ANAHEIM, Calif. — Lance Lynn bounced back.
So did the White Sox lineup.
At least during a six-run third inning Thursday afternoon, which lifted the Sox to a 9-7 victory over the Angels. The result gave the White Sox (36-47) a split of their four-game series with the Angels (44-39), who took the first two games of the series.
Lynn gave up homers to Mickey Moniak, Mike Moustakas and Hunter Renfroe in the first and second innings, Moniak on the second pitch of the game. But he allowed one run after that, and retired 12 of the last 14 Angels and last seven he faced to last six innings and left leading 7-5.
Manager Pedro Grifol called the performance “phenomenal,” all things considered.
“I threw 105 pitches, and I’d like three back,” Lynn said. “That’s the gist of it. Offense picked me up, scored a bunch of runs and we were able to win the game and split the series. All and all I’ll take it. We win the game and that’s all that matters.”
Lynn (5-8, 6.47 ERA) logged 24 swinging strikes, struck out seven, walked two and allowed eight hits. A six-run third featuring six singles against left-hander Patrick Sandoval put the Sox in front 7-4. Eloy Jimenez and leadoff man Zach Remillard’s, both soft but effective, plated two runs each. Yasmani Grandal and Clint Frazier also had RBI singles.
A night after racking up 17 hits including four homers in a 9-5 win, the Sox struck out 16 times and had no extra-base hits until the ninth inning but found enough holes to scramble together a six-run uprising in the third.
“A lot of guys are developing a plan and sticking to it and executing,” said Remillard whose first single started the third and second one finished the scoring in the third. “On time on the barrel. Putting a lot of hard work in, a lot of reps and it’s paying off.”
Joe Kelly worked through trouble in a scoreless seventh and Gregory Santos pitched a scoreless eighth. Luis Robert was hit by a Jacob Webb pitch in the ninth, stole two bases and scored on Andrew Vaughn’s triple that skipped past diving center fielder Mike Trout, who took a homer away from Vaughn in the fourth. Vaughn scored on wild pitch.
Kendall Graveman set down the first two batters in the ninth but gave up a two-run homer to Shohei Ohtani, who hit his 29th homer and 14th in June, an Angels record for homers in any month.
Bunting irks Lynn
Lynn took umbrage with Angels shortstop Andrew Velazquez bunting on him for a single shortly after the two homers in the second.
“Yeah. I don’t like it,” Lynn said.
“Why? Grown man, swing the bat. He tried it again, too. That was embarrassing.
“Some people search for hits.”
Lynn gave up one run after that.
“I didn’t really need reason [for motivation] but that helps for sure,” he said.
Uncertain rotation
The Sox were listing TBA for Friday and Sunday starters in the rotation, with Friday likely going to Jesse Scholtens or Tanner Banks in the spot vacated by Mike Clevinger (biceps inflammation) and Sunday Michael Kopech’s turn. Kopech’s workload is being monitored and it’s possible he makes one start before All-Star break, then get an extended rest before his first start after the break.
“We want to make sure he’s rested and ready to go,” Grifol said. “Michael is extremely important to us in the second half.”
