CHICAGO (AP) — Gavin Sheets hit a tying, two-run homer in the seventh inning and scored the winning run on a wild pitch in the ninth to lift the Chicago White Sox over the Oakland Athletics 3-2 Saturday night.
Sheets lined a leadoff double against Zach Jackson (2-3) in the ninth and advanced to third on Josh Harrison’s sacrifice bunt before Jackson bounced a slider with Tim Anderson at the plate.
Sheets came through with two big extra-base hits off A’s relievers after popping out twice against Oakland starter Paul Blackburn, including in the fifth with runners at second and third.
“I stayed in it mentally,” Sheets said. “Obviously super frustrated in that I’ve got to get the job done in that situation.
“Excited that I got two more chances and mentally stay in it and get ready for two big ones.”
Liam Hendricks (2-3) worked around Elvis Andrus’ double in the top of the ninth for the win.
Sheets homered in the seventh off reliever Austin Pruitt to help the White Sox (50-50) stop a two-game mini-skid.
“That shows you his potential as a hitter when you can take a ball in and hit it 500 feet and take a breaking pitch to the opposite field,” manager Tony La Russa said.
Chicago, the preseason favorite to win the AL Central, is three games behind first-place Minnesota and a game behind second-place Cleveland.
“We’ve still got a lot of games left,” Sheets said. “And it’s the fun part of the season. Got a taste of the postseason last year and want to get back.”
Seth Brown hit a long solo shot for his third homer in two days and Blackburn returned to All-Star form with five shutout innings, but Oakland’s season-high four-game winning streak ended.
Sean Murphy also went deep for the A’s. The catcher called for a breaking pitch…