Sep 6, 2017; Chicago, IL, USA; Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco (59) pitches against the Chicago White Sox during the first inning at Guaranteed Rate Field. Photo Credit: Jim Young-USA TODAY Sports
CHICAGO — Carlos Carrasco pitched a three-hitter, and the Cleveland Indians equaled a team record with their 14th consecutive victory in a 5-1 win over the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday night.
Adam Engel spoiled Carrasco’s shutout bid with a two-out, ninth-inning home run.
Carrasco (14-6) struck out nine, walked none and threw 97 pitches.
Cleveland (83-56) improved to a season-high 27 games above .500 and remained 11 games ahead of the second-place Minnesota Twins in the American League Central.
Chicago (54-84) dropped its third straight.
Tyler Naquin’s fourth-inning sacrifice fly brought home Carlos Santana. In the eighth, Santana padded the lead with a two-run homer, his 23rd long ball of the season.
White Sox starter Reynaldo Lopez (0-3) worked six innings, allowing one run on six hits and two walks with two strikeouts.
The Indians collected eight hits, three from Santana, who also walked.
With Cleveland up 1-0, Francisco Lindor’s bid to double the lead was denied in the seventh. A potential home run was grabbed over the top of the left field fence by Nicky Delmonico.
Santana greeted reliever Danny Farquhar with a towering two-run homer to right with none out in the eighth inning, driving in Edwin Encarnacion a 3-0 lead.
Farquhar went on to load the bases — still with none out — for Roberto Perez, who reached based on an error while grounding into a fielder’s choice. Greg Allen scored from third for a 4-0 lead.
Farquhar departed for right-hander Dylan Covey, who gave up a final run as Allen grounded into a ninth-inning fielder’s choice to score Jose Ramirez.
Cleveland came up short on two early scoring opportunities.
The Indians had Lonnie Chisenhall at third with one out in the first but couldn’t bring him home.
In the second, Naquin doubled up the middle with one out, moving Yandy Diaz to third. But Perez struck out looking and Lindor popped out along the third base line.
Santana led off the Indians’ fourth with a single to center, reached second on a Diaz base hit and moved to third on a wild pitch — all with no outs. This time, the Indians produced a run as Naquin’s sacrifice to left brought Santana home for a 1-0 lead.
Carrasco, meanwhile, kept the White Sox off the bases, retiring the first 12 batters he faced and striking out the side in the fourth.
Carrasco gave up a base hit up the middle to Avisail Garcia to open the fifth, but Garcia was snuffed out on a subsequent double play grounder by Delmonico.
Cleveland set a team record for consecutive victories in 2016, winning 14 straight between June 17 and July 1.
NOTES: The Indians are an major-league-best 35-11 since July 21 and 10-0 on their road trip that ends Thursday in Chicago. … They’ll open a 10-game homestead on Friday, starting with a three-game series against the Baltimore Orioles. … The Indians send RHP Corey Kluber (14-4, 2.56 ERA) against White Sox LHP Carlos Rodon (2-5, 4.15) in Thursday’s final meeting of the season. … RHP Michael Kopech, among top prospects in the White Sox organization, visited Guaranteed Rate Field. “I brought my glove if they need me,” he said. … Before the game the White Sox reinstated INF/OF Nicky Delmonico (sprained right wrist) from the 10-day disabled list.
