WHITE SOX HEADLINES OF JULY 5, 2017 “Pelfrey eyes rebound outing in finale with A's” … Alex Simon, MLB.com “Sox battle back in 9th, fall in walk-off fashion” … Jane Lee and Alex Simon, MLB.com “Avisail has problem-free return to lineup” … Alex Simon, MLB.com “A’s rookie Franklin Barreto stuns White Sox, Tommy Kahnle with late … Dan Hayes, CSN Chicago “Jose Abreu explains why he is in ‘ a great position’ despite All-Star absence” … Dan Hayes, CSN Chica “In 'Intense' Showdown with Former Team, Derek Holland's Ex-Mates Get Bragging Rights” … Vinnie Duber, CSN Chicago “Jose Abreu on 2017 turnaround: 'I'm playing more like I know I can play'” … Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune “White Sox allow one home run too many in 7-6 walk-off loss to Athletics” … Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune “ would love to lead off for White Sox” … Daryl Van Schouwen, Chicago Sun-Times “Abreu, Cabrera outnumbered in A’s walk-off victory” … Daryl Van Schouwen, Chicago Sun-Times “Barreto's game-ending homer sends A's past White Sox 7-6” … Josh Dubow, Associated Press “ ACE Competing On National Stage” … Hudson Belinsky, Pelfrey eyes rebound outing in finale with A's By Alex Simon / MLB.com | July 5, 2017

The A's and White Sox wrap up a three-game series Wednesday afternoon as right-handers Mike Pelfrey and Sonny Gray take the mound at the Coliseum.

For the A's, Gray comes off of a stellar but overshadowed outing. He threw eight innings against the Braves on June 30, allowing just one run on two hits and one walk while striking out four. Still, Gray took his fourth loss of the season as Mike Foltynewicz took a no-hitter into the ninth inning for the Braves.

On the year, Gray is 3-4 with a 4.09 ERA. But in June, he threw at least five innings in each start and went seven or more in half of his six starts.

Meanwhile, Pelfrey (3-6, 4.13) is coming off of a rough outing against the Rangers on June 30, when he allowed five runs in five innings. He gave up eight hits -- including two home runs -- and walked two while striking out two.

But both of Pelfrey's longest outings of the season have come on the road, completing six innings at Seattle on May 20 and more recently at Toronto on June 17.

Things to know about this game

• Gray pitched against the White Sox two starts ago and was stellar, giving up one earned run in seven innings while striking out seven. • Pelfrey would be OK without seeing either of Oakland's Davis duo in the lineup. Rajai is 5-for-11 against Pelfrey lifetime with a double, while Khris has been even better: 5-for-8 with a homer.

• Franklin Barreto's walk-off home run on Tuesday, with an exit velocity of 108.7 mph, was the hardest-hit ball of the rookie's young career. With a launch angle of 39 degrees, it was the fifth-highest A's home run this season. And the 96.7- mph Tommy Kahnle fastball Barreto turned around is the seventh-fastest pitch an A's player has homered on in 2017.

Sox battle back in 9th, fall in walk-off fashion By Jane Lee and Alex Simon / MLB.com | July 4th, 2017

OAKLAND -- Rookie Franklin Barreto took teammate Yonder Alonso's advice to heart, making good on an early-inning conversation with a walk-off home run that propelled the A's to a 7-6 victory over the White Sox at the Coliseum on Tuesday afternoon, snapping their six-game losing streak.

Barreto's day, which also included an RBI triple, began with a strikeout, after which Alonso took him aside in the dugout and told him he was a tad tardy with his swing. By the time Barreto stepped to the plate in the ninth inning -- after the White Sox had tied the game against Santiago Casilla on a Melky Cabrera single -- he had made the adjustment, connecting on the eighth pitch he saw from right-hander Tommy Kahnle and sending it just beyond the left-field wall.

"I made really good contact, and I felt it," Barreto said, through team interpreter Juan Dorado. "Luckily, it did go over the fence. It's always been a dream of mine to help the team win, and I finally got to realize that today."

