OAKLAND, Calif. — The Chicago White Sox had 21 hits Thursday against the Oakland Athletics.
But on Friday, A’s starter Austin Pruitt held them hitless for his five innings.
The Sox finally broke through with one out in the seventh when Eloy Jimenez singled to left against reliever Joel Payamps.
Jimenez was just getting started sparking the offense.
His homer in the ninth began a five-run rally as the Sox stormed back to beat the A’s 5-3 in front of 11,494 at Oakland Coliseum.
The Sox entered the ninth trailing 3-0.
Jimenez homered with one out against A.J. Puk before pinch hitter Yasmani Grandal walked. AJ Pollock was just out at first on a grounder hit to the second baseman Tony Kemp.
Andrew Vaughn drove in pinch runner Leury García with a single, cutting the deficit to one. Seby Zavala got hit by a pitch on a 2-2 count, putting the tying run in scoring position for Romy Gonzalez, who struck out his first three times.
Gonzalez singled to left and pinch runner Adam Engel scored just ahead of the throw to tie the game.
Elvis Andrus followed with a two-run double as the Sox completed an incredible comeback to win for the eight time in 10 games.
The Sox couldn’t get anything going against Pruitt, who made his 11th career start Friday — and first since Sept. 5, 2019, with Tampa Bay — after the A’s scratched scheduled starter James Kaprielian reportedly because of a finger injury. Pruitt has 30 relief appearances this season.
Pruitt exited after throwing 55 pitches. He was replaced by Payamps, who pitched a perfect sixth. Shortstop Nick Allen went to the hole to make a nice defensive play on an Andrus grounder and made the throw to first for the second out of the inning. Yoan Moncada, who had five hits in Thursday’s 14-2 win, struck out to end the inning.
Jimenez broke up the combined no-hit bid with a single on an 0-1 changeup with one out in the seventh. Pollock singled with two outs, bringing up Vaughn as the tying run. Vaughn grounded out to Allen.
The Sox got the big hits in the ninth and Liam Hendriks struck out one on the way to his 32nd save as the team continued their winning ways in the most incredible of fashions.
