CHICAGO — Jose Abreu became the first White Sox player to hit for the cycle in 17 years, among six Chicago players to go deep in a 13-1 rout of the San Francisco Giants on Saturday night.
Abreu hit his 29th homer in the first off former White Sox starter Jeff Samardzija (9-13), doubled in the third, struck out in the fifth, singled in the seventh against Josh Osich and hit a two-run triple in the eighth versus Roberto Gomez. The previous White Sox player to hit for the cycle was Jose Valentin against the Baltimore Orioles on April 27, 2000.
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Tim Anderson, Avisail Garcia and Yoan Moncada also hit solo home runs, Nicky Delmonico had a two-run drive and Yolmer Sanchez added a three-run homer, the 13th time Chicago hit six or more in a game.
James Shields (2-7) allowed one run and two hits in a season-high seven innings, retiring 17 of 18 batters before Nick Hundley homered in the seventh. He had been 0-5 with a 6.64 ERA since beating the New York Yankees on June 29.
Samardzija (9-13), pitching on the South Side for the first time since the final week of the 2015 season, gave up six runs and eight hits in 5 2/3 innings.
A night after they were mathematically eliminated from postseason contention, the Giants (56-88) lost for the 11th time in 15 games. If they lose more than 94 games, they will have their worst record since going 62-100 in 1985.
San Francisco Giants
Home runs by Abreu in the first and Anderson in the second built a 2-0 lead, and Sanchez's homer made it 5-0 in the fourth. Garcia homered in the fifth, and Moncada and Delmonico went deep in a four-run seventh.
REGRETS
Tim Raines, inducted into the Hall of Fame this summer, threw out the ceremonial first pitch. He said one of his few regrets with the White Sox came in the strike-shortened 1994 season.
"We had the best team in baseball," Raines said. "Someone else probably would say the Expos had the best team, but they were on the other side of the league. We had everything that we needed to win a world championship — pitching, defense, offense and all the intangibles."
TRAINER'S ROOM
Giants: C Buster Posey could be behind the plate Sunday for the first time since he took a foul tip off his right hand Tuesday, manager Bruce Bochy said. Posey started at designated hitter in the second straight game. ... OF Jarrett Parker (strained left oblique) sat out a seventh consecutive game but could return Sunday. ... RHP Matt Cain, absent with what the team said was a personal matter), is slated to rejoin team Monday for the start of an eight-game homestand.
White Sox: LHP Carlos Rodon (inflamed left shoulder) will be re-evaluated next week.
UP NEXT
RHP Carson Fulmer (1-1, 10.50) is to start for the White Sox on Sunday and LHP Madison Bumgarner (3-7, 3.15) for the Giants. Fulmer, Dylan Covey and Mike Pelfrey will fill Rodon's rotation spot for the remainder of the season, according to manager Rick Renteria.