"If you watch that at-bat unfold, he got more and more confident as it went along," A's manager Bob Melvin said. "Typically, that'll happen when you're seeing some pitches, fouling some balls off. For younger players, sometimes the big leagues can make you think twice, then you get into a position like that and hit a home run like he did, I know he's going to feel a lot more confident and comfortable tomorrow."

It was the second career home run for Barreto, who also homered in his big league debut in Chicago last weekend, and the fourth home run of the day for the A's, who got two from newly named first-time All-Star Alonso in the thrilling victory.

It marked the third career multi-homer game -- all of them coming this season -- for Alonso, whose home run total reached 19 following Tuesday's go-ahead shots in consecutive at-bats against White Sox right-hander James Shields. Matt Joyce also homered for Oakland, a two-run, game-tying blast in the third in response to Cabrera's two-run homer in the opening half of the inning.

Following a two-run fourth highlighted by Alonso's first homer, Chicago temporarily regained the lead against Oakland starter Daniel Gossett in the fifth on a three-run blast off the bat of Jose Abreu. But Alonso put the A's right back on top, 6- 5, with a two-out, two-run knock in the bottom half of the frame, sending Shields out of the game right after White Sox manager Rick Renteria had come out to talk to him.

"He just said I got the next guy. I told him I was good to go, and it's on me," Shields said. "I left the ball up to Alonso. I need to do a better job out there of getting out. The fact that he had the faith in me, I need to do my job, bottom line."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Rookies chip in: The A's have essentially lived and died by the long ball this year, and six of their seven runs tallied Tuesday came courtesy of home runs. But in a one-run game, Barreto's two-out RBI triple in the fourth inning proved to be a difference-maker. The add-on run was set up by fellow rookie Jaycob Brugman's walk. Both youngsters have fared well against Shields, who yielded first career homers to both players last weekend in Chicago.

"We were talking a little bit in the beginning of the game after his first at-bat, trying to give him a few pointers," Alonso said of Barreto. "He's special. He took it all in, made the adjustment, and then you saw what he did."

Sigh of relief: Ryan Madson's doings in the seventh inning were paramount to Oakland's victory. The veteran reliever inherited a baserunner with no outs as the White Sox turned their lineup over, and he squashed the threat with ease. After Omar Narvaez advanced to third on 's sacrifice bunt, Madson turned his attention to the two men who homered earlier in the day, striking out Cabrera and knocking down a comebacker from Abreu for the third out to maintain the one-run lead. Lefty Sean Doolittle pitched a scoreless eighth, ahead of Casilla's ninth-inning adventures. "There's no room for error when these guys come in in those situations," Melvin said. "Right away, Madson has to come in with somebody on base. The bullpen pitched well today."

QUOTABLE "Tip your cap to the kid over there because he battled him and put a really good at-bat together. Ended up getting a pitch he could handle that he ended up driving pretty well and it got out. Tip your cap because that's just baseball." -- Renteria, on Barreto

WHAT'S NEXT White Sox: For the White Sox, right-hander Mike Pelfrey will start Wednesday's 2:35 p.m. CT series finale before the team travels to Denver. Pelfrey (3-6, 4.13) is coming off of a rough outing against the Rangers June 30, when he allowed five runs in five innings. A's: The A's will send right-hander Sonny Gray to the mound for Wednesday's 12:35 p.m. PT series finale matchup with the White Sox. Gray has a 1.20 ERA over his last two starts.

Avisail has problem-free return to lineup By Alex Simon / MLB.com | July 4th, 2017

OAKLAND -- After five days out of the lineup, Avisail Garcia was back in the White Sox lineup Tuesday afternoon, going 1-for-4 and playing right field in a 7-6 loss to the A's at the Coliseum.

"Happy, happy to be back," Garcia said.

As he was icing his knee after the game, Garcia said, "I can do anything that I need to do in the field, but I need to get ice and need to get treatment every day until I get way better. I'm OK."

