EditorsNote: Edit 1: Tweaks throughout.
Right-hander Dylan Cease struck out a career-high nine batters in six strong innings, and Yoan Moncada homered for the second time in as many games since returning to from the injured list to lift the host Chicago White Sox to an 8-3 victory against the Texas Rangers on Friday night.
Chicago won its second straight to open the four-game series and prevailed for the fourth time in five games overall. Moncada, Leury Garcia, Tim Anderson and Jon Jay had two hits apiece, and Anderson extended his hitting streak to 10 games.
The White Sox scored eight unanswered runs to close the game. Moncada punctuated Chicago's three-run sixth with a two-run home run against reliever Shawn Kelley. Moncada also hit a home run in Thursday's series opener, his first action since sustaining a strained right hamstring on July 30 against the New York Mets.
Chicago collected 11 hits against Texas righty Lance Lynn (14-9), who yielded seven runs and two walks in 5 2/3 innings. Although Lynn struck out 10 -- notching double digits in that category for the seventh time this season -- he ultimately lost his third consecutive decision.
Texas struck first with one out in the first inning, as Willie Calhoun drilled a three-run home run to right-center on a 2-1 pitch. Shin-Soo Choo opened the game with a walk ahead of an Elvis Andrus single two batters later, setting up Calhoun.
It was the 11th home run Cease has yielded in nine starts covering 50 innings. The rookie rebounded after that, however. He wound up allowing just the three runs on four hits and one walk.
Cease (3-6) retired 11 consecutive Rangers after the home run, including six via strikeout. Logan Forsythe and Delino DeShields ended the run of dominance with consecutive singles to open the fifth.
Relievers Evan Marshall, Aaron Bummer and Alex Colome struck out a combined four and allowed just one baserunner in the final three innings.
Adam Engel delivered a two-run double in the second inning to put the White Sox on the scoreboard. Yolmer Sanchez tied the game with a run-scoring single in the third before a Garcia RBI double gave Chicago the lead for good two batters later.
Rangers reliever Luke Farrell retired each of the six batters he faced in his first outing of the season after a spring training line drive broke his jaw and gave him a concussion. The Rangers activated Farrell from the 60-day IL before the game.
--Field Level Media
