Marlins’ Sanchez tosses a one-hitter

Associated Press

PITTSBURGH

Anibal Sanchez pitched a one-hitter and tied his career high with 11 strikeouts to win for just the second time in his last 16 starts as the Florida Marlins blanked the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-0 on Saturday night.

The only thing that stood between Sanchez (8-7) and the second no-hitter of his six-year career was Neil Walker’s one-out single to left field in the third inning. Pittsburgh loaded the bases in that inning but Sanchez struck out losing pitcher Jeff Locke to end the threat.

Sanchez, who threw a no-hitter on Sept. 6, 2006 against Arizona at Miami, retired the final 16 hitters after walking Ryan Ludwick in the fourth. Sanchez is 2-6 with a 4.17 ERA in his last 16 starts after going 6-1 with a 3.06 ERA in his first 13.

Sanchez also struck out 11 on May 8 against Washington. He walked three.

Locke (0-1) took the loss in his major-league debut, allowing three runs and five hits in five innings while walking four and striking out one.

Florida scored all of the game’s runs in the third off Locke. John Buck highlighted the inning with a two-run single.

White Sox 7, Indians 3

CHICAGO

After faltering with the bases loaded all game, Alex Rios wouldn’t let the Chicago White Sox come up empty again.

Rios hit a game-ending grand slam in the 10th inning to lift Chicago over the Cleveland.

Rios’ one out, first-pitch shot off Chris Perez (3-7) was Chicago’s first game-ending home run this season and his first career grand slam.

“I assumed he was going to come [inside],” Rios said. “I guess I got the pitch and put a good swing on it. It worked.”

The blast came after the White Sox loaded the bases with one out for the fifth time in the game. In each of the first four occasions, Chicago didn’t score, leaving the bases full.

The White Sox squandered bases-full situations in the first, sixth, eighth and ninth, and stranded 15 runners during the first nine innings before Rios snapped the streak in the 10th.

“Sometimes you get in stretches where you have a hard time scoring runs,” Rios said. “I felt like we had one of those games today. We came through.”

Rios, one of Chicago’s highest-paid players, struck out with the bases full in the first inning and has struggled to a .222 average this season, making Saturday’s triumph that much better.

Chicago had plenty of baserunners all day, with 10 hits and a season-high 11 walks but went just 3 for 15 with runners in scoring position.

“That [summed up] the White Sox season right there,” manager Ozzie Guillen said. “The only thing we did good is we won. I’m glad we won, but it was tough”

Shelley Duncan doubled, homered and scored two runs for Cleveland. Matt LaPorta added a two-run double.