By Jerry Feitelberg

The Wild Card series between the Oakland A’s and the Chicago White Sox began on Tuesday at the Oakland Coliseum. The A’s in the playoffs for the third consecutive season, the sixth time in the last nine years, and the eleventh time in the previous 21 seasons faced the White Sox, making their first appearance in the playoffs since 2008.

A’s manager Bob Melvin made a surprising choice by announcing left Jesus Luzardo would start for Oakland. Everyone thought lefty Sean Manaea would have the honor, but Melvin decided to go with Luzardo. It was also surprising as the White Sox have battered lefty pitching all season. They were 14-0 against lefties. The Sox led the American League with 96 home runs. They have a predominately right-handed batting order, and they made the A’s pay by crushing them 4-1.

White Sox manager, Rick Renteria, made a wise choice by selecting his ace, Lucas Giolito, to pitch. Giolito was perfect for the first six innings. Eighteen batters up and eighteen batters retired. Tommy La Stella singled to break up the possible no-hitter and perfect game leading off in the top of the seventh. Giolito retired the next three batters to end the seventh. The scoring summary follows below.

Chicago put the first run of the game on the board in the top of the second inning. Right-fielder Adam Engel blasted a home run over the left-field wall to make it 1-0. The White Sox added two more runs in the third. Sox shortstop, Tim Anderson, led off with a single. It was his second hit of the game. Luzardo retired the next two batters. He did not get by Jose Abreu. The big guy from Cuba sent Luzardo’s pitch way over the left-center-field fence to put Chicago ahead 3-0.
Giolito continued to mow down the A’s batters. The A’s came into the game having lost five of the last seven. The offense was not clicking on all cylinders. The ineptness continued Tuesday afternoon.

In the eighth, Sox catcher Yasmany Grandal hit a solo home run off A’s reliever, Joakim Soria, to make it 4-0. The A’s broke through in their half of the frame as they put one on the board. Giolito walked the leadoff hitter, Mark Canha. Rick Renteria walked out to the mound to talk to Giolito. He gave him a quick pep talk and left Giolito in the game A’s third baseman Jake Lamb singled, sending Canha to third. Renteria decided to go to his bullpen. He brought in Evan Marshall to pitch to Ramon Laureano. Laureano hit into a fielder’s choice. Canha scored to put the A’s on the board. Marshall struck out Chad Pinder for the second out. Catcher Sean Murphy singled to put men on at first and second with two out. Renteria brought in lefty Aaron Bummer to retire Tommy La Stella. The A’s trail 4-1 after eight.
Sox closer Alex Colome set the A’s down 1-2-3 in the ninth to record the save. The A’s lose 4-1.

Game notes- With the loss, the A’s have their backs against the wall. They must win on Wednesday. They will have to find a way to beat Dallas Keuchel. The A’s will send Chris Bassitt to the mound on Wednesday. Bassitt has pitched very well this year. He will have his work cut out for him as he tries to shut down the mighty White Sox lineup. The A’s have to do something to ignite the offense. They hit just .225 as a team during the sixty-game season. Jake Lamb, as an Oakland Athletic, and Tommy La Stella were the only players in the lineup hitting over .240. They better have steak for breakfast Wednesday morning. Maybe that will get them going.

The line score for Chicago was 4-9-0. For Oakland 1-3-0.
Tim Anderson had three hits for the Sox. Home runs accounted for all of the runs that Chicago put on the board.
The A’s had three hits. They struck out nine times.
It is do-or-die for Oakland on Wednesday. The A’s have not won a playoff game since 2013. They lost the last game of the 2013 ALDS to the Detroit Tigers. They lost the Wild Card game to the Kansas City Royals in 2014. They Lost to the New York Yankees in 2018. The Tampa Bay Rays did them in last year. The baseball gods have not been kind to Oakland. It’s time for the Green and Gold to right the ship and get a win. There is no tomorrow if they lose. The game starts at 12:10 pm.