LOS ANGELES (AP) — Dustin May pitched two-run ball over seven innings after retiring the first 16 batters and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Chicago White Sox 6-2 on Thursday night to complete a three-game sweep.
The 27-year-old right-hander struck out a season-high nine and walked one in the best start of his six-year major league career. He won for the first time since June 15 against San Francisco.
Brooks Baldwin broke up May’s perfect game bid with a single in the sixth and then chased May (5-5) with a two-run homer in the eighth, ending the longest outing of his career. May left to a standing ovation.
Freddie Freeman went 2 for 4 with three RBIs and a run scored. He was robbed of a homer by Mike Tauchman, who leaned over the lower wall in right field and snagged the ball in the fifth.
Mookie Betts homered for the first time in 21 games, his solo shot off Tyler Gilbert extending the lead to 6-0 in the seventh.
The White Sox fell to 9-35 on the road, setting a record for the worst start in franchise history. They were already the worst away from home in the majors.
Key moment
The Dodgers backed May with stellar defense. Left fielder Michael Conforto made a feet-first sliding catch of a sinking line drive by former Dodger Miguel Vargas leading off the fifth. Freeman snared a liner to first base leading off the sixth before Baldwin’s single to right broke up May’s perfect game bid.
Key stats
May retired the leadoff hitter in each of the first seven innings. The White Sox got swept by the Dodgers for the second consecutive season.
Up next
White Sox RHP Adrian Houser (3-2, 1.90 ERA) starts Friday's series opener at Denver. Dodgers RHP Ben Casparius (6-2, 3.97) takes the mound Friday against Houston's Lance McCullers Jr.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Beth Harris, The Associated Press