White Sox Edge Giants In 10 Innings
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Chris Sale wasn't too upset that the White Sox blew a two-run lead in the ninth inning, costing the All-Star left-hander a sure win. He's kind of getting used to it.
If anything, he seemed a bit giddy after Gordon Beckham's game-winning hit in the 10th inning.
Beckham's two-out RBI single helped lift Chicago to a 3-2 win over the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday night.
Sale struck out 12 in eight solid innings but left with his seventh no-decision of the season.
"Anytime you leave a game like that you want to win but we ended up winning," said Sale, who allowed four hits over eight scoreless innings. "It's not who gets it, it's how we get it."
One batter after Jordan Danks was thrown out trying to score from third on a fielder's choice, Beckham hit an 0-1 pitch from San Francisco reliever Santiago Casilla (1-2) past shortstop Brandon Crawford into left field. Moises Sierra, who entered the game as a late defensive replacement, scored easily.
Beckham had made two stellar defensive plays including one in the ninth before he bailed out the White Sox bullpen with his only hit in five at-bats.
"I guess I didn't give in and was able to eke out that last hit," said Beckham, who was hitting just .136 over his previous 30 games. "I'll get satisfaction out of anything positive after my last couple months."
Zach Putnam (4-2) pitched 1 1-3 innings for the win while Adam Dunn hit a two-run home run in the first for Chicago, which wasted another strong start by Sale when reliever Jake Petricka gave up four hits in the ninth.
Pablo Sandoval, Mike Morse and pinch-hitter Travis Ishikawa singled to load the base with no outs in the ninth. Joe Panik grounded into a 4-6-3 double play to score Sandoval before Crawford's two-out single tied it.
It wasn't enough to keep San Francisco from falling a season-high six games behind the Dodgers in the AL West. The Giants led the division by 9 1/2 games on June 8 but have gone just 20-36 since.
Before their rally in the ninth, the Giants hadn't done much at all.
Hunter Pence tripled with one out in the first but was thrown out by White Sox shortstop Alexei Ramirez while trying to score on Buster Posey's fielder's choice. Ramirez's throw home was wide but Pence had to leap over Posey's bat which was lying across the base path. That gave catcher Tyler Flowers just enough time to make the tag.
"I had to dodge the bat and couldn't slide right in, but it didn't affect the outcome of the play," Pence said. "I was going to that side to avoid the tag anyway."
HOME SWEET HOME?
San Francisco has sold out 306 consecutive games at AT&T Park, the longest such streak in the majors. But the Giants are just 7-22 in their past 29 games at the waterfront ballpark, a major reason they've fallen out of contention.
BULLPEN BLUES
The White Sox won despite the bullpen blowing a save for the 18th time this season, tied with the Pirates for third most in the majors.
TRAINER'S ROOM
White Sox: RHP Matt Lindstrom was reinstated from the disabled list for the first time since undergoing surgery on May 23 to repair a torn sheath in his left foot. Lindstrom (2-1, six saves) pitched in five games on his rehab assignment. He takes the roster spot of LHP Eric Surkamp, who was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte on Sunday.
Giants: RHP Matt Cain underwent season-ending surgery to remove bone chips in his pitching elbow. Recovery is expected to take three months of rehabilitation. ... C Hector Sanchez (concussion) has resumed his rehab with Triple-A Fresno.
NEXT UP
White Sox: LHP Jose Quintana (6-8), who has one loss over his previous 10 starts, makes his first career appearance against San Francisco in the final half of this brief two-game series.
Giants: RHP Jake Peavey, winless in three starts with the Giants, allowed one run over six innings against Chicago on April 15 when he was still with Boston.
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