CHICAGO (AP) — Eloy Jiménez hit a tiebreaking RBI single and Liam Hendriks got the save against his former team, leading the Chicago White Sox to a 5-2 victory over the Oakland Athletics on Monday night.
Seby Zavala had two hits and two RBIs as Chicago improved to an AL-best 40-22 at home. Luis Robert homered, and Dallas Keuchel (8-6) pitched five innings of two-run ball in his first win since July 9.
Oakland dropped to 4-3 on a 10-game trip after it lost two of three at last-place Texas over the weekend. It also fell to second in the AL wild-card standings, a half-game back of idle Boston and 1 1/2 games ahead of the New York Yankees.
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Matt Chapman homered for the third straight day for the A's, and Mark Canha had an RBI single.
The game was tied at 2 when Jiménez's fifth-inning liner went off Chapman's glove at third and into left field, driving in Tim Anderson from second. The AL Central leaders added another run in the sixth on a perfectly placed bunt by Zavala.
That was enough for Chicago's bullpen after a couple of rocky outings of late.
After Michael Kopech threw two hitless innings, Craig Kimbrel worked out of a jam while striking out the side in the eighth. With one out and runners on second and third after Jed Lowrie's ground-rule double, Kimbrel fanned Chapman and Josh Harrison to reach 1,001 Ks for his career.
Hendriks then struck out the side in order for his 27th save in 33 opportunities. He agreed to a $54 million, three-year contract with Chicago in January after spending the last five seasons in Oakland.
Hendriks was hit hard in his previous two outings, surrendering three homers and six earned runs in 1 1/3 innings against the Yankees. Kimbrel returned to the mound after he allowed Aaron Judge's leadoff homer in the eighth inning of Saturday's 7-5 loss to New York.
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Oakland right-hander Chris Bassitt (12-3, 3.06 ERA) and Chicago right-hander Reynaldo López (1-0, 1.35 ERA) pitch Tuesday night. Bassitt, who broke into the majors with the White Sox in 2014, is 2-0 with a sparkling 0.45 ERA in his last three starts for Oakland. López has permitted one earned run in 12 innings over his last six appearances for Chicago.
Copyright 2021 The Associated Press.
