Headlines of August 6, 2015 “Patient Avi Walks Tall with Game on The
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Headlines of August 6, 2015 “Patient Avi walks tall with game on the line” … Scott Merkin, MLB.com “White Sox walk off with finale win on walk” … Greg Garno and Bill Chastain, MLB.com “Rodon pulled early after not attacking zone” … Scott Merkin, MLB.com “Sale fighting command, not velocity” … Scott Merkin, MLB.com “Jones ready to put exclamation on comeback” … Scott Merkin, MLB.com “Danks tries to provide lift to White Sox in Kansas City” … Greg Garno, MLB.com “John Danks is your White Sox ace, and why that's a good thing” … Steve Rosenbloom, Chicago Tribune “Dave Dombrowski would be a good fit as White Sox president” … Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune “White Sox walk away with a victory, but Carlos Rodon outing problematical” … Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune “Wednesday's recap: White Sox 6, Rays 5 (10 innings)” … Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune “Robin Ventura: Despite recent struggles, Chris Sale won't skip a start” … Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune “Nate Jones back after hitting 100 mph during minor-league rehab” … Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune “Snakes in the ballpark: Shedd Aquarium brought a boa to U.S. Cellular” … Blair Sheade, Chicago Sun Times “White Sox fan runs onto field, avoids five security guards” … Blair Sheade, Chicago Sun Times “White Sox win on walk-off walk” … Blair Sheade, Chicago Sun Times “Avisail Garcia drives in four runs as White Sox tip Rays in 10 innings” … Daryl Van Schouwen, Chicago Sun Times “Victoria’s Secret supermodel Taylor Hill at White Sox game” … Dan Cahill, Chicago Sun Times “Nate Jones back in Chicago White Sox' bullpen” … Scot Gregor, Daily Herald “White Sox showing a shorter leash with Carlos Rodon” … Doug Padilla, ESPNChicago.com “White Sox beat Rays 6-5 on walk-off walk” … Associated Press, ESPN.com “Rapid Reaction: White Sox 6, Rays 5” … Doug Padilla, ESPNChicago.com “Nate Jones returns possibly better than ever” … Doug Padilla, ESPNChicago.com “White Sox deny that struggling Chris Sale is ailing” … Doug Padilla, ESPNChicago.com “Avisail Garcia drives in four as White Sox top Rays in 10” … Dan Hayes, CSN “Rays' Boxberger not a fan of Cash's call to walk batters in loss to White Sox” … Dan Hayes, CSN “White Sox: Carlos Rodon OK with Robin Ventura's call for bullpen” … Dan Hayes, CSN “Home run a 'step in right direction' for Avisail Garcia” … Dan Hayes, CSN “'Long road' leads Nate Jones back to White Sox” … Dan Hayes, CSN “Athletic Thompson family reaches new heights” … Steve Aschburner, NBA.com “Levine: White Sox Have No Plans To Rest Struggling Chris Sale” … Bruce Levine, CBS Chicago Patient Avi walks tall with game on the line Slugger hits 3-run homer, takes walk-off walk By Scott Merkin / MLB.com | @scottmerkin | August 5th, 2015 CHICAGO -- Avisail Garcia hit a three-run homer in the first inning of Wednesday's 6-5 White Sox victory over the Rays in 10 innings that carried 420 feet to left field. That second homer in two at-bats dating back to the end of Tuesday's game was a good sign for the right fielder, who has been working on timing and using his hands more instead of his body in the swing. But it was Garcia's patience in the 10th that stood out on this day. Garcia drew the rare walk-off walk from Tampa Bay closer Brad Boxberger to force home Adam Eaton and ensure the White Sox (51-55) would not go 0-6 against the Rays this season. That walk was Garcia's 21st against 99 strikeouts. "Yeah. I was trying to be relaxed, focused, looking for a good pitch," said Garcia, who has nine home runs, 38 RBIs and a .315 on-base percentage. "Don't try to do too much because it's one out, the bases loaded. I just tried to be focused and be patient." "For him to be able to do that and look comfortable doing it, not looking like he had a trigger finger going … ," said White Sox manager Robin Ventura. "But he needs to do that. That's part of the rumor going around about him, he's going to swing at everything. He's got to be able to shorten up and be able to get it in the zone and do something with it." Garcia's free pass served as the final moment of an interesting 10th, ultimately pushing the White Sox record in extra innings to 9-3. Eaton singled, swiped second and went to third when the ball glanced off shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera's glove, hit him in the right side of the face and rolled