In the bottom of the first, Garcia got involved right away as A's leadoff hitter Matt Joyce hit a routine fly ball to right, which Garcia caught with ease. He said he laughed about getting tested right away, adding, "Baseball is like that sometimes."

Then, leading off the top of the second, Garcia swung at the first pitch A's starter Daniel Gossett threw and roped a single to center. His presence back in the lineup was a welcome sight for manager Rick Renteria.

"It was nice to see him back out there. [It's nice] anytime you lose one of your big guys and you finally get him back out there," Renteria said. "To see him back out there was good. We'll see how he recovers, we'll monitor that and see how he's doing tomorrow."

The lone White Sox player named to the 2017 All-Star Game presented by Mastercard, Garcia had been out since June 29 with left knee soreness. While Garcia stressed the importance of being careful with his knee on Monday, Renteria was encouraged by his progress before the White Sox 7-2 win over the A's.

"We need to make sure we check off all the boxes and make sure he's good to go," Renteria said. "He took some fly balls and some work out in the outfield yesterday, and he also ran the bases with spikes on, which is what we wanted to see him do."

Garcia earned the American League All-Star spot by hitting .317 with 11 homers and 51 RBIs, nearly matching his full- season totals in homers and RBIs from the last two years. First baseman and fellow middle-of-the-order hitter Jose Abreu says he's seen Garcia be stronger mentally this season.

"The mental part is very important, especially in this game," Abreu said. "If you are strong enough, you're going to have success. It's a very tough sport. He has been that way this year, and we as a White Sox organization and as teammates love that because we all know what he is capable of. This year, he has finally shown that." Worth noting

• Infielder Tyler Saladino (back spasms) went 1-for-3 as the designated hitter for Triple-A Charlotte in the first game of a rehab assignment Monday night. He's been out since May 27.

• Right-handed starter Miguel Gonzalez (right shoulder A/C joint inflammation) is expected to begin a rehab assignment in the coming days after being placed on the DL June 15.

• Right-handed reliever Jake Petricka (right elbow strain), out since June 29, played light catch before Tuesday's game, his first attempt at throwing since hitting the DL.

A’s rookie Franklin Barreto stuns White Sox, Tommy Kahnle with late home run By Dan Hayes / CSN Chicago | July 4, 2017

OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Oakland A’s Franklin Barreto stunned Tommy Kahnle and the White Sox on Tuesday afternoon.

Not only did the A’s rookie show great patience in a big moment, but he also delivered the big blow, too. Barreto sat on a close 2-2 offering from Kahnle and followed with a walk-off solo homer as Oakland topped the White Sox 7-6. Barreto’s second career homer just drifted over the left-field fence to provide him with the first game-winning hit of his career.

“I don’t think anybody would’ve expected that outcome today, honestly,” manager Rick Renteria said. “We didn’t. I didn’t see that coming at all. Tip your cap to the kid over there because he battled (Kahnle) and put a really good at-bat together. Ended up getting a pitch he could handle that he ended up driving pretty well and it got out. Tip your cap because that’s just baseball.”

Kahnle hasn’t had many hiccups in what has been a breakout season. He has struck out 55 batters and walked only seven in 32 2/3 innings to take ownership of a setup role left open by Nate Jones’ elbow injury.

Kahnle moved into the ninth inning on Tuesday with David Robertson back in Chicago to attend the birth of his daughter. The right-hander struck out Jaycob Brugman to start the ninth inning and appeared on his way to racking up Barreto, too. After he fouled back three straight fastballs, Barreto held back enough on a 90-mph changeup to push the count full. Barreto then belted a 97-mph fastball out to left

“I thought I’d get him on the 2-2 changeup, but he got the checked swing,” Kahnle said. “Next pitch, that’s my bread and butter and he hit it. That’s all I could do really.

“Good for him. That’s the second time he’s gotten me.”

“I was really looking forward to (the ninth). I was ready. Nothing different about it. Just one pitch and the ballgame was over.

“I’ve been throwing well all year. Today too I thought I threw well. Just basically one pitch killed me and got us a loss. It sucks.”

