Nick Kurtz hit a game-tying home run in the seventh inning and Max Muncy was the walk-off hero in the 11th as the Athletics overcame an early 5-0 deficit to beat the Chicago White Sox 7-6 on Saturday afternoon in West Sacramento, Calif.
Muncy hit a game-winning sacrifice fly to left field off Lucas Sims (0-2) to score Jacob Wilson and complete the comeback.
The White Sox had the bases loaded with no outs in the top of the 11th, but Jack Perkins (2-0) pitched out of trouble to give the A’s a chance to end the game in the bottom half.
The game went to extras after Kurtz’s two-run shot off Jordan Leasure in the seventh.
Colson Montgomery, Andrew Benintendi and Munetaka Murakami hit home runs in a losing effort for Chicago. The White Sox missed countless chances to build on their lead, finishing 3-for-17 with runners in scoring position.
Chicago was in control after a five-run second. Montgomery’s fourth home run came on the first pitch of the inning. The barrage continued with a bloop RBI single for Reese McGuire and Benintendi’s three-run homer.
Athletics starter Luis Severino settled down after that, allowing no further damage over the remainder of his 5 1/3 innings. He finished with five runs, five hits and four walks allowed to go with three whiffs.
Jacob Wilson started the home team’s reply with a solo home run to left with one out in the second.
Lawrence Butler went station-to-station to add a run in the third. He drew a leadoff walk, stole second, advanced to third on an Austin Wynns groundout and scored on Jeff McNeil’s sac fly.
White Sox starter Erick Fedde was pulled after 4 2/3 innings. He had an erratic outing with four walks, one wild pitch and three runs allowed.
Sean Newcomb relieved Fedde with two runners on base and allowed a third unanswered A’s run when Tyler Soderstrom hit an RBI single.
Muncy hit a one-out triple in the bottom of the inning and scored when Newcomb couldn’t field a slow roller by Butler cleanly, cutting the White Sox advantage to 5-4.
Chicago added some breathing space when Murakami hit his second home run in as many games to lead off the seventh, but the Athletics answered swiftly as Shea Langeliers opened the bottom of the seventh with a single and Kurtz lined a rope over the right field fence to make it 6-6.
–Field Level Media
