Athletics lose to White Sox 5-1

Sox end the worst losing streak since 1988

The Oakland Athletics and Chicago White Sox faced off at the Oakland Coliseum for game two of a three-game set. The Sox, entering tonight with an MLB-worst losing streak at 21 games, hoped to avoid surpassing the 1988 Orioles for the longest losing streak ever.

Mark Kotsay sent Ross Stripling to the mound facing Jonathan Cannon, the 24-year-old rookie righty out of the University of Georgia.

The A’s put runners on in each of the first three innings, even loading the bases in the bottom of the first but have not been able to break through. The White Sox managed just one infield hit through three innings.

With one down in the fourth Luis Robert singled and then stole second, his second steal of the night. He moved to third on a fly out by Andrew Vaughn. With two outs Andrew Benintendi homered to deep right field, to give the Sox a 2-0 lead.

In the bottom of the fourth, the A’s got one run back with a long homer by Zack Gelof to left field. It was Zack’s 14^th of the season. Miguel Andujar singled in the bottom of the fifth inning. Brent Rooker got his second base hit of the evening driving Andujar to third with two outs. Bus Shea Langeliers ended the rally with a fly-out to left field.

The Pale Hose did not wait long to get that run back and more. In the top of the sixth, Miguel Vargas walked, and Brooks Baldwin singled. Andrew Vaughn singled to drive Vargas home. Mark Kotsay pulled Stripling and brought in Michel Otañez. Stripling’s night was over after 5.1 innings, five hits, one walk, two strike outs and four earned runs. An Otañez wild pitch brought Baldwin in to bring the score to 4-1.

Andrew Benintendi doubled with one out in the ninth. A wild pitch by pitcher Gerardo Reyes moved Andrew Benintendi to third. Then a base hit by Lenyn Sosa drove in Benintendi extending the Sox lead to 5-1.

Entering the bottom half of the ninth, the A’s hadn’t had a base runner since the fifth. They did not do any better against White Sox closer John Brebbia who took the A’s down in order in the ninth to seal the win for the Chicago White Sox. The White Sox saved the embarrassment of owning the worst losing streak in baseball history, but hopefully they’ll start a new one tomorrow in the finale of this series with the A’s.