Chirinos Leads Rangers In 16-0 White Sox Rout
CHICAGO (AP) - The last-place Texas Rangers vented two months' worth of frustration.
Robinson Chirinos homered twice and Colby Lewis pitched a six-hitter to lead Texas to a 16-0 rout of the Chicago White Sox, the largest shutout victory in team history.
J.P. Arencibia, Adrian Beltre and Shin-Soo Choo also went deep for the Rangers, who set a season-high in runs scored and snapped a four-game losing streak. Their last five-homer game came last August at U.S. Cellular Field.
"You don't figure against a guy like (John) Danks that will happen," manager Ron Washington said. "We just kept putting runs on the board, and that's what we have to continue to do. I just hope this is a reward for us to turn things around and we can get more consistent."
The Rangers had 18 hits.
The laugher ended with designated hitter Adam Dunn on the mound in the ninth inning. The 6-foot-6, 280-pounder allowed one run on two hits and a walk. He did not speak with reporters afterward.
"If (Dunn) hits someone, we can't charge him -- he's too big," joked Beltre, who added, "He was throwing power sinkers. Obviously, they were too nasty for J.P." Arencibia fouled out.
Lewis (8-8) recorded his second career shutout, both against the White Sox in Chicago. He walked one and struck out seven.
"The offense came through and gave me a lot of relaxation, especially after the first two innings," Lewis said. "I was able to pound the strike zone and get some quick outs."
"Colby Lewis was the show tonight," Washington said. "I mean, he executed his pitches as well I have seen see him execute them. He never lost focus. He looked like the Colby we used to know."
Danks (9-7) was rocked for nine runs on five walks and eight hits, including four home runs, in 4 2/3 innings. The left-hander leads the American League with 23 homers allowed.
After Chirinos slammed a solo homer in the second inning, Danks walked the bases loaded. Arencibia cleared them on a two-out double.
Three innings later, Arencibia and Chirinos went deep with the bases empty to stake the Rangers to a 9-0 lead. The multi-homer game was the first for Chirinos in his career.
"It's a shame to go out there and get your butt kicked on a night you feel so good," Danks said. "It doesn't happen every night when you feel great, and tonight I did. I felt real good about everything in the bullpen."
Choo concluded the home run derby with an opposite-field homer off Maikel Cleto in the sixth inning.
The Rangers needed only five pitches to strike first. Choo led off the game with a double and scored on Alex Rios' base hit. Beltre followed with a two-run blast into the left-field bleachers.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Rangers: Right-handed pitcher Nick Tepesch (3-8) will rejoin the rotation on Wednesday afternoon. He skipped one turn because of a sore left knee. After two starts, Jerome Williams will move back to his customary bullpen role.
White Sox: Outfielder Alejandro De Aza was a late scratch after he complained of soreness in his bruised left knee in the pre-game warm-up. His status is day-to-day. He sustained the injury when he hit a foul ball off the knee on Monday night. Moises Sierra took his place in the outfield. Pitching coach Don Cooper was not available because of a recurrence of vertigo-related symptoms. He is unlikely to travel with the team on its next road trip.
ON DECK
Left-hander Chris Sale (10-1, 2.09) will oppose Tepesch (3-7, 4.84) in the series finale on Wednesday.
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