Jose Abreu explains why he is in ‘ a great position’ despite All-Star absence By Dan Hayes / CSN Chicago | July 4, 2017

OAKLAND, Calif. — He may not be an All-Star, but Jose Abreu is unquestionably in a better place than he was one year ago.

The White Sox slugger said on Saturday morning one reason he’s rebounded this season is he’s focused too much on the present to spend time worrying about the past. A year removed from the worst stretch of his pro career, Abreu has rediscovered the form that made him the runaway winner for the 2014 American League Rookie of the Year award. He belted his 16th home run of the season on Tuesday as the White Sox fell to the Oakland A’s 7-6. Abreu, who finished 1- for-5 with three RBIs, is on pace to drive in 100 runs for a fourth straight season.

“I don’t like to turn back the page, I like to turn the page forward,” Abreu said through an interpreter. “It was a tough situation for me last year. I’m glad I’ve overcome all those situations. I’m in a great position right now. I’m playing more like I know I can play. I’m doing my best. I’m glad for all the people who supported to me in that tough moment. I’m just glad to be at this point and doing my best.”

Abreu has contended since March he’s in a “much better place” this season.

The first baseman endured his share of trying times last year, especially off the field. He learned of the arrest of his trainer and close friend Julio Estrada last April for Estrada’s involvement in the smuggling case that helped bring Abreu to the United States in late 2013. Abreu also was informed he would have to testify in the case, though he’d be granted immunity for his participation. Beyond that, Abreu wondered if he’d ever be reunited with his young son, Dariel, who he’d only seen once since escaping Cuba.

Abreu headed into the 2016 All-Star break with 11 home runs and a .756 OPS. At that point he was only two weeks into a 32-game homerless stretch that ended on Aug. 4.

But Abreu has since been reunited with his son, who visits again next week, and testified in the trial in March.

Those developments have freed Abreu up and his play would suggest it to be the case. Through Saturday, Abreu is hitting .292/.340/.515 with 16 homers and 58 RBIs in 82 games. He didn’t drive in his 58th run of 2016 until his 107th game.

The White Sox have benefitted from Abreu’s improved play. Saturday was the 40th time in which the White Sox have scored five or more runs this season. Last season, the White Sox scored five or more runs only 67 times.

“It’s a big impact,” manager Rick Renteria said. “All of our guys have started to pick it up. (Todd Frazier), (Abreu), (Avisail Garcia) has been consistent all season. We’ve had output from guys nobody expected that we hoped would give us some, (Yolmer Sanchez) and (Matt) Davidson. All through the lineup everybody doing their thing and giving us moments. They continue to grind and play. Abreu’s consistency has been impactful. They just feed on each other.”

They root each other on, too.

Abreu has shown only love for Garcia, who two days ago was named the team’s lone All-Star representative. Abreu has championed Garcia’s accomplishment, stepping into his interview on Monday afternoon to inform reporters that Garcia was “happy, happy, happy” to be headed to Miami for next week’s exhibition.

Even though his numbers have been All-Star worthy as well, Abreu is content to be in a good spot. After all, he’ll also be in Miami, hanging out with his son and the rest of his family, including wife, Yusmary, who is due in October.

“(The All-Star Game) is not a disappointment,” Abreu said. “I’m realistic and I know there are a lot of players that have better stats than me. I’m glad for them to go. I did my best and I’m just working hard to help my team win games. I’ve had the experience. I experienced it three years ago. No regrets for me

Jose Abreu on 2017 turnaround: 'I'm playing more like I know I can play' Colleen Kane / Chicago Tribune | July 4, 2017

Jose Abreu was upbeat Tuesday morning, saying he feels like he is in a "great position" a little more than halfway through the season.

Then the White Sox first baseman backed up his words, hitting a three-run homer in the fifth inning to give the Sox a brief lead in a 7-6 loss to the Athletics.

"I'm playing more like I know I can play," Abreu said through a team interpreter. "I'm doing my best."

