The White Sox hit five bases empty home runs, two off Bauer and three straight by the first three batters to face Robert Stephenson in the eighth inning.
Chicago leadoff hitter Tim Anderson cleared the walls twice, helping to end Cincinnati’s six-game winning streak.
The St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates, dropping the Reds back into third place in the National League Central, one game behind the Cardinals.
Bauer ended the night with a 1.80 earned run average but a 4-and-4 record due to lack of run support.
The Reds average less than three runs a game when he starts, third worst for any starting pitcher in the National League. Amazingly enough, Reds starter Luis Castillo leads the parade with the worst run support in the league.
Five White Sox pitchers — Dallas Keuchel, Matt Foster, Codi Heuer, Jimmy Cordero and Jace Fry combined for the six-hit shutout. It was the eighth time the Reds have been shut out, most in the National League.
Bauer wore spikes with trash cans all over them, a dig at the Houston Astros, who beat on trash cans in their dugout to relay what pitch was coming to their hitters a couple of years back.
And the White Sox teed off on Bauer and Stephenson as if they knew what was coming, without benefit of trash cans.
White Sox starter Dallas Keuchel was fresh off the injured list and wasn’t on his game.
The Reds had him on the precipice in the first three innings and didn’t score. They left two on in the first, three on in the second and two on in the third — seven stranded and 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position.
—They had runners on second and first with one out in the first, but Kuechel struck out both Eugenio Suarez and Tyler Stephenson.
—They had the bases loaded with two outs in the second, but Nick Castellanos flied to center.
—They put the first two on base in the third, but Stephenson was called out on strikes and both Mike Moustakas and Nick Senzel flied out.
Bauer struck out the side to start the game and breezed through four innings — no runs, three hits.
Then the one hole in Bauer’s armor surfaced in the fifth — the home run ball.
Nomar Mazara hadn’t hit a home run all season, but he opened the fifth with a drive deep into the right-field moon deck.
One out later, Anderson drove one 421 feet over the center-field wall for a 2-0 White Sox lead.
Anderson’s home run was the ninth given up by Bauer this season and Anderson’s was the first hit by a right-handed batter.
Fox-TV had Anderson wearing a microphone during the game and after his first home run he said, “I hope Bauer puts that one on his YouTube account.”
Keuchel was on a pitchcount for his first trip back on the mound and he left after four innings and 73 pitches. He gave up no runs, four hits, walked three and struck out seven.
Foster replaced Keuchel in the fifth and he retired six straight, two on strikeouts.
Heuser took over in the seventh and walked pinch-hitter Freddy Galvis. Pinch-hitter Jesse Winker struck out and Aristides Aquino hit into an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play.
Robert Stephenson replaced Bauer for the eighth and the first three White Sox left the premises, all on fastballs. Anderson reversed Stephenson’s first pitch for his second home run of the game.
Former Reds draft pick Yasmani Grandal followed with a home run and Jose Abreu made it three straight to make it 5-0 — five solo shot home runs.
When it ended, the Reds had stranded eight runners and were 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position.
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