White Sox beat Pirates as reliever Chasen Shreve gives up bases-loaded walk

The Chicago White Sox didn’t need another Lucas Giolito no-hitter to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates.

This time, they won on a walk.

Pirates reliever Chasen Shreve gave up a walk to load the bases, then missed on a full-count fastball to walk in the go-ahead run as the White Sox won, 4-2, Tuesday night at Guaranteed Rate Field.

Even though starter Bryse Wilson pitched well through the first five innings, Pirates manager Derek Shelton defended the move to switch to the left-handed Shreve because Yasmani Grandal had homered and a hit fly ball to deep left in his first two at-bats.

Shreve, however, walked Grandal to load the bases to force the left-on-left matchup against Brian Goodwin. Shreve threw a full-count fastball high and inside to walk Goodwin, which scored Jose Abreu to give the White Sox a 3-2 lead. Shreve also surrendered a sacrifice fly to right by Leury Garcia to score Eloy Jimenez to fall behind by two runs.

“We were trying to win the game, and we went with what we thought was the best situation there. That’s the decision we made,” Shelton said. “We’ve got to put the ball on the plate. We walk the first guy and then we walk left on left, and we have to put the ball on the plate in that situation. Grandal hits a sac fly then we get Goodwin, we’re at 3-2, but it didn’t work out that way.”

The Pirates (48-84), who are now 8-8 in interleague play this season, plan to start right-hander Max Kranick (1-2, 7.20 ERA) on Wednesday. Kranick made the trip as a member of the taxi squad but will require a roster move to be added to the active roster.

The White Sox (77-56) won their 45th game at home, despite Giolito leaving in the fifth inning. Giolito tossed a no-hitter in a 4-0 win over the Pirates on Aug. 25, 2020, striking out 13 while allowing one walk. The Pirates have undergone such roster turnover that Bryan Reynolds and Cole Tucker were their only returning players in the starting lineup.

Grandal spotted Giolito a 1-0 lead when he started the second inning by hitting a 1-1 changeup 406 feet to left center for his 18th home run. In the third, Abreu sent Wilson’s 1-1 four-seam fastball over the right field fence for his 28th homer and a 2-0 lead.

“My stuff was good, feel like I commanded the ball well,” said Wilson (2-6), who was acquired from Atlanta at the trade deadline. “It’s just about making those crucial pitches in those crucial times that can allow me to come out six innings and no runs instead of five innings and four runs.”

The Pirates drew leadoff walks in each of the first two innings but didn’t get a hit off Giolito until the third, when Wilmer Difo singled to right with two outs. Reynolds followed with a single but Colin Moran grounded out.

Hoy Park drew a leadoff walk in the fifth, then Giolito planted his left leg awkwardly while fielding a Ben Gamel soft grounder. Giolito was wobbly after that but insisted on staying in the game, despite a pair of mound visits. He threw a pair of wild pitches, however, the first of which allowed Park to score from third. Gamel advanced to second on the other, before Giolito left the game with left hamstring tightness.

Ryan Tepera walked Difo, then gave up a grounder to right by Moran that scored Gamel to make it 2-2. But Tepera struck out Jacob Stallings for the final out. Michael Kopech (4-2) struck out two in a scoreless sixth to earn the win. The Pirates didn’t get another hit until the top of the ninth, when Kevin Newman singled off White Sox closer Liam Hendriks, who earned his 30th save.

Wilson was pulled after he gave up back-to-back singles to Abreu and Jimenez to start the sixth, given that Grandal was up next.

“Grandal had really good at-bats off him,” Shelton said. “He hit a changeup that was a really good pitch out of the ballpark and then his next at-bat, he drove the ball almost out of the ballpark. So we were trying to flip Grandal around and go from there. Unfortunately, we ended up walking two guys.”