Mercedes has 4 hits, White Sox beat Rangers 9-7

CHICAGO (AP) — Rookie sensation Yermín Mercedes added to his scorching start with four more hits, including a tiebreaking double in the seventh inning, and the Chicago White Sox beat the Texas Rangers 9-7 on Friday night despite blowing a five-run lead.

Yoán Moncada had three hits and a home run. Liam Hendriks got the final five outs and the White Sox (10-9) moved above .500 for the first time this season. They won for the fourth time in five games even though Texas’ Adolis García hit two more homers.

Chicago was rolling along with a 5-0 lead after chasing Dane Dunning in a five-run third, but the game turned quickly.

Luis Robert singled leading off the seventh against Kyle Cody (0-2), and Mercedes broke a 6-all tie one out later when he lined a double to center field. He moved up on Andrew Vaughn’s single and scored on Nick Madrigal’s sharp groundout to make it 8-6.

Mercedes raised his batting average to .429. Moncada added a solo homer in the eighth.

Codi Heuer (2-1) worked 1 1/3 innings for the win. Hendriks came on with one out in the eighth and runners on first and second and struck out Willie Calhoun and Isiah Kiner-Falefa to end that threat. The closer gave up a solo drive to García in the ninth before striking out Nick Solak for his fourth save in five chances.

Solak hit a two-run homer against Dylan Cease in the fourth, and García cut it to 6-5 in the fifth when he lined a three-run drive to center off Evan Marshall. The Cuban slugger has five home runs in 10 games since he was called up from the Rangers’ alternate training site.

Cease gave up two runs and three hits in 3 1/3 innings.

Dunning got tagged by his former team for five runs and eight hits in 2 2/3 innings. The right-hander — acquired from Chicago for Lance Lynn in the offseason...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Mercedes-has-4-hits-White-Sox-beat-Rangers-9-7-16125535.php