White Sox blank Nationals 2-0 for their 2nd consecutive win
Chicago White Sox's Korey Lee reacts after hitting an RBI single in the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Wednesday, May 15, 2024, in Chicago. Credit: AP/Melissa Tamez
CHICAGO — Korey Lee went 3 for 3 with an RBI, Garrett Crochet tossed five scoreless innings and the Chicago White Sox topped the Washington Nationals 2-0 on Wednesday for their second straight win.
Tommy Pham and Andrew Benintendi each singled and doubled for last-place Chicago. Pham drove in the White Sox's first run as they won their second straight series and improved to 11-8 since a 3-22 start to the season. It was the White Sox's second consecutive shutout of Washington after a 4-0 win over the Nationals in the second game of Tuesday's doubleheader.
Crochet (4-4) allowed three hits and left after 89 pitches, 56 for strikes. The 6-foot-6 left-hander gave up struck out six and matched his season high with three walks.
The White Sox bullpen was dominant after that to complete the three-hitter.
Jared Shuster followed with two hitless innings. Jordan Leasure pitched a 1-2-3 eighth. Michael Kopech worked around two walks in the ninth, striking out two, for his fifth save.
Patrick Corbin (1-4) allowed two runs and six hits over 5 2/3 innings.
Lee had his second career three-hit game; his first was in July 2022 with Houston. The 25-year-old catcher is 12 for 29 in eight games in May.
Chicago White Sox's Andrew Benintendi, middle, is greeted at the dugout by Manager Pedro Grifol, left, and Rafael Ortega, right, after scoring during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Wednesday, May 15, 2024, in Chicago. Credit: AP/Melissa Tamez
The 36-year-old Pham is batting .319 with two homers and 10 RBIs since joining the White Sox on April 26, and has has hit safely in 14 of 18 games.
Crochet worked out of a based-loaded jam in the third, after he walked Ildemaro Vargas and Joey Meneses with two outs. He escaped by striking out Keibert Ruiz.
Chicago took a 1-0 lead in the bottom half on Pham’s run-scoring double down the third-base line.
Lee’s RBI single with two outs in the sixth made it 2-0. He drove in Benintendi, who had doubled to the left-field corner.
Chicago White Sox's Korey Lee hits an RBI single during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Wednesday, May 15, 2024, in Chicago. Credit: AP/Melissa Tamez
The White Sox acquired outfielder Corey Julks from the Houston Astros in a trade for minor-league right-hander Luis Rodriguez, then optioned Julks to Triple-A Charlotte.
The White Sox also recalled outfielder Dominic Fletcher from Charlotte and designated outfielder Rafael Ortega for assignment.
TRAINER’S ROOM
White Sox: Rookie third baseman Bryan Ramos sat out with left quad tightness. Manager Pedro Grifol hopes he’ll be ready for Friday’s game against the Yankees in New York.
UP NEXT
Nationals: Jake Irvin (2-3, 3.55 ERA) starts at Philadelphia on Friday.
White Sox: Mike Clevinger (0-1, 5.41) starts against the Yankees in New York on Friday.