CHICAGO (AP) - San Diego Padres manager Andy Green said his team gave one away on Sunday. That was just fine with Todd Frazier and the Chicago White Sox.
Frazier’s alert baserunning helped spark Chicago’s eight-run eighth inning, sending the White Sox to a 9-3 win.
After pinch hitter Melky Cabrera’s two-run single off Brandon Maurer gave the White Sox a 4-3 lead, Frazier tagged up on Tyler Saladino’s popped-up bunt while first baseman Wil Myers held the ball in the infield with his back to home plate. When he finally caught on, Myers threw the ball to the backstop.
“It’s just one of those things where you kind of read what’s going on and you take a chance,” Frazier said. “I thought it was a good chance to take. We scored two runs already with our closer coming in.”
From San Diego’s perspective, the play was emblematic of a comeback that should have been shut down before it happened.
“Those are painful losses,” Green said. “Walks and defensive breakdowns. That’s one of the ugliest half-innings I’ve ever seen in baseball; especially at the major league level. There’s no excuse for so many things that happened that inning.”
The collapse denied Jered Weaver his first win with the Padres after his best outing of the season.
Ryan Buchter (2-2) took the loss, walking three batters while recording only one out. Shortstop Luis Sardinas committed an error on a potential double-play ball that could have made it a scoreless inning for the Padres.
Instead, the White Sox sent 14 batters to the plate. Willy Garcia, Leury Garcia and Yolmer Sanchez each came up with big hits as the White Sox earned their second straight win after a six-game slide.
Weaver (0-4), a three-time All-Star in 11 seasons with the Angels, has struggled since signing with San Diego over the winter. But he pitched six innings of one-run ball against the White Sox.
The right-hander is 12-2 with a 1.87 ERA in 16 career starts against Chicago. His season ERA is now 6.05.
Jose Quintana was working on a shutout for the White Sox before he got into trouble in the seventh. Yangervis Solarte walked, Austin Hedges singled and Hunter Renfroe drove a high fastball just over the right-field fence for a 3-1 lead.
Quintana allowed five hits and walked four in seven innings. Michael Ynoa (1-0) earned the win with a scoreless eighth.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Padres: RHP Jarred Cosart (hamstring) was reinstated from the 10-day disabled list. Green said Cosart, who has made two starts this season, will work in long relief. San Diego optioned right-handed reliever Kevin Quackenbush to Triple-A El Paso. … OF Allen Cordoba, who homered and recorded his first career three-hit game in Saturday’s loss, was out of the lineup with a sore hamstring.
White Sox: RHP James Shields (right lat strain) said he will throw Monday in Anaheim for the first time since going on the 10-day disabled list on April 21. “They wanted to give me 12 to 15 days of no throwing and kind of just let this thing heal on its own,” Shields said. “There’s nothing you can really do about it but wait.” Shields is 1-0 with a 1.62 ERA in three starts this season.
HELPING OUT
After the game, Frazier wondered if his heads-up play would give Saladino a sacrifice fly and an RBI, but it doesn’t: A ball has to leave the infield for a sacrifice fly.
White Sox manager Rick Renteria praised Frazier for his hustle.
“That’s instinct for him,” Renteria said. “You always have to get ready for the next play and that’s an example of it. I hope that’s what we’re talking about, but you have to give him a lot of credit.”
ROSTER MOVE
The White Sox optioned infielder Cody Asche to Triple-A Charlotte after the game. Asche hit .105 with a homer and four RBIs in 18 games with Chicago.
The team will make a corresponding move before Monday’s game against the Los Angeles Angels.
UP NEXT
Padres: RHP Luis Perdomo (0-0, 4.13 ERA) opens a four-game home set against Milwaukee on Monday night.
White Sox: RHP Mike Pelfrey (0-3, 5.21 ERA) starts Monday night against the Los Angeles Angels in the opener of a 10-game trip.
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