ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Todd Frazier hit a tiebreaking grand slam in the 12th inning for his second homer of the game, powering the Chicago White Sox to an 8-4 victory over the Texas Rangers on Monday night.
Frazier had four hits and a career-high six RBIs to help the White Sox win after the bullpen blew leads in the eighth and ninth innings despite a majors-leading 1.82 ERA coming in.
Last year’s All-Star home run derby winner in front of the home crowd in Cincinnati, Frazier has 10 homers with Chicago after an offseason trade. His go-ahead blast to left came off left-hander Cesar Ramos (0-2).
Dan Jennings (1-0) pitched a scoreless 10th and 11th as the White Sox won their fourth straight in a series opener between teams coming off three-game sweeps.
The AL Central-leading White Sox beat Texas for the sixth consecutive time going back to last season after a sweep in Chicago in April.
Chicago closer David Robertson had a shot a save and a win but couldn’t get either one, allowing a tying double to Ian Desmond in the eighth and a tying single to Hanser Alberto in the ninth.
Avisail Garcia and Austin Jackson had three hits apiece and teamed up for a go-ahead play in the ninth before the Rangers pulled even for the second time. Garcia scored for a 4-3 lead on Jackson’s suicide squeeze bunt that turned into a hit when nobody covered first for the Rangers.
Frazier’s ninth homer gave Chicago a 2-0 lead in the sixth. He had a run-scoring single for a 3-1 edge in the eighth.
Rougned Odor’s team-leading seventh homer for Texas leading off the sixth ended Miguel Gonzalez’s one-hit shutout, and his leadoff triple in the eighth sparked the game-tying rally.
After Adrian Beltre’s single scored Odor, Robertson came on for a four-out save. He didn’t even get the first one, allowing Desmond’s double that scored pinch-runner Drew Stubbs.
Desmond’s line drive fooled left fielder Jerry Sands, who had replaced Melky Cabrera after Cabrera was ejected by home plate umpire Laz Diaz for arguing a called third strike in the sixth.
Texas manager Jeff Banister also was tossed by Diaz, apparently for arguing a pitch called a ball for closer Shawn Tolleson before the White Sox took the lead in the ninth.
TRAINER’S ROOM
White Sox: Alex Avila returned after missing two weeks with a right hamstring strain. He went 1 for 4 with two walks.
Rangers: RF Shin-Soo Choo (right calf strain) says he will spend four or five days in Arizona before a decision on a possible rehab assignment. He’s been on the DL since April 10.
UP NEXT
White Sox: LHP Carlos Rodon (1-4, 4.36) allowed one run on five hits with 10 strikeouts in six innings in his only previous start at Texas in 2015. It was a no-decision.
Rangers: LHP Derek Holland (3-2, 5.40) makes his first start since allowing 11 hits and 11 runs in 2 2/3 innings at Toronto, raising his ERA from 2.48 through his first five appearances.