By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

Former Ocean Springs High standout Garrett Crochet continues to shine in his first year as a starting pitcher for the Chicago White Sox.

Crochet leads the American League in strike outs with 93 after his 13th starting assignment of the season over the weekend.

Milwaukee’s Willy Adames hit a run-scoring single in the 10th inning as the home-standing Brewers beat the White Sox 4-3 on Saturday in extra innings to extend Chicago’s losing streak to 10 games.

Adames also had a two-out, two-run single in the seventh inning.

But Crochet did everything he could to help Chicago pick up a win, as he struck out eight over six innings of one-run ball. Crochet has been one of the few bright spots for the White Sox this season. He took the mound Saturday having allowed just two runs over his last four starts while striking out 32 over his last 23 innings.

And he now leads the American League in strike outs as well.

“I’m just throwing the ball well, to be honest,” Crochet told reporters after the game. “Outside of the changeup that I threw to (Joey) Ortiz tonight, I felt like I was really dialed in.”

Home runs by Andrew Benintendi and Gavin Sheets staked Crochet to an early 3-1 lead against rookie left-hander Robert Gasser of the Brewers. Ortiz had an RBI-double in th third off of Crochet.

After the southpaw Crochet exited the game after six solid frames of work, the Brewers’ offense got Gasser off the hook in the seventh on Adames’ two-run single off of White Sox right-handed reliever Jordan Leasure. Adames’ winning infield hit to short in the 10th came off Michael Kopech, Chicago’s closer.

“I was just trying to put the ball in play,” Adames said. “Especially in that situatuion, if you try to do too much, you don’t have a chance.”

On Sunday, Jackson Chourio hit a three-run homer and the Brewers extended Chicago’s slide to a season-high 11 games with a 6-3 victory over the White Sox.

Chicago has lost 15 of its last 16 games while the National League Central Division leading Brewers have won five in a row and eight of their last 10.Crochet, who now stands 5-5 this season, is expected to make his next start Thursday night at home in Comiskey Park against the Boston Red Sox.
Crochet was named the Opening Day starter in the first game of the season for the White Sox after never having made a start in his brief Major League Baseball career.