Abreu was an All-Star in his first season in 2014 but hasn't been back, and he went through a rough first half last year. His numbers this season have improved each month. He entered Tuesday second among American League first basemen with 55 RBIs, third with a .294 batting average and fourth with a .853 OPS. He pushed those totals to 58 RBIs, a .294 batting average and a .860 OPS on Tuesday.

But he said not being voted onto the All-Star team wasn't a disappointment.

"I'm realistic, and I know there are a lot of players that have better stats than me," Abreu said. "I did my best and I'm just working hard to help my team win games. I experienced it three years ago. No regrets for me."

Abreu instead expressed excitement for teammate Avisail Garcia, a first-time All-Star who returned to the lineup Tuesday after missing five games with a sore left knee. Abreu said Garcia has "absolutely" worked harder this year and said being "stronger mentally" has been a key to his great start.

"As a teammate, I love that because we all know what he's capable of," Abreu said. "This year finally he has showed that."

As for Abreu, Sox manager Rick Renteria said his success stems from a combination of focus at the plate and confidence in knowing he can overcome struggles.

"When you see him in the box there is an intensity to his focus," Renteria said. "There is a relaxed aspect also. That's what's impressive to me. … He's showing everybody there is no reason he can't be the best."

Health watch: Infielder Tyler Saladino went 1-for-3 as the designated hitter to begin his rehab assignment with Triple-A Charlotte on Monday following back pain.

Right-hander Miguel Gonzalez is expected to begin a rehab assignment soon while recovering from AC joint inflammation in his right shoulder.

Leury Garcia is rehabbing from a sprained finger on his left hand in Arizona.

New addition: Closer David Robertson and his wife, Erin, on Monday welcomed a baby girl named Violet Grace, their second child. Robertson is on paternity leave for the A's series.

White Sox allow one home run too many in 7-6 walk-off loss to Athletics Colleen Kane / Chicago Tribune | July 4, 2017

Yonder Alonso already had homered off James Shields once Tuesday afternoon, so White Sox manager Rick Renteria went to the mound to chat with Shields to ensure he was up for preventing a repeat.

Three pitches later, Alonso, recently named a first-time All-Star in a turnaround season, hit his second homer in two innings to push the Athletics ahead. It was the third homer off Shields over his 4 2/3 innings. The A's fourth homer of the day resulted in a walk-off celebration in a 7-6 Sox loss at Oakland Coliseum.

Sox reliever Tommy Kahnle, the club's best late-inning option with closer David Robertson on paternity leave, gave up a ninth-inning solo shot to rookie Franklin Barreto to negate a late Sox comeback.

"I told him I was good to go, and it's on me," Shields said of his conversation with Renteria. "I left the ball up to Alonso. I need to do a better job out there of getting out. The fact that he had the faith in me, I need to do my job, bottom line."

Alonso's two-run shot to right field in the fifth was his 19th of the season. Shields also gave up Alonso's solo shot in the fourth and Matt Joyce's two-run homer in the third. Barreto added an RBI triple to the right-field wall in the fourth.

Home runs have plagued Shields in recent seasons. He allowed major-league worsts of 33 in 2015 and 40 in 2016 and has given up at least one in 15 of his last 18 games. In three solid April starts, he limited opponents to one each outing, but he has given up seven in four starts since returning from a strained right lat on June 18.

The A's scored six earned runs off Shields for the second time in two meetings. On June 24, Shields lasted a season-low three innings and also gave up three homers.

"It was just a few pitches he left over the plate these guys were able to drive," Renteria said.

Barreto's homer, the second of his career and his first walk-off hit, was a bit more surprising considering Kahnle had given up four total homers in the last two seasons.

"I didn't see that coming at all," Renteria said.

Barreto stepped to the plate with one out in the ninth against Kahnle and battled to a full count before hitting the eighth pitch, a 97 mph fastball, out to left field.

"He put together a pretty good at-bat," Kahnle said. "He was fighting off pitches, fouling them off. I thought I'd get him on the 2-2 changeup, but he got the checked swing. Next pitch, that's my bread and butter, and he hit it."

Melky Cabrera hit a two-run homer in the third, and Jose Abreu added a three-run shot in the fifth.

