Oakland A’s catcher Sean Murphy (left) and pitcher Liam Hendriks (right) celebrate the WCLS series game 3 victory over the Chicago White Sox at the Oakland Coliseum on Thu Oct 1, 2020 (AP News photo)
By Jerry Feitelberg
Oakland- The baseball gods finally smiled on the Oakland Athletics on Thursday. The A’s came from behind to beat the White Sox 6-4. The A’s had lost nine consecutive winner-take-all series.
The last time they won a winner-take-all series was in 1973 when they defeated the New York Mets in game seven. Oakland advances to the American League Division Series against the Houston Astros. The A’s were 7-3 against the Astros this year. The series will be played at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.
The A’s sent the veteran righty, Mike Fiers, to the hill to face the Chisox. The Sox countered with rookie Dave Dunning. Fiers had never started a game in the playoffs in his ten-year career. Dunning was making his eighth start in big league career.
Both managers planned to go to the bullpen at the first sign of trouble. Sox manager, Rick Renteria, made a couple of lineup changes. Eloy Jimenez was penciled in to be the DH. Jimenez did not play in the first two games due to an ankle injury. Nomar Mazara started in right, and Adam Engel was moved to left. A’s manager Bob Melvin started Jake Lamb at third, and Randy Grossman was in left. Mark Canha moved over to right.
The White Sox drew first blood in the top of the second. Sox rookie Luis Robert blasted a 487-foot monster shot to give the Sox an early 1-0 lead. Fiers struck out the next two batters. He got into a jam when he gave up a single to Nick Madrigal, a double to Tim Anderson, and a walk to Yasmani Grandal to load the bases.
Melvin brought in Yusmeiro Petit to face Jose Abreu. Petit did the job as he got Abreu to ground out to end the threat.
The White Sox put two more on the board in the third. Jimenez doubled to start the rally. Jimenez aggravated his injury, sliding into second and had to leave the game. James McCann replaced him. Luis Robert singled to drive in McCann.
Robert advanced to second on the throw home. Mazara doubled to drive in Robert to put the Sox ahead 3-0. Oakland loaded the bases with one out in their half of the third but failed to score.
Things began to change for Oakland in the fourth. With two out and a man on first, A’s rookie catcher, Sean Murphy, homered to make it a 3-2 game. The A’s plated two more in the inning. Tommy La Stella walked to continue the rally. He went to third on Marcus Semien’s double.
The Sox gave Chad Pinder an intentional walk to load the bases. Renteria brought in rookie Matt Foster to pitch to Mark Canha. The rookie was wild. He walked Canha to bring in La Stella with the A’s third run. He then walked Matt Olson to force in Semien with the fourth run. Oakland is now ahead 4-3.
The Sox tied the game in the fifth. Sox third baseman, Yoan Moncada, singled and then stole second. Moncada scored on Mazara’s single. La Stella made the game’s defensive play when he made a fantastic juggling catch to rob Adam Engel of a hit.
Oakland regained the lead in the bottom of the fifth. The A’s loaded the bases without the benefit of a hit. Evan Marshall was now pitching for Chicago. Marshall walked the leadoff hitter, Sean Murphy.
La Stella reached when Sox catcher Yasmani Grandal was called for catcher’s interference. The official scorer charged Grandal with an error. Marshall walked Semien to load the bases. The next hitter, Chad Pinder, who was 2-for-35 with the based loaded, singled to drive in Murphy and La Stella to put the A’ up 6-4.
Neither team would score again. The Sox, however, had chances in the seventh and eighth innings to either tie or take the lead. In the seventh, they loaded the base without a hit. The A’s had Lou Trivino on the mound.
With one out, Jose Abreu started the inning a ground ball to shortstop Marcus Semien. Semien’s throw to first pulled Matt Olson off the bag. Semien was charged with an error. Trivino hit McCann with a pitch. Trivino retired the next two hitters. Melvin brought in lefty Jake Diekman to pitch. Diekman walked Mazara to load the bases. The threat ended when Engel grounded out.
In the eighth, With one out, Chicago shortstop, Tim Anderson singled. Joakim Soria walked Grandal to put two on at first and second with Jose Abreu coming to bat. Soria got Abreu to ground into an inning double play.
The A’s brought in Liam Hendriks to close out the game. Hendriks did not fare well on Wednesday as he threw 49 pitches. A’s manager Bob Melvin said that Hendriks would be available to pitch Thursday. Sox DH James McCann singled to start the ninth. Hendriks showed the White Sox why he was the best closer in baseball. He struck out the next three hitters to preserve the win for Oakland. The A’s win 6-4 and advance to the ALDS.
Game Notes- The time of the game was four hours and ten minutes. The White Sox used nine pitchers. The A’s used eight. The 17 pitchers used set a record for most pitchers in a regular nine-inning game.
Luis Robert was the youngest player to hit a home run in a playoff game since Mickey Mantle did it in 1952.
The White Sox are done for the year. They will be back. The A’s are still playing.
The A’s are advancing in the playoffs for the first time since 2006.
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