The bottom of the lineup proceeded to load the bases with a HBP and two walks, and Mark Canha came through with an RBI single. Matt Chapman homered, his fourth dinger in the last three games, though like all the others it was solo. It started well enough, as the A’s struck first with a pair of runs in the 2nd. Unfortunately, Oakland wasn’t able to rustle up enough of it tonight. The A’s themselves have gotten better at this style of play lately, especially thanks to their newest trade acquisitions, but the Sox put on a clinic in what to strive for. But on a night when none of their hits were finding gaps or walls, and when they never strung together more than three hits in one inning, they consistently made the extra play necessary to ensure they didn’t waste their scoring opportunities. Most of those singles were well-hit, and Chicago also crushed a few loud outs, so the small-ball wasn’t for lack of quality contact. Their only extra-base hit came in the 8th, and it was a solo homer. In the 6th it was a single, a steal, a productive groundout, and a squeeze bunt. In the 5th it was a groundball single, a bunt misplayed by the A’s best defender, then a liner off the glove of that same elite defender for an RBI. In the 4th it was a two-out single, then a walk, then an RBI single. In the 3rd inning, it was a pair of singles and a deep sac fly. They never extended a rally long enough to score twice in an inning, but they still pieced together five runs. But they reached base 14 times, between 10 hits, three walks, and a HBP, and once aboard they forced more action by hustling and continuing to make contact. *** Click here to revisit tonight’s Game Thread! ***Ĭhicago didn’t rely on power, and they only went 2-for-9 with runners in scoring position. ![]() The White Sox scored in five different innings despite recording only one extra-base hit, and their bullpen shortened the game with a barrage of strikeouts, leaving the A’s on the wrong end of a 5-2 decision at Guaranteed Rate Field. ![]() Monday was everything we want to see more of from the Oakland A’s, except that it was the Chicago White Sox doing it.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |