From bad to worse: Lowly Sox get first series sweep of year, this one vs. Bucs
Major League Baseball
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PITTSBURGH -- Miguel Vargas and Mike Tauchman hit back-to-back homers in a four-run first inning, and the Chicago White Sox cruised to a 7-2 victory over the struggling Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday for their first series sweep this season.
Vargas hit a three-run shot to open up the scoring against southpaw Andrew Heaney, his 11th homer of the year but first since June 15. Tauchman followed by launching a drive that carried over the right-field stands and bounced its way into the Allegheny River.
The White Sox (35-65) became the last major league team to sweep a series this season as they sent the Pirates to their 11th loss in 12 games.
Tauchman hit a two-run double in the fifth to chase Heaney and extend the lead to 7-1.
Aaron Civale (2-6) got his first win in seven starts since being acquired from Milwaukee in a June 13 trade. He gave up one unearned run and three hits in six innings with six strikeouts.
Vargas, Tauchman, Chase Meidroth and Michael A. Taylor each had two hits for the White Sox.
Heaney (4-9) was tagged for seven runs and nine hits in four innings. He has lost six of seven decisions since May 26.
Key moment
Vargas' home run to center field put the White Sox on the path to a three-game sweep.
Key stat
Andrew McCutchen's ninth-inning double for Pittsburgh was his 2,232nd hit, tying Pirates great Willie Stargell for 180th on the MLB career list.
Up next
The White Sox open a three-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays tonight in Tampa, with Sean Burke (4-8, 4.36 ERA) pitching for Chicago against fellow right-hander -- and former Pirates prospect -- Shane Baz (8-5, 4.17).
National League All-Star Game starter Paul Skenes (4-8, 2.01 ERA) goes for the Pirates tonight to begin a three-game series with visiting Detroit and Jack Flaherty (5-9, 4.65).
Saturday's game
Tauchman had a go-ahead three-run double in a six-run sixth inning, Lenyn Sosa had three hits and three RBIs and the Sox beat the Pirates, 10-4, on Saturday night.
Tauchman gave Chicago a 7-4 lead with the two-out double off Isaac Mattson. The White Sox scored the first four runs of the inning off Caleb Ferguson (2-2), who retired one batter and gave up four hits.
Bryan Reynolds and Nick Gonzales had back-to-back singles leading off the fourth against Adrian Houser. Both scored on a one-out double by Ke'Bryan Hayes, who scored on a two-out single by Isiah Kiner-Falefa to give the Pirates a 3-0 lead.
Luis Robert Jr. had the first hit off rookie Mike Burrows when he reached on an infield single with one out in the fifth. Robert stole his 24th base before scoring on a single by Sosa. Josh Rojas' RBI double cut it to 3-2.
Andrew McCutchen had a leadoff single in the Pirates' fifth before scoring on a Gonzales double for a 4-2 lead. Burrows allowed two runs on three hits in five innings and left with the lead in his 10th career start.
Robert and Austin Slater had RBI singles off Ferguson to tie it at 4.
Mattson entered and hit Sosa with a pitch to load the bases before Rojas struck out looking. Tauchman cleared the bases then scored on Meidroth's single. Sosa's two-run single in the seventh off Carmen Mlodzinski made it 10-4.
Houser allowed four runs -- three earned -- on 10 hits in 4• innings. Tyler Gilbert (3-1) got the final two outs in the fifth for the victory.
On deck
Tonight: Detroit at Pittsburgh, 6:40 p.m.
Pitchers: Tigers RHP Jack Flaherty (5-9) vs. Bucs RHP Paul Skenes (4-8)
TV: SportsNet Pittsburgh