Tanner Bibee pitched a two-hitter for his first career shutout and David Fry and Angel Martinez hit solo homers, lifting the surging Cleveland Guardians to a 4-0 victory over the visiting Chicago White Sox on Friday night.
The Guardians (76-71) won for the seventh time in eight games and pulled within three games of the Astros and Mariners, who are tied for the American League West lead and the final wild-card position. Houston and Seattle were both scheduled to play later Friday night.
Bibee (10-11) matched his season high with 10 strikeouts. He hit a batter and did not issue a walk in his 103-pitch gem. It was his initial nine-inning complete game and his second overall, along with the first individual shutout for Cleveland since Zach Plesac blanked the Los Angeles Angels on Sept. 10, 2019.
Fry reached the home run porch in left field in the fourth inning and Austin Hedges singled in Jhonkensy Noel in the fifth, both against White Sox starter Martin Perez (1-5).
Steven Wilson allowed Nolan Jones’ pinch-hit RBI single in the seventh and Martinez’s solo shot to right in the eighth. All four Guardians runs were scored with two outs.
Chicago’s only hits off Bibee were third-inning singles by rookies Chase Meidroth and Will Robertson.
Robertson also reached on a hit by pitch in the ninth for the White Sox (57-91), who have nine victories in their last 12 games and are 25-26 since the All-Star break.
Perez worked 6 2/3 innings, giving up three runs on four hits with three strikeouts and two walks. The left-hander is 0-5 with a 3.69 ERA in nine starts since throwing six no-hit frames and beating the Minnesota Twins on March 31.
The Guardians are 4-1 on a seven-game homestand that began with four against the Kansas City Royals.
