PHOENIX — The Chicago White Sox saw a streak of 14 consecutive games with at least one home run end Friday.
They hit the restart button Saturday with four home runs in a 9-2 victory against the Arizona Diamondbacks in front of 38,494 at Chase Field.
Paul DeJong had a solo home run, Andrew Vaughn and Korey Lee hit two-run homers and Lenyn Sosa connected for a three-run blast as the Sox continued their June power surge. The team has 25 home runs this month.
“I think on the offensive side, we’re in a positive moment, a good moment,” Sosa said. “Like everything, that’s contagious. And I think that’s what’s happening right now.”
That was plenty of offensive support for starter Erick Fedde, who allowed two runs on eight hits with six strikeouts and no walks in six innings.
“Offense has been great,” Fedde said. “We’ve been hitting for power. When we can put games away like that, it’s conducive to winning baseball.”
Fedde (5-1) dealt with traffic for most of Saturday, working out of trouble numerous times for his first win since the second game of a May 14 doubleheader against the Washington Nationals.
“My goal for the day was to try to get leadoff guys out and try to minimize the run game,” Fedde said. “I did a terrible job of that. But I was able to minimize for the most part.”
An example came in the second inning, when the Diamondbacks looked to build on a 1-0 lead by loading the bases with one out.
Facing the top of the order, Fedde struck out Corbin Carroll and got Ketel Marte to ground out to second to end the inning without allowing a run.
“I had my plan against Corbin, I just wanted to execute it,” Fedde said. “I really needed a strikeout there. He’s a tough double play candidate. My goal there was, ‘Let’s get a punchout,’ and I was luckily able to get out of it.
“When Marte came up, I was just — best stuff — and luckily I made a good pitch and aggressive first pitch.”
The Sox tied the score in an unusual circumstance in the third. Martín Maldonado doubled and moved to third when Thyago Vieira intentionally dropped the ball for a balk. Vaughn drove in Maldonado with a single.
DeJong homered leading off the fourth, his team-leading 14th of the season, to begin the home run derby for the Sox.
Vaughn followed a two-out walk to Tommy Pham with his home run in the fifth, making it 4-1. Luis Robert Jr. and Lee walked ahead of Sosa’s three-run homer with two outs in the seventh to give the Sox some breathing room. Sosa went 3-for-5, falling just a triple shy of the cycle.
Robert walked again in the ninth. And with two outs, Lee homered to left.
“We have some guys here who can hit homers and now you are seeing it,” manager Pedro Grifol said. “(Vaughn) is swinging the bat, and now you are seeing him drive the ball. Korey Lee has some power, DeJong is proving he’s still got it.
“Homers win games, especially when you walk right before them.”
Pitcher Mike Clevinger nears rehab assignment
Sox starter Mike Clevinger said he is going to join Triple-A Charlotte to begin a rehab assignment Tuesday.
Clevinger retroactively went on the injured list on May 25 with right elbow inflammation. He said it will likely be two starts for Charlotte “because it’s been a little bit.”
“We did the (two) simulated innings (in the bullpen Friday), so I’m going to do somewhere between 50 to 60 pitches first go around and then one more in Charlotte five days after that,” Clevinger said.
Clevinger is 0-3 with a 6.75 ERA and 15 strikeouts in four starts.
