|
 After losing a one-run lead in the top of the ninth inning, they
kept battling through four extra innings and found a way to beat the
Los Angeles Angels 3-2 in 13 innings to complete a three-game sweep.
Chicago right fielder Avisail Garcia lined a double to the gap in
left-center field off left-hander Cesar Ramos with one out in the
bottom of the 13th, which scored Jose Abreu all the way from first
base for the winning run and rewarded right-hander Matt Albers (2-0)
with a win after his two scoreless innings of relief.
"We didn't hold (the lead in the ninth), but I thought the bullpen
did an outstanding job of coming in there," White Sox manager Robin
Ventura said. "They were all wheeling and dealing, and got us to a
point where we eventually win the game. We got in some tight spots
and were able to withstand it, and we ended up winning."
Ramos (2-1) took the loss for the Angels (59-54), who have lost all
nine road games they've played since the All-Star break, their
longest road skid since 1993. This setback was particularly
frustrating. They advanced a runner to third base in the 10th, 11th,
12th and 13th innings without scoring and overall went 0-for-15 with
runners in scoring position. They also stranded 14 runners a day
after being shutout 3-0.
"(It was) real frustrating the whole night," said Mike Trout, the
Angels' star center fielder who was a combined 1-for-9 in the last
two games of the series. "We just couldn't get that big hit."
Coming into the series, Chicago trailed Los Angeles by 7 1/2 games
for the American League's second wild-card spot. The sweep put the
White Sox 4 1/2 games behind the Angels, who also hold a narrow lead
for that position over five other teams.
Each team squandered prime scoring opportunities in extra innings,
but Los Angeles really struggled. Twice in extra innings they put
runners at second and third without scoring, and second baseman
Johnny Giavotella was stranded at third in 13th after advancing
there with one out.
"We just couldn't put anything together offensively," said
Giavotella, who went 2-for-5 and scored a run in the fifth. "We had
a bunch of chances to score and we just didn't execute."
Los Angeles did scratch out a run in the ninth, which had a couple
of controversial plays in the top half. The second of those resulted
in the Angels tying the game 2-2 on a groundout by former White Sox
third baseman Conor Gillaspie.
After pinch running for Angels designated hitter C.J. Cron, Taylor
Featherston went from first to third on a single by Giavotella.
Gillaspie hit a grounder that was fielded by Abreu, who stepped on
first for the second out and threw to second to put Giavotella in a
rundown.
During the rundown, Featherston scored the tying run before
Giavotella was awarded second base when Chicago shortstop Alexei
Ramirez was called for interfering with the base runner.
Prior to that sequence, Los Angeles manager Mike Scioscia argued
that lead-off hitter Erick Aybar should've been safe at first after
catcher Tyler Flowers dropped a third strike. Flowers tried to tag
Aybar and got the call from home-plate umpire Fieldin Culbreth, and
a video review upheld the ruling.
Closer David Robertson, however, was upset that Scoscia carried on
his discussion with Culbreth in a spot on the field that prevented
him from making warmup throws from the mound.
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"Absolutely, that was not my intent," Scioscia told
ESPNChicago.com's Doug Padilla afterward. "Absolutely not. It was an
important part because it was a possible protest. In fact, I thought
I moved out of the way so he could throw, but he would have gotten a
chance to throw anyway. Absolutely not ... not one iota of my intent
was any gamesmanship. I had to get a reason for the ruling, because
if the ruling was that he killed the play, then it was something I
could protest."
After the Angels tied it, Robertson kept it knotted at 2-2 and set
the stage for extra innings. The drama overshadowed impressive
performances by Chicago starter John Danks and third baseman Tyler
Saladino.
Danks took a no-decision after throwing 7 1/3 innings and allowing
one run. He's posted a 2.75 ERA in his past six starts (36 innings),
and that includes an outing in which he allowed six earned runs.
"Johnny pitched a good game," Ventura said. "I thought he did great.
It's nice to see from him. He went deep into the game. He did
everything he could."
Saladino led the charge for the White Sox to take a 2-1 lead in the
sixth, using an impressive series of fundamental plays in the field,
at the plate and running the bases.
After throwing out speedy Angels star center fielder Mike Trout at
the plate for a key out in the top of the sixth, Saladino led off
Chicago's half of the inning with a single. Once on base, he used
speed to negate a double play, advanced to third on another ground
ball and scored on Ramirez's double.
NOTES: Angels manager Mike Scioscia is still waiting to hear what
LHP C.J. Wilson will decide to do about his injured left elbow.
Wilson, who's on the 15-day disabled list, initially said he would
undergo season-ending surgery to remove bone spurs found with an
MRI. He had another MRI and met with a doctor Tuesday for a second
opinion but hasn't told the Angels what course of action he prefers.
... Scioscia said injured 3B David Freese (broken right index
finger) isn't as close to returning as initially thought this week.
Freese can hit but is only able to throw at about 60 percent to 70
percent intensity. The Angels don't have enough roster flexibility
to bring Freese back as strictly a DH. ... Slumping White Sox DH/1B
Adam LaRoche didn't start for the second straight game. ... RHP Nate
Jones, who returned to the White Sox's bullpen last week after Tommy
John surgery, said he feels good after throwing 1 2/3 innings
Monday.
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