Tim Anderson and Kevan Smith each singled with two out in the ninth against A's closer Santiago Casilla. After Adam Engel flied out, Cabrera singled to left field, and Anderson scored from second to tie the score 6-6.

"Anytime a big situation occurs to drive a run in, (Cabrera) has been doing it — a lot lately," Renteria said.

Todd Frazier would love to lead off for White Sox Daryl Van Schouwen / Chicago Sun-Times | July 4, 2017

OAKLAND, Calif. — Manager Rick Renteria has used seven leadoff men in the White Sox’ first 83 games. Third baseman Todd Frazier wants to be No. 8.

‘‘I would love to,’’ Frazier said.

Leury Garcia (20 times), Tim Anderson (19), Tyler Saladino (16), Yolmer Sanchez (eight), Alen Hanson (eight), Melky Cabrera (seven) and Adam Engel (five) all have batted first, but Frazier has not.

He might not be the worst option. His batting average is low (.214), but he sees a lot of pitches, and his 43 walks have kept his on-base percentage at a respectable .332.

Todd Frazier has 15 home runs and 42 RBI for the White Sox this season. (AP) Frazier led off a Little League World Series championship game with a home run and led off through high school and college, he said. He had 20, 13 and 15 stolen bases in the last three seasons and has four this season.

He also hit 40 homers last season and is on pace to hit 30 this season.

‘‘I see [the Cubs’ Anthony] Rizzo doing it, and I drool over that position,’’ Frazier said.

Frazier has batted fourth or fifth in all but five games he has played this season. He has hit .268 with seven homers, a .342 on-base percentage and a .606 slugging percentage leading off an inning this season.

‘‘I wonder how they would pitch me?’’ Frazier said. ‘‘Would they try to get that first-pitch fastball over? If they do, I’m ready. I’m going, ‘You try and do that, and I’m swinging.’ The walks and my RBI might go down, but my average would go sky-high, in my opinion.’’

Renteria smiled when he was told Frazier wants to lead off and said he isn’t opposed to the idea.

‘‘You know what? I might give him his wish,’’ Renteria said.

Kahnle falters in ninth

Closer David Robertson will return from a three-day paternity leave when the Sox play the Rockies this weekend in Denver. In the meantime, Tommy Kahnle is getting reacquainted with ninth-inning duty.

Kahnle allowed a tiebreaking homer in the ninth to A’s rookie shortstop Franklin Barreto, who entered the game with a .176 average and one homer.

‘‘I was really looking forward to it,’’ Kahnle said. ‘‘I was ready. Nothing different about it. Just one pitch, and the ballgame was over.’’

Robertson’s wife, Erin, gave birth to a daughter Monday. It is the couple’s second child.

This and that

When catcher Omar Narvaez threw out the A’s Matt Chapman trying to steal second in the sixth, it was only the ninth time in 58 attempts the Sox had prevented a stolen base. Narvaez is 7-for-28.

• Right-hander Dane Dunning, who was acquired from the Nationals with more highly touted pitchers Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez in the trade for outfielder Adam Eaton, continues to impress at high- Winston-Salem after being promoted from low-Class A Kannapolis.

Dunning allowed one run and four hits in six innings Monday and has a 1.94 ERA and 98 strikeouts in 83„ innings this season.

Abreu, Cabrera outnumbered in A’s walk-off victory Daryl Van Schouwen / Chicago Sun-Times | July 4, 2017

OAKLAND, Calif. — White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu plans to attend the All-Star Game on Tuesday in Miami. He won’t be there as a participant, as he was as a rookie in 2014, but as a fan with his family.

‘‘It’s fun,’’ said Abreu, who has a home in Miami.

Abreu’s performance at the plate continued to be All-Star-worthy Tuesday. He lined his 16th home run, a three-run bullet to left against Athletics right-hander Daniel Gossett in the fifth inning, to give the Sox the lead in a game they eventually lost 7-6 on a walk-off homer by Franklin Barreto in the ninth.

