Indians rookie Mitch Talbot beat the Chicago White Sox for the third time this season Saturday night at U.S. Cellular Field. He says he just seems to have his good stuff when he faces them.
Mitch Talbot put in a full night's work in shutting down the White Sox for his seventh win of the season. The Indians continued their domination of the White Sox with Saturday night's 3-1 victory, their eighth in 11 games this season.
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• More Indians coverage | BoxscoreCHICAGO -- Manny Acta, before Saturday night's game, said Mitch Talbot probably walks more people than he should. He added that Talbot doesn't strike out a whole lot of batters, either.
Then Acta said Talbot just has a way of making the right pitch at the right time.
The rookie right-hander must have been listening. He did just that over seven innings in the Indians' 3-1 victory over Chicago at U.S. Cellular Field. It was the Indians' second straight victory, the first time they've won consecutive games since May 15-16 against Baltimore.
Talbot (7-4, 3.54 ERA) is 3-0 against Chicago this season. He's held them to four runs in 23 innings.
"I just seem to have my best stuff when I face them," he said.
The White Sox, with the lowest batting average in the AL, are far from an offensive juggernaut, but they are third in the AL Central. If they had to face Talbot and the Indians every day, they wouldn't be.
The cellar-dwelling Indians are 8-3 against Chicago. Thirty eight percent of their victories (8-of-21) have come at their expense.
"Pure coincidence," said Acta. "It's not like we have their number or anything."
What Talbot had working Saturday night was a good change-up. The White Sox's lineup featured eight right-handed hitters.
"So I had to use it," he said.
In the fifth, working with a 2-1 lead, Talbot used it to strike out Paul Konerko with runners on second and third to end the inning. Konerko came into the game tied for second in the AL with 16 homers.
He used it again in the sixth to strike out Jayson Nix with runners on first and second and two out.
Last place teams usually don't send more than one player to the All-Star Game. The Indians' candidates are Shin-Soo Choo and Talbot. "I haven't even thought about that," said Talbot of the showcase, scheduled this year in Anaheim, Calif., on July 13.
Talbot allowed one run on six hits in seven innings. He struck out five and walked three. The five strikeouts tied a season high. Overall, he has 32 strikeouts and 27 walks.
"It was big for Mitch to get through the seventh inning for us," said Acta. "We only wanted to use Chris Perez for one inning."
Perez and Kerry Wood repaired some of the bullpen's lost dignity on this trip. Perez worked a scoreless eighth and Wood pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his fourth save.
The Indians beat Jake Peavy (4-5, 5.90) for the second time this season. It was not an easy task. Peavy allowed two runs on six hits in seven innings.
They took a 2-0 lead in the fourth. Trevor Crowe, Choo and Austin Kearns started the inning with consecutive singles to left. Crowe scored on Kearns' single. When Juan Pierre overran Kearns' hit, Choo tried to advance to third and was thrown out.
After Kearns moved up on a wild pitch, he scored on Peavy's balk to make it 2-0.
Chicago made it 2-1 in the fourth on Ramon Castro's two-out single, but it was the only run Indians pitching allowed. Talbot, Perez and Wood combined on a seven-hitter.
The Indians added an insurance run in the eighth against left-hander Matt Thornton. Choo singled with one out. After Kearns struck out, Choo stole second.
"Thornton throws 97 and 98 mph, but he's slow to the plate," said Choo. "I watched a lot of video on him. In a one-run game, you want to try and get that extra run."
Russell Branyan made Choo's theft pay off with a single to right for a 3-1 lead. It was the first run Thornton has allowed in 12 innings.
"The last run was huge," said Acta. "We had two of our left-handed hitters come through against a tough lefty in Thornton."