away. After a Tyler Saladino flyout, in which third-base coach Joe McEwing held Eaton, Rays manager Kevin Cash elected to intentionally walk Jose Abreu and Melky Cabrera. Boxberger unintentionally walked Garcia, not really coming close on the four pitches out of the zone. Garcia now has a walk and a hit-by-pitch to end games this season. "I'm working really hard with [hitting coach Todd] Steverson and the manager a little, too," Garcia said. "Just trying to be focused and trying to swing at good pitches and trying to learn how they are going to throw to me." "Avisail's an aggressive hitter, but he stayed patient, which was great," Eaton said. "It was a crazy day, and to have a walk-off walk is par for the course for the day." White Sox walk off with finale win on walk By Greg Garno and Bill Chastain / MLB.com | August 5th, 2015 CHICAGO -- Adam Eaton scored on a bases-loaded walk to Avisail Garcia in the 10th inning as the White Sox defeated the Rays, 6-5, on Wednesday at U.S. Cellular Field. Eaton singled and stole second, reaching third on Asdrubal Cabrera's error. Rays reliever Brad Boxberger then intentionally walked Jose Abreu and Melky Cabrera before losing Garcia on five pitches. Chicago prevailed despite blowing a 5-0 lead it built in the first inning. Reliever Zach Duke surrendered a game-tying double in the eighth after starter Carlos Rodon allowed two runs in the third and two more in the fifth. David Robertson pitched two scoreless innings to earn the win for the White Sox. "We needed the win," Robertson said. "We didn't play too well the last two days and when you don't play well you don't win games. We started out really hot today and just let this one slip into a really tough game." Evan Longoria and Cabrera finished a combined 7-for-10 with three RBIs and three extra-base hits for the Rays, who finished 5-1 against the White Sox this season. MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Ready to roll: The White Sox wasted little time jumping on the board, as the first five batters in the lineup scored in the first inning. Abreu hit an RBI single, Cabrera reached on a ground-rule double before both scored on Garcia's three-run homer. It was a rare burst to begin the game for Chicago, which is still being outscored, 80-51, in the first frame. Short session: Rodon tested the patience of manager Robin Ventura, who pulled the rookie after he allowed four runs on six hits over 4 2/3 innings. The left-hander was roughed up for eight runs across three innings in his last outing, and Ventura pulled him before he could earn the win. Even in the second inning, when Rodon had allowed two runners to reach base, Ventura began to warm up Matt Albers in the bullpen. Rodon has lasted fewer than seven innings in each of his starts this season, earning the victory only once in his last seven games. "It's a decision that the manager has to make, and you go with that and what's best for the team," said Rodon, on his early exit. "I totally understand the circumstances and the outcome, and I agree with it. That's all you can do." Unflappable Erasmo: Erasmo Ramirez has been solid all season. Entering Wednesday's start, he had allowed one earned run or fewer in seven of his previous eight starts. But the White Sox ambushed the right-hander for five runs in the first to take a 5-0 lead. Despite being down, Ramirez continued to grind, adding five scoreless frames to his line before leaving the game prior to the seventh inning with the White Sox ahead, 5-4. He came away with a no-decision. QUOTABLE "If only the first inning didn't count. Erasmo, I don't think he was that sharp throughout the entire game. But he did a good job of honing it in enough to limit them. They just came out in attack mode early on and we couldn't stop them that first inning. I guess that's just the way it goes sometimes." -- Rays manager Kevin Cash, on the first inning "Hopefully, we're going in the right way, and hopefully, we can start streaking for about a month or two. We've definitely been Jeckyl and Hyde, where it's been one or the other. Hopefully, we can get on the good side of things and roll a little bit here." -- Eaton, after his team won seven straight games, then dropped five of its next seven SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS The Rays endured their eighth walk-off loss, tied for the Major League lead and tops in the American League. UNDER FURTHER REVIEW Asdrubal Cabrera got caught in a rundown between first and second when he rounded the base too far after he singled in the seventh.