Hey, the White Sox scored against Corey Kluber! (But they still lost)

Corey Kluber

Coming into Tuesday night's game, Cleveland Indians ace Corey Kluber had faced the White Sox twice before this season.

On May 30, he tossed six shutout innings, allowing three hits, while striking out 10 and walking none in a 9-1 Indians victory.

On June 20, he pitched seven shutout innings, allowing only one hit. He struck out seven and walked one in a 12-0 Cleveland win.

So, I guess we can take it as progress that the Sox only lost 5-3 to Kluber and the Indians on Tuesday.

It looked as though it was going to be another debacle through five innings. Kluber kept the Sox off the board and had seven strikeouts, and the Indians cuffed around Carlos Rodon to take a 5-0 lead into the sixth.

Surprise, surprise, but the Sox got back into the game. Daniel Palka and Omar Narvaez became the first pair of hitters to homer off Kluber in the same inning all season. Both hit solo shots in the sixth inning to make it 5-2. Doubles by Ryan LaMarre and Yolmer Sanchez in the seventh cut the Cleveland lead to 5-3.

However, the Sox could get no closer. Kluber stranded two runners in the eighth, and Indians reliever Andrew Miller stranded two Sox runners in the ninth to earn his second save of the season.

Kluber (19-7) finished with 11 strikeouts over eight innings. But perhaps there's a moral victory in there that the Sox got three runs on eight hits off him, although I hate moral victories.

For once, I'd like to see the Sox get an actual victory in Cleveland. The South Siders are 3-11 against the Tribe this season, including 0-7 at Progressive Field.

I'll give credit to the Indians for this: They have pounded the weak American League Central all summer long. Cleveland is a combined 44-23 against the Sox, Minnesota Twins, Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals -- including 26-9 at home.

The Indians are 14.5 games up in the division; they've already clinched it. That is not a surprise or an accident.