The Chicago White Sox snapped their five-game losing streak Friday night in a rain-shortened contest 9-6 against the New York Yankees. Rookie Eloy Jimenez led the way for Chicago hitting his first two home runs of his Major League career. Jimenez’s home runs were much needed and long overdue for Chicago’s most important prospect.
Against the Yankees, Jimenez went 3-for-3 with a single and two home runs while also driving in three RBIs. Jimenez’s power was on full display as both home runs were hit to the deepest parts of Yankee Stadium in center field and left-center. All-Star first baseman Jose Abreu was the last White Sox player to hit both his first and second home runs of his career in the same game.
Coming into Friday night’s game, Jimenez had collected just one-extra base hit in his first eleven games. Opposing pitchers challenged him from the first game of the season pitching him low and away. Sliders on the outside part of the corner didn’t allow the White Sox top prospect to utilize his power.
A majority of Jimenez’s hits in the first 11 games were balls that eluded the defense rather than line shots. In the White Sox’s last series against the Tampa Bay Rays, he began hitting the ball with more authority and hitting the ball in the air. In Jimenez’s last at-bat Thursday, he finally was able to drive a line shot down the left field line to pick up the first double of his career.
It was a matter of time before Eloy adjusted and began to drive the ball as he did in the minors. He had 22 home runs and 28 doubles in 108 games with both Double-A Birmingham and Triple-A Charlotte. With his first double and home run now out of the way, Jimenez can now become the offensive threat the White Sox believe he can be.
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