Mercedes gets 1st 5 career hits, White Sox beat Angels 12-8

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Yermín Mercedes got his first five major league hits and drove in four runs, and José Abreu hit a grand slam for the Chicago White Sox in their 12-8 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Friday night.

Mercedes, a 28-year-old catcher playing in his second career game, went 5 for 5 in an extraordinary performance as Chicago's designated hitter. He delivered a two-run single in the fourth and a two-run double in the ninth inning of Chicago's first victory this season.

The only players since 1900 to get five hits in their first career start are Mercedes and Cecil Travis of the Washington Senators, who went 5 for 7 in 1933. Fred Clarke also did it for the Louisville Colonels in 1894.

Albert Pujols hit a three-run shot for his 663rd career homer, Shohei Ohtani homered in the ninth inning and Mike Trout had two hits for the Angels. José Iglesias and Dexter Fowler both got their first hit for their new club, but Los Angeles' long-standing rotation problems have already returned in 2021.

Abreu staked the White Sox to a big early lead when the 2020 AL MVP cracked his third career slam off Andrew Heaney (0-1) in the third inning. Heaney retired Chicago’s first seven batters before falling apart, allowing eight of the next nine to reach base and yielding seven runs on five hits.

Mercedes put the White Sox up 7-1, but Los Angeles gradually trimmed the margin to 7-6 before Chicago's five-run ninth. Tim Anderson homered and Yasmani Grandal added a two-run double before Mercedes doubled to left.

Michael Kopeck (1-0) won in his first appearance since 2018, and Liam Hendriks got a four-out save in his White Sox debut.

The Australian closer barely retired Iglesias on a drive to the warning track with two Angels on in the eighth before his teammates gave...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Mercedes-gets-1st-5-career-hits-White-Sox-beat-16074126.php