White Sox Shellacked by Reds in Series Opener

Nothing went right for the Chicago White Sox in Friday's game against the Cincinnati Reds. Starter Chris Flexen lasted only 2.2 innings and allowed six runs on seven hits and a walk. He fanned as many hitters as homers he surrendered. Reds pitching held the inept White Sox offense to one run on four hits. The South Siders didn't draw a walk and struck out five times.

The Reds teed off on Flexen with a run in the first and a crooked number in the third. With two outs and no one on, the Reds rallied for five runs when Christian Encarnacion-Strand's single, a walk to Spencer Stee, and an infield single by Jake Fraley plated a run.

Elly De La Cruz's three-run blast expanded the lead to 5-0 before Tyler Stephenson added a solo homer in the next at-bat.

More Two-Out Runs

Cincinnati poured gasoline on the fire in the eighth and ninth, with two-run singles in each frame and more timely hitting. Encarnacion-Strand's two-out bases-loaded single drove in Jonathan India and Stephenson. In the ninth, Santiago Espinal's two-out single drove in Fraley and De La Cruz, who reached on a single and a walk, respectively, and advanced to second and third on Martini's groundout.

The Only Good Part

The White Sox' recent call-up, Jared Shuster, provided solid long relief again. The lefty tossed 3.1 innings, allowing one run on two hits and two walks in relief of Flexen. Shuster holds a 1.42 ERA in 6.1 innings since his promotion. Deivi Garcia added his second straight scoreless inning of relief.

Robbie Grossman drove in the White Sox' lone run in the third with a double off of Reds starter Andrew Abbott.

News and Notes

Eloy Jimenez is ramping up his baseball activities and is close to a minor-league rehab stint.