Remember the fun we had with the lineup today, when Baseball Press accidentally put John Danks (who just had season-ending surgery and is also a pitcher) in the lineup instead of his brother Jordan Danks? Yeah, not so funny now. Jordan Danks hit his first major-league homerun to wallk-off for the White Sox, as the A's wasted chance after scoring chance. Most of the game felt like waiting for the inevitable, as the A's built a 3-0 lead and could only helplessly watch as it was dismantled, solo homerun by solo homerun.
The A's took an early lead in the first inning without the benefit of a hit; after Coco walked and Weeks laid down a sacrifice bunt, Coco stole third and Reddick grounded him in. They would add two more on a homerun by Brandon Moss after a double by Chris Carter to jump out to a 3-0 lead. That would be the last time they scored.
Pierzynski homered to get the White Sox on the board in the second (he would also be drilled by Brandon McCarthy later in the game in possible retaliation from an earlier Cespedes hit). The third inning would haunt the A's; Weeks and Cespedes both singed to put runners on first and second with one out, but Chris Carter struck out, and after Moss walked to load the bases, Inge struck out to end the inning. They would put at least one runner on in five of the next six innings, but couldn't score again.
Meanwhile, the White Sox added a solo homerun in the fourth, and in what I think was the worst decision of the night, Brandon McCarthy was left in to give up the tying homerun in the seventh. He's coming back from injury; he was already at his 80 pitch limit, he sat a long time in the dugout while the A's batted in the top of the inning, the bullpen was completely rested; there was no way he should have come back out for the seventh. Instead, he immediately gave up the tying run, and the 'pen didn't even get a chance to save it.
The game was lost in the bottom of the ninth, when Pat Neshek was left in to face the lefty Danks, even while Noberto was up in the 'pen. In that ballpark, it was only a matter of time before the walk-off homerun was hit. At least it was over in nine, instead of fifteen.
The A's try to even the series tomorrow after the tough loss tonight.
