Game Thread: Game 3 vs. White Sox

Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images

Series tied 1-1: Deciding third game!

The Oakland A’s are right back where they always are: In the winner-take-all elimination game. One team will move on to the ALDS, and the other will go home. Will the A’s finally come out on top of one of these affairs, against the Chicago White Sox?

They’ll make their latest attempt behind veteran starter Mike Fiers. The right-hander didn’t get the call in either of the last two Wild Card Games, in 2018 and ‘19, but he’s finally making his first career postseason start. Chicago’s wheelhouse seems to be against lefties, so being a righty helps Fiers’ case, and he also has good recent numbers against the team and career numbers against several of their hitters. Win or lose, at least we’ll finally find out what happens when Fiers gets the ball in October.

Meanwhile, the White Sox turn to 25-year-old rookie Dane Dunning. The right-hander comes with high prospect stock but only seven career MLB starts. They were good starts! But so were Jesús Luzardo’s, and that didn’t stop him from getting beaten up in the playoffs. Dunning is good enough to compete and win, but he’ll have to overcome that lack of experience to do so.

Both of these teams have waited a long time for playoff success. The White Sox haven’t won a postseason series since the 2005 World Series, and the A’s haven’t since the 2006 ALDS. Whoever wins today will advance for the first time in a while.

In the lineups, the big news is the return of White Sox slugger Eloy Jimenez, who bats fourth as the DH. He missed the first two games while finishing recovery from a foot injury.

Click here to see the full rosters for both teams.

First pitch is 12:00 p.m., with the following options to watch or listen:

• TV: ESPN
• Online video stream: fuboTV
• Online audio stream: iHeartRadio

A’s lineup (home)

1. 2B Tommy La Stella (L)
2. SS Marcus Semien (R)
3. 3B Jake Lamb (L)
4. RF Mark Canha (R)
5. 1B Matt Olson (L)
6. DH Khris Davis (R)
7. LF Robbie Grossman (S)
8. CF Ramon Laureano (R)
9. C Sean Murphy (R)

• Mike Fiers, RHP

Davis stays in against the righty. Freed when it matters most. Love it. And the hot hand Lamb bats third.

White Sox lineup (away)

1. SS Tim Anderson (R)
2. C Yasmani Grandal (S)
3. 1B Jose Abreu (R)
4. DH Eloy Jimenez (R)
5. 3B Yoan Moncada (S)
6. CF Luis Robert (R)
7. RF Nomar Mazara (L)
8. LF Adam Engel (R)
9. 2B Nick Madrigal (R)

• Dane Dunning, RHP

Eloy is back, and Edwin Encarnacion is out, which is fine since despite his poor numbers against Fiers he does have a couple homers.

Let’s Go Oakland!