The Chicago White Sox had already scored two runs during the fourth inning to tie Saturday’s game against the Cleveland Guardians.
They were in position for more with two runners on and no outs.
Guardians starter Tanner Bibee struck out Colson Montgomery. Josh Rojas then grounded into a double play.
The momentum swung back in Cleveland’s direction. Kyle Manzardo hit a go-ahead solo home run in the sixth inning and the Guardians went on to defeat the Sox 6-2 in front of 21,785 at Rate Field during the reunion weekend for the 2005 World Series championship team.
The Sox fell behind early on Saturday. Starter Sean Burke issued back-to-back walks to José Ramírez and Manzardo with two outs in the first inning. Carlos Santana drove in Ramírez with a single to right for the game’s first run.
Santana singled again in the fourth. He advanced to third when Daniel Schneemann doubled and scored on a sacrifice fly to left by Angel Martínez, giving Cleveland a 2-0 lead.
Burke allowed two runs on three hits with five strikeouts and two walks in five innings.
The Sox tied the score with the two runs in the bottom of the fourth. Andrew Benintendi and Lenyn Sosa began the inning with singles. Benintendi beat a pickoff attempt while stealing third, with Sosa taking second. Kyle Teel drove them both home with a single to left field. Luis Robert Jr. followed with another hit. But Bibee got out of the jam with the strikeout and double play.
Sox second baseman Chase Meidroth lined into a double play to end the fifth.
With one out in the sixth, Manzardo homered to right against Sox reliever Jordan Leasure.
The Guardians added another run in the seventh through small ball. Austin Hedges doubled against reliever Tyler Gilbert, moved to third on a bunt and scored on a sacrifice fly when Benintendi’s throw from left field bounced away from the catcher Teel.
Cleveland put the game out of reach in the ninth with RBI singles by Steven Kwan and Ramírez.
That was enough to hold off the Sox, who had six hits but none after the fourth inning. The Sox (32-64) will try to salvage a split when the four-game series concludes Sunday in the final contest before the All-Star break.