GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) - Jose Abreu hit a three-run home run and the Chicago White Sox defeated the Cincinnati Reds 9-5 on Wednesday.
The final game of the spring at Camelback Ranch featured high wind, occasional dust, five errors and two replay reviews - both upheld.
Abreu’s homer, his third of the spring, came against Reds starter Brett Marshall in Chicago’s four-run fourth.
Adam Eaton had four of the White Sox’s 16 hits.
White Sox starter John Danks, in his final tuneup for the season, didn’t allow a hit until the fourth inning and struck out five. He finished the spring with a 2.96 ERA in six starts.
STARTING TIME
Reds: Marshall entered Wednesday with a 2.08 ERA in four spring starts. But he was knocked around by the White Sox, giving up 12 hits and seven runs in five innings. He also hit a batter and committed an error on a high throw to first.
“He’s a better pitcher than he pitched today,” Reds manager Bryan Price said. “They put some balls in play. They had some soft hits, they had some balls they hit right on the screws.
“In the four-run inning, there were two outs and nobody on and the No. 9 hitter (Leury Garcia) got a four-pitch walk followed by a hard base hit, a soft hit and then a homer, and it ends up being a problem.”
Marshall is a contender for the No. 5 starter behind Johnny Cueto, Tony Cingrani, Homer Bailey and Mat Latos.
“We know he’s got good stuff. It was tough conditions,” Price said of Marshall. “That being said, you know, he could have thrown the ball better than he did today.”
White Sox: Danks says he plans to throw some extended bullpen sessions before his first start, which will be next week. Chris Sale goes in Monday’s opener against Minnesota.
Danks got in a lot of work Wednesday, going 102 pitches in six innings. He went out for the seventh, retired Ramon Santiago on a grounder on the first pitch, and then was relieved.
“I told Coop (pitching coach Don Cooper) that I’m feeling strong enough and healthy enough to go out there for 120,” he said. “I want to be a guy that gives us a chance to save a bullpen, so we’ll see how that goes.”
KONERKO’S LAST STAND
Paul Konerko is finishing up his final spring training, and is concentrating on the basics.
“The last few days here, I try to make sure I’m taking care of all the small stuff,” the 38-year-old White Sox captain said. “I don’t want to get away from myself and go 2-3 days without taking ground balls, doing stuff in the (batting) cage.
“You kind of get back to where you were the first couple of days of spring, back to the basics. Just to kind of reinforce that stuff before you get going.”
Konerko isn’t sure if he’ll play Opening Day against Minnesota, and manager Robin Ventura hadn’t gotten that far either. But Konerko said that wasn’t important and that his approach won’t change.
“Opening Days are always different than the rest of the year. They’re great. You remember all of them, what years, where you opened up, who did you face. You take it as it comes.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
White Sox manager Robin Ventura said infielder Jeff Keppinger (shoulder) will begin the season on the disabled list and it’s likely that second baseman Gordon Beckham (oblique) is heading that way.
“He’s getting better, but he’s not going to be able to get there in time,” Ventura said of Beckham. “There’s nothing about rushing at this point. It’s better for him and us if he’s here the whole year.”
CACTUS CONCLUSIONS
The final game at Camelback Ranch for the spring drew 4,713 fans. . Reds first baseman Joey Votto struck out twice in three at bats, and slammed his bat and helmet down when he was ruled to have swung for a third-inning strikeout. . The White Sox finish Cactus League play Thursday when they play the Cubs in Mesa. The Reds wrap it up with split-squad games on Thursday, one against an Arizona split squad in Goodyear and the other at the Brewers’ Maryvale facility.
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