Carlos Santana hits 3-run homer as Brewers sweep White Sox 7-3
CHICAGO -- - Carlos Santana hit a three-run homer and Freddy Peralta pitched six scoreless innings to help the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Chicago White Sox 7-3 on Sunday and complete a three-game sweep.
Christian Yelich added a two-run single for Milwaukee, which pushed its NL Central lead to 3 1/2 games after the Chicago Cubs fell at Toronto.
"Knowing we have the Cubs behind us playing pretty good and the Reds are close, too," Peralta said after his fourth straight quality start. "I knew it was going to be an important day for us, and I was able to do the job."
White Sox starter Dylan Cease (5-6) gave up two runs on five hits in seven innings. The 2022 AL Cy Young runner-up missed a shot at a second straight win after striking out seven and walking two.
Peralta (9-8) scattered four hits and struck out six while walking three for his third straight victory.
"Great start. Kinda got better as the game went on," manager Craig Counsell said of the right-hander. "He pitched a nice game. Put zeroes up and we got him a lead and, fortunately, expanded it late."
Chicago's Carlos Pérez prevented a shutout with a two-out RBI double in the ninth off reliever J.C. Mejía. Elvis Andrus later added a two-run single.
"On the offensive side, we didn't get anything done until that last inning," White Sox manager Pedro Grifol said. "Peralta kept us in check all game long."
Mark Canha's second-inning sacrifice fly gave the Brewers the lead for good and Andruw Monasterio doubled in another run in the fifth. Reliever Aaron Bummer issued a pair of walks in the eighth before Santana drove his 15th homer of the season into right center field.
Yelich added to the lead in the ninth off Declan Cronin.
WINDY CITY
Santana's fourth inning at-bat ended with a deep fly to center that the batter thought was headed out of the park. The homer in the eighth? Santana assumed it wasn't going to carry. A change in the wind pattern seemed to help.
"Early in the game, the wind was blowing in," he said. "The second (at-bat) I thought it was in, but it was out. I was happy."
IT'S BEEN A WHILE
The series sweep was Milwaukee's first against the White Sox since the 1986 season, when both teams played in the American League.
TRAINER'S ROOM
White Sox: OF Luis Robert Jr. (sprained right pinky finger) missed a third straight start. Grifol said he hopes to have the All-Star back in the lineup for the start of Tuesday's crosstown game at Wrigley Field. ... INF Tim Anderson got a day off. He's still waiting to learn the outcome of his appeal of a six-game suspension stemming from an Aug. 5 fight with Cleveland's José Ramírez.
UP NEXT
Milwaukee: The club has not named a starter for Tuesday night's series opener at the Los Angeles Angels.
Chicago: Touki Toussaint (1-4, 4.22) faces fellow right-hander Kyle Hendricks (4-6, 3.96) on Tuesday to start a two-game series at the Cubs.
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