Essex Bring In Bosch For Blast After Sams Ruled Out Through Injury
CLEVELAND -- — All-Star Steven Kwan homered, went 3 for 4 with two RBI and officially took over as the majors' leading hitter while sending the Cleveland Guardians to an 8-4 win over the Chicago White Sox on Thursday.
Kwan connected for his eighth homer leading off the third inning against Justin Anderson as the AL Central-leading Guardians took two of three in the series and improved baseball's best home record to 28-10.
Although his average has been over .350 for most of the season — he recently flirted with .400 — Kwan didn't have enough at-bats to qualify for the MLB lead after missing a month with a hamstring injury.
He's now batting .367 — 48 points ahead of Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani, who is second and played Thursday night. Kwan also has 12 three-hit games, the most in the AL.
“It's really cool,” Kwan said when asked about being the game's leading hitter. "It’s a bigger indicator that the injury’s kind of behind now. That was a big thing. That was kind of not my identity, but that was definitely a big thing on my mind.
“It’s nice to see there’s some space between me and the injury.”
On Wednesday, the 26-year-old Kwan was named an All-Star starter for the first time. In the series finale, he also drove in a run with a bases-loaded walk.
Guardians manager Stephen Vogt has run out of superlatives to describe his left fielder
“Kwannie just continues to dazzle,” Vogt said.
Josh Naylor, Bo Naylor and Andrés Giménez drove in two runs apiece for Cleveland.
Ben Lively (8-4) limited the White Sox to three runs and six hits in six innings. The right-hander, whose signing as a free agent in December barely made a ripple, is 5-0 in six starts at Progressive Field.
He's the first Cleveland starter to win five consecutive home starts since Corey Kluber in 2016.
Lively, who spent three years pitching in Korea, has allowed three runs or less in 13 of his 14 starts. He entered the season with just eight wins.
When he signed, the Guardians told him to expect to pitch in long relief. He has taken the starter's role and run with it.
“I could have been here for two weeks,” he said. “It’s just the way it goes. I just don’t want to look back.”
Paul DeJong hit a two-run homer and Lenyn Sosa a solo shot for the White Sox, who lost their ninth consecutive road series and fell to 25-64 —- 31 games behind Cleveland.
Kwan opened the third with a towering shot into the right-field seats. He hit just 11 homers combined in his first two seasons, but has focused on pulling inside pitches.
The Guardians tacked on three more runs in the third against Anderson as manager Pedro Grifol went with a bullpen game in the series finale.
Kwan, who has been in a bit of a slump lately (he came in 5 for 28 in his last seven games), singled in his first at-bat. The Guardians threatened to have a big first inning against Sox starter Jared Shuster (1-1) but only scored once on Josh Naylor's RBI single.
TRAINER'S ROOM
White Sox: RHP Mike Clevinger will make a rehab start on Friday for Triple-A Charlotte. Clevinger was initially sidelined by right elbow issue before his neck flared up. Barring a setback, he's expected to rejoin the rotation next week.
Guardians: Reliever Nick Sandlin (back inflammation) was activated from the injured list, giving manager Stephen Vogt back one of his key bullpen pieces. He gave up a homer in the ninth. To make roster space, right-hander Eli Morgan was optioned to Triple-A Columbus. ... OF Will Brennan (rib cage inflammation) remains sidelined with an injury that wasn't expected to keep him out long.
UP NEXT
White Sox: Head to Miami for a three-game series with RHP Drew Thorpe (2-1, 4.43 ERA) starting the opener.
Guardians: RHP Tanner Bibee (7-2, 3.47) starts the opener of a three-game series against the San Francisco Giants, who have won 13 of 15 against Cleveland since the start of the 2021 season.
------
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Canva Pink And Yellow Colorful Doodle Mind Map Brainstorming XLcic1nKI0U Mind Map 1 Canva Green Mind Map Business Brainstorm Vsb5tRJUhu0 Stages In Mindmap Mind Mapping As A Way To Initiate A Real And Meaningful Change In The Next Year 20243d Illustration 2P5MJ6R S6g4itoy9x40juyiz3s5 Article Cover 6483c5701b07ea6f8f6a40add127e35a 875f31dda4f60fff4fc88e81255a6dfe 6388ff85fa975e0527450482 Design Templates Mind Map (1).webp1 200 Ae2977066b7bda28beb8fd48c9b946b3d4c793c56a222b10126b80eba9c2587f 16c893a964b1a2c3cdc85d975c2b1c8a F003b828f5a794b4cf1e643ce6867339 SM Till Prelims 2023 Mindmap 1980x792 1 1b0cc699?ixlib=rb 4.0.3&q=80&fm=jpg&crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&h=9000&w=1200&fit=clip&fm=jpgF11b06f09cbb29577bfc24c378071137 NDMSbEDb Happy New Year 2023 Mind Map Word Image 29 5de64f007e8b951b1a6be72a5e445944 Mind Map Ideas 18fa7c08797e8443ddc85723a43e7cfe 5 Ways Mind Maps Can Improve Your Learning 2f5bf54578002a21bf458c7381b18d08 B4e15a1bc196fe47f64366a17d97c7b5 9569f0842dce964173ad3474a5c729be 74771b59e2c871ced36961f85959aabe A64ca580 Ce06 11ed B6a6 E70a96dba164 C1e387456cafda1a79565655d55d3910 8ac33f0d1693cadad9ac0fb09f6fcc5f Thumbnail?mtime=1682833226242Copy Of Pink And Yellow Colorful Doodle Mind Map Brainstorming 35 72e7182b35c5b74c0aa9212227183db1 D5071cb30312bdc1ff3ece5b693110c3 Cover 1242 B20d1e7f6d30ec1567638ac90e52169d 4634255dfb9c8fcba45b32227b3e6628