Field Level Media
Jul 14, 2019
Oakland's Chad Pinder scored when an errant throw on a possible forceout at second base rolled into foul territory with no outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, sending the host Athletics to a 3-2 victory against the Chicago White Sox.
Ramon Laureano rolled a grounder to Chicago shortstop Jose Rondon on the play that ended the game. Rondon's throw went into foul ground in right field, allowing Pinder, who had singled to lead off the inning, to scamper home from first base.
Mark Canha had two hits for Oakland, which has won 10 of 12 after earning a series sweep of the White Sox.
Eloy Jimenez smacked his 17th home run of the season leading off the seventh, sending a 1-1 pitch from A's left-hander Brett Anderson over the center field wall to give Chicago a 2-1 lead. The advantage was short-lived, though, as Laureano led off the bottom half with a solo home run against reliever Evan Marshall, who was unable to protect the lead for righty Reynaldo Lopez.
Entering the All-Star break with a 6.34 ERA and zero victories since June 9, Lopez vowed to reset for the second half of the season and improve both his mechanics and mindset. He made a strong impression Sunday, outdueling Anderson with six innings of three-hit, one-run (unearned) ball with two walks and seven strikeouts.
Lopez didn't yield an extra-base hit while holding Oakland hitless in four at-bats with runners in scoring position.
Anderson spaced two runs and seven hits in 6 2/3 innings, walking one and striking out three.
Rondon delivered a two-out, run-scoring single in the top of the second to plate Jon Jay and give the White Sox their first lead of the series. Oakland outscored Chicago 18-3 in the first two games of the weekend, benefiting from early offensive outbursts before maintaining control the rest of the way.
Oakland capitalized on third baseman Yoan Moncada's fielding error to tie the game in the third. With one on and one out, Marcus Semien grounded a potential double-play grounder toward Moncada, who made a flat-footed, backhanded attempt at the ball, which dribbled through. Matt Chapman produced an RBI groundout one batter later.
Liam Hendriks (4-0) fanned one in a scoreless ninth to earn the victory. Jace Fry (1-4) took the loss.
Yolmer Sanchez had two hits for the White Sox.
--Field Level Media