A "followed-from-work" afternoon recap turned into a "missed-a-chunk-driving-home" recap, which ended around the time an East Coast pitchers' duel gets over. Fill in the details I missed.
*Because Carson Fulmer couldn't retire a batter in the second, this one ended with James Shields on the mound. Shields retired the first two, but Marcus Semien kept the inning alive with a single, and after two walks, Matt Olson ended the game with a walk-off single to the base of the left field wall.
*Bruce Rondon's heroic relief work went for naught. As the last man in the bullpen, he pitched the 11th, 12th and 13th innings, throwing a career-high 47 pitches.
*Combining both teams, 18 pitchers threw a total of 556 pitches over the five hours and 48 minutes this game took to complete.
*The White Sox had a key opportunity in the 11th against Lee Carvallo Lou Trivino. Yolmer Sanchez doubled to the left-center gap with one out, and Jose Abreu followed with a single that was hit too hard to left to score Sanchez. The Sox had a matchup advantage with Nicky Delmonico, but he struck out, as did Matt Davidson after losing a 10-pitch battle.
*The White Sox staked Carson Fulmer to a 6-1 lead after Yoan Moncada's first career grand slam in the second inning, but he couldn't get out of the second inning. He couldn't retire any of the first four batters -- homer, double, two walks -- and so he got the hook. Fulmer had opened the game by allowing three first-inning hits, but escaped allowing just a run. He wasn't so lucky in the second.
His final line: 1 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 0 K, 1 HR, with just 21 of 46 pitches thrown for strikes.
*Fulmer had company, most notably the combination of Danny Farquhar and Luis Avilan, who surrendered three runs and the lead in the eighth. Farquhar allowed a leadoff double that came around to score on a wild pitch and a sac fly, but at least Avilan was able to enter with the bases clear. It didn't matter. After getting a flyout, he walked Marcus Semien and gave up a two-run homer to Jed Lowrie on a full count. That gave Oakland an 11-10 lead.
*Because they played X innings, you know the Sox tied it up. Blake Treinen retired the first two, but Welington Castillo kept the inning alive with a double. Tyler Saladino pinch-ran and scored when Tim Anderson singled.
*The long relievers were the only pitchers to cover themselves in glory, and even then there's a catch. Hector Santiago and Chris Volstad allowed just one run on two hits and two walks over 5⅔ innings, they did allow three of four inherited runners to score. Santiago came in with the bases loaded and allowed two of those runs to score, while Volstad allowed both of Aaron Bummer's runners to come around.
*Had the Sox been able to protect the lead, Moncada would've been the easy star of the game. He went 2-for-7 with the grand slam, a walk, a stolen base, four RBIs andn three runs scored. As it stood, the 2-for-7 looks less impressive in the box score. What that doesn't show is the diving stab he made to record the third out in the ninth, and an over-the-shoulder grab in the 10th.
*Delmonico also made a nice ranging play in left. The Sox and A's played errorless ball, which is rather remarkable given the length of the game and the sun conditions at various points.
*The White Sox went 8-for-20 with runners in scoring position, raising their season average in the clutch from .158 to .193.
*They ran wild on Bruce Maxwell and Jonathan Lucroy, going 4-for-4 against the former, and 1-for-1 against the latter. Leury Garcia swiped two, and Moncada, Anderson and Delmonico each had one (corrected).
*Avisail Garcia was the only player on the bench at the end of the game.
*Leury Garcia had an annoying bunt attempt that resulted in Matt Davidson getting forced at second at some point. It was a long game.
Record: 4-11 | Box score
