot. He was swinging and hitting stuff hard. He battles every time up there, but eventually those things come to an end,” Ventura said. “Players like him will start one again tomorrow. I don’t think this is going to bother him or change anything.”
Texas went ahead to stay on Fielder’s high-arcing blast to right leading off the fourth for a 2-1 lead. It was only his second homer in his 18 games with Texas.
Shin-Soo Choo and Alex Rios each had three hits for the Rangers and Kevin Kouzmanoff homered leading off the eighth, giving him a 10-game hitting streak to start his Rangers career.
After Fielder’s homer, Josh Wilson had a two-run single in the fourth before Choo’s RBI-double made it 5-1.
“The situation in the fourth inning changed the game for me,” Quintana said. “One pitch. But now I’m thinking about the next start.”
Chicago opened the second inning with three consecutive singles - equaling its season-low hit total from the night before in a span of five pitches. Ramirez then grounded into a double play to send home a run that tied the game at 1.
NOTES: Joakim Soria, the fifth Texas reliever, worked a perfect ninth for his third save in four chances and then gave the game ball to Lewis. … Viciedo’s hit off Alexi Ogando ended a scoreless streak of 16 2-3 innings by Rangers relievers, who had allowed only one earned run the previous 23 1-2 innings.
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