LDN - Sports

Angels rally in 11th inning, top White Sox

[May 17, 2017] ANAHEIM, Calif. -- It wasn't the way they drew it up, but the Los Angeles Angels will certainly take it.

Albert Pujols' bases-loaded single in the bottom of the 11th inning capped a two-run rally that gave the Angels a 7-6 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night at Angel Stadium.

With runners at the corners and one out, Cameron Maybin's fifth hit of the night, a bloop double, drove in Danny Espinosa to tie the game 6-6. After Mike Trout was walked intentionally to load the bases, Pujols hit the ball over the drawn-in outfield to end it, handing White Sox closer David Robertson (2-1) the loss.

It was the Angels' 15th comeback win of the season, second in the American League, and their fifth walk-off win, the most in the majors.

"We just don't give up," Pujols said. "It takes 27 outs. That should be the attitude of 30 teams in the big leagues. We have quite a group of guys that put together some good at-bats, it doesn't matter the situation. We always feel like we can come through."

However, it didn't have to be so dramatic. The Angels took a 5-2 lead into the ninth inning but couldn't close it out.

The White Sox scored three in a wild ninth to extend the game, then took a 6-5 lead in the 11th on Tim Anderson's home run.

Melky Cabrera and Jose Abreu began the ninth-inning rally with singles off Angels reliever David Hernandez. Avisail Garcia followed with a high fly ball to deep right field, but Kole Calhoun appeared to misjudge the ball.

Calhoun prepared to play the ball off the wall, but instead it short-hopped the wall, what seemed to be a catchable ball. Cabrera scored on the play, Abreu went to third and Avisail Garcia was at second with a double.

The next hitter, Todd Frazier, then threw his bat at a pitch low and away, just trying to protect the plate with two strikes, and hit a slow roller that first got past Hernandez, then first baseman Jefry Marte and then second baseman Espinosa.

By the time shortstop Andrelton Simmons retrieved the ball in shallow right field and threw home, it was too late to get Avisail Garcia, who slid head-first to score the tying run. Frazier wound up on second on the play. Willy Garcia, pinch-running for Frazier, went to third on a sacrifice bunt but was thrown out at home when trying to score on Tyler Saladino's squeeze-bunt attempt.

"I bet you everybody under the sun thought we were out of it until we came back in that wild inning," White Sox manager Rick Renteria said. "That was a little bit quirky, everything that developed in that whole inning. Honestly, the guys on our club showed a little tenacity. Good things happen when you continue to fight and battle and don't give up. We put ourselves in position to possibly win a ballgame, and we fell a little short."

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Though the White Sox missed out on taking the lead in the ninth, they moved in front with Anderson's solo home run off Angels reliever Yusmeiro Petit (1-0) with two outs in the 11th.

Maybin, batting in the leadoff spot for the Angels for the first time this season, had three doubles and two singles, scored two runs and drove in two, his best performance in his first season with the club.

"I don't know if it's the leadoff spot," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said of Maybin. "Hitting in front of Mike Trout's not a bad spot to hit. But Cam was comfortable all night. That's the way the guy can hit."

Angels starter JC Ramirez was sharp, his only blemish being Yolmer Sanchez's two-run homer in the sixth inning. Ramirez went seven innings for a second straight start, set down the side in order four times and had one stretch during which he retired 11 consecutive hitters. He also didn't walk a batter for the first time in his seven starts this year.

White Sox starter Derek Holland gave up three runs on seven hits and two walks in six innings.

"All in all, these guys battled," Renteria said of his club. "Like I told them, they shouldn't be ashamed or feel down about the end."

NOTES: White Sox CF Leury Garcia went 2-for-5 with a double and single, extending his hitting streak to nine games. During the streak, he is batting .405 with a double, two homers, seven RBIs and eight runs, raising his season average from .264 to .312. ... Angels LF Cameron Maybin is 9-for-9 in stolen-base attempts this season, tied for third in steals in the American League. Maybin, though, has done it despite not getting on base much. He is hitting .214 with a .328 on-base percentage, and that includes his five hits Tuesday. ... White Sox RHP Anthony Swarzak has not allowed a run this season, throwing 19 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings over 15 games, the longest active streak in the majors. Chicago's franchise record for scoreless innings to start the season is 21, set by Dustin Hermanson in 2005.

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