White Sox strike early, wilt late in DH split with Indians

CHICAGO (AP) The bats finally broke loose for the White Sox in the opener of Monday's doubleheader. Then they went quiet again to leave Chicago with a 2 1/2-game lead in the AL Central.

Rajai Davis' two-run homer in the fifth inning put Cleveland ahead to stay, Jose Ramirez hit his second long ball of the day and Juan Uribe also went deep to lead the Indians to a 5-1 victory in the nightcap.

Davis' shot to left field off Erik Johnson (0-2) on a 3-0 fastball snapped a 1-all tie. That was enough offense for Cody Anderson (1-3), brought up as the 26th man for the doubleheader. He struck out a career-best nine over seven innings as the Indians snapped a three-game skid.

''He was throwing all his pitches for strikes and kind of keeping us off balance,'' Chicago outfielder Austin Jackson said. ''We just really couldn't get anything going.''

In the opener, Brett Lawrie broke a fifth-inning tie with a three-run homer, Todd Frazier hit his 14th of the season and the White Sox held on for a 7-6 victory.

Ramirez homered on the last pitch he saw in the opener and the first of the second game for Cleveland, which had been struggling offensively.

''He hasn't had the best week, a little bit of a dry spell,'' Indians manager Terry Francona said. ''He had some pretty good swings.''

The second game featured two pitchers called up from Triple-A, and Johnson tired. He allowed five runs and six hits in 6 2/3 innings and was optioned back to Charlotte after the game.

''Just a few pitches I wish I had back, but for the most part I'm thankful for another opportunity to help this team out the best I can,'' Johnson said. ''If those opportunities keep coming, I'm more than happy to keep rolling out there.''

Frazier doubled and scored on Melky Cabrera's single in the third for the White Sox, but Anderson was dominant from there, retiring the final 13 batters he faced.

''I thought their guy threw a great game,'' Chicago manager Robin Ventura said. ''He had a great changeup going. Off-speed stuff was really tough on us.''

In the first game, Jackson had three hits and two RBIs, Mat Latos (6-1) allowed three runs over six innings and David Robertson pitched a hitless ninth for his 12th save.

Marlon Byrd's two-run homer in the fifth off Latos tied it at 3 a half-inning before Lawrie sent Mike Clevinger's fastball into the left-field seats.

''I saw a bunch of pitches, sliders and curveballs, and it allowed me at 3-2 to get a fastball and I didn't miss it,'' Lawrie said.

Lawrie also singled and walked three times. Frazier's solo shot in the first was his second in two days and gave him the AL lead.

Chicago had scored 10 runs in the previous five games.

Clevinger (0-1) gave up seven hits over five innings in his second big league start.

''I felt like, especially with this offense scoring those runs, I was killing the momentum,'' he said. ''This one was on me.''

Mike Napoli had a solo homer and an RBI groundout in the makeup of an April 10 rainout. Ramirez's two-run homer in the eighth off Matt Albers got the Indians within a run.

But then Cleveland rallied in the second game to remain on Chicago's heels in the division.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Indians: RHP Joba Chamberlain was placed on the disabled list with a strained chest muscle. LHP Ryan Merritt was recalled from Triple-A Columbus.

White Sox: 2B Carlos Sanchez, who went 0 for 5, was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte after the first game to make room for Johnson. RHP Tommy Kahnle, brought up as the 26th player, will stay, with Johnson sent down.

NEEDED PRODUCTION

Frazier, acquired from Cincinnati in an offseason trade, has one more home run than all of Chicago's third basemen combined in 2015.

SO MANY GAMES

The opener was the Indians' 18,000th game. The second game marked the same milestone for the White Sox.

UP NEXT

White Sox ace Chris Sale (9-0, 1.58 ERA) seeks to become the majors' first 10-game winner Tuesday night in a matchup of unbeaten pitchers. RHP Josh Tomlin (6-0, 3.56) is off to the best start for a Cleveland pitcher since Cliff Lee was 6-0 in 2008.