Abreu raised his team-high RBI total to 58 and is batting .294 with a .342 on-base percentage and a .518 slugging percentage. When he went to the 2014 All-Star Game in Minneapolis, he had 25 homers and 63 RBI and was batting .292 with a .342 on-base percentage and a .630 slugging percentage. He would go on to win American League Rookie of the Year honors and finish fourth in MVP voting.

Abreu said he would welcome an opportunity to go to the All-Star Game again but has no regrets.

‘‘It’s not a disappointment,’’ Abreu said through an interpreter. ‘‘I’m realistic, and I know there are a lot of players that have better stats than me. I’m glad for them to go. I did my best, and I’m just working hard to help my team win games. I had the experience.’’

Meanwhile, A’s fans — starved for victory after seeing their team lose six consecutive games overall and eight in a row at home — were able to watch their team celebrate at home plate around Barreto, who homered to left against Tommy Kahnle with one out in the ninth.

The Sox had tied the score at 6 in the top of the inning on an RBI single by Melky Cabrera, who is hitting .347 in his last 40 games. Cabrera also homered in the third to stake the Sox to a 2-0 lead.

But Abreu and Cabrera were outnumbered by the A’s four homers, including three against James Shields in 4 2/3 innings. Two were by Yonder Alonso, his 18th and 19th.

Abreu stalled out of the gate in the first few weeks of April but has been steady since.

‘‘His intensity and focus are pretty hard to miss,’’ manager Rick Renteria said. ‘‘[But] as much as there is intensity, there is a relaxed aspect also. That’s what’s impressive to me. As he continues to grind out the season, he has continued to work through as many things as he can possibly work through. He wants to go out and be the best. He’s showing everybody there is no reason he can’t be the best.’’

Abreu’s work ethic has been a constant since he arrived from Cuba. That same type of dedication has been seen this season in All-Star right fielder Avisail Garcia, who returned to the lineup after a five-game absence because of a sore knee and singled in his first at-bat.

Asked if Garcia is working harder this season, Abreu said: ‘‘Yes, absolutely. He has been stronger mentally, and that’s very important in this game . . . because it’s a very, very tough sport. We as a White Sox organization, as a teammate, love that because we all know what he’s capable of. This year, finally, he has showed that.’’

Say this for the 37-46 Sox: Even when they have lost, they often have been as entertaining as they were on this Fourth of July. Renteria likes to say that his players won’t quit, that they battle hard late in games, and it’s hard to argue.

‘‘All in all, I thought we battled our rear ends off again today,’’ Renteria said. ‘‘It was nothing to be ashamed of.’’

Barreto's game-ending homer sends A's past White Sox 7-6 By Josh Dubow / Associated Press | July 4, 2017

OAKLAND, Calif. -- A little bit of advice from an Oakland All-Star was just what top prospect Franklin Barreto needed to break out of a slump in a big way.

Barreto took those words of wisdom from Yonder Alonso and delivered a game-ending homer and an RBI triple to help the Athletics snap a season-high six-game losing streak by beating the Chicago White Sox 7-6 on Tuesday.

"He said I was a little tardy and I felt it too," Barreto said through an interpreter. "I felt the pitchers were getting ahead of me and I tried to get ahead of the ball."

Barreto was in a 2-for-25 slump after striking out in his first at-bat. Alonso then pulled him aside in the dugout and Barreto responded with his triple in the fourth and then the homer in the ninth.

"He's special, man. He took it over, made an adjustment and you saw the potential he has, the ability he has," Alonso said. "I'm not taking any of the credit. We had a little talk, he went out and he did it. I'm just happy for him."

Alonso also broke out of his own slump with a pair of homers and Matt Joyce connected for a two-run shot for the A's, whose bats finally woke up.

Oakland had scored just 10 runs in the past five games and had dropped eight straight at the Coliseum, matching the franchise's longest home skid in 35 years.

After Santiago Casilla (2-3) allowed a game-tying single by Melky Cabrera in the ninth for his fourth blown save in 18 chances, things looked bleak for the A's until Barreto stepped to the plate with one out in the bottom half.

