Angel Martinez hit a grand slam during a five-run fifth inning and finished with a career-high six RBIs for the visiting Cleveland Guardians, who rolled to an 8-2 win over the Chicago White Sox on Friday.
The contest was the opener of a three-game series between a pair of American League Central contenders.
Martinez opened the scoring with a two-run single in the first for the Guardians, who bounced back from being swept in a three-game series by the New York Mets to inch within two games of the division-leading White Sox. The Minnesota Twins are also two games back of Chicago.
Braden Montgomery and Munetaka Murakami homered for the White Sox, who lost their season-high fourth straight game.
Chicago starter Noah Schultz lasted just one out before being pulled because manager Will Venable accidentally visited him shortly after pitching coach Zach Bove visited the mound.
The grand slam was the second of the season for Martinez, who hit one off the Kansas City Royals’ Steven Cruz on April 8, and the third of his three-year big league career. The six RBIs easily surpassed his single-game high of four RBIs, set three times previously, most recently in the April 8 contest.
Austin Hedges capped Cleveland’s fifth inning with an RBI single. Steven Kwan homered in the sixth, his second of the year and first since Apr. 6. Kwan finished 3-for-5 while Chase DeLauter added two hits.
Guardians starter Parker Messick (9-6) allowed two runs on four hits and one walk while striking out eight over seven innings. The rookie lowered his ERA to 2.57.
Fellow rookie Franco Aleman gave up four hits but no runs and struck out four over the final two innings.
Montgomery and Luisangel Acuna had two hits each for the White Sox.
Schultz (3-9) was charged with two runs on three hits with one strikeout. David Sandlin gave up six runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out four over 5 1/3 innings.