He fouled off a pair of two-strike pitches from Tommy Kahnle (0-3) before hitting a towering fly ball that just cleared the wall in left field and sent the A's pouring out of the dugout for a sorely needed celebration.

"I thought I'd get him on the 2-2 changeup, he gave that check swing," Kahnle said. "But next pitch I mean, it's my bread and butter. He hit it. That was all I could do really."

Cabrera hit a two-run homer off Oakland starter Daniel Gossett and Jose Abreu added a three-run shot for the White Sox.

Joyce erased an early deficit by matching Cabrera's two-run homer in the bottom of the third and Alonso's first homer since June 15 gave Oakland a 3-2 lead in the fourth against James Shields.

After Abreu put the White Sox back ahead 5-4 with his 16th homer in the fifth, Alonso answered with his 19th in the bottom half to make it 6-5, giving him three multihomer games this season and in his career.

TRAINER'S ROOM

White Sox: All-Star RF Avisail Garcia returned to the lineup after missing five games with a sore left knee and singled in his first at-bat for his only hit of the day. ... RHP David Robertson's wife gave birth to a baby girl, Violet, on Monday and he remains away from the team.

Athletics: 3B Ryon Healy (back) missed his second straight game.

NOTABLE COMPANY

The 21-year-old Barreto was the youngest A's player to hit a game-ending homer since Hall of Famer Jimmie Foxx did it at age 20 in 1928, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

SERVING UP LONG BALLS

Shields once again was plagued by the long ball. After leading the majors with 40 homers allowed last year and 33 in 2015, Shields has allowed 10 in seven starts this season.

"It was just again a few pitches that he left out over the plate that these guys were able to drive and when he wanted to try to keep the ball in the ballpark he wasn't able to do that," manager Rick Renteria said.

UP NEXT

The White Sox look for their third straight series win at the Coliseum in the rubber game of the series. Chicago hasn't won three straight series in Oakland since 1996-97. Mike Pelfrey (3-6) gets the start. He has lost all five career starts vs. Oakland with a 7.56 ERA. Sonny Gray (3-3) pitches for the A's.

Chicago White Sox ACE Competing On National Stage By Hudson Belinsky / Baseball America | July 4, 2017

SARASOTA, Fla.—The White Sox created the Amateur City Elite program back in 2007 with the goal of providing inner city kids with opportunities in baseball. The ACE program has quickly developed a reputation in the Midwest; so far, 18 ACE alumni have been drafted and more than 150 have received college scholarships.

ACE’s travel teams typically play in regional tournaments in the Midwest, but they took on another challenge this week when the White Sox 2019 graduates played in the Wilson Premier East Championships in Sarasota.

Kevin Coe, the White Sox director of youth baseball initiatives, felt that his crew was ready for another challenge.

“We usually stay in the Midwest and play our games in the Midwest,” Coe said. “But we wanted to come down and see if we could hang with the South Florida big boys. I think we did pretty well down here.”

ACE went 2-1 in pool play, then won two playoff games to advance to the quarterfinals, where they matched up against Power Baseball and rising junior lefthander Bryce Hubbart (West Orange High, Winter Garden, Fla.). Hubbart was dominant, showcasing projectable athleticism, advanced command of a mid-80s fastball (that bumped 88 mph) and a tight breaking ball that he was able to spot to either side of the plate.

Still, ACE battled. In the top of the seventh inning, trailing 3-1, nine-hole hitter Mike Bolton Jr. poked a ground ball through the right side of the infield. Following Bolton, Kendall Pettis came to the plate a smoked a hard line drive to left field for a double.

“He’s got a bright future,” Coe said of Pettis, a rising junior at Brother Rice High in Chicago. “He plays the game hard. He can really play.”

Following Pettis, Damon Gladney Jr. hit a fly ball down the right field line that hooked foul by a matter of inches. A ground ball and a popup later, ACE was eliminated from the tournament.

“This is a very competitive group, they refuse to lose,” Coe said. “It’s one of our best groups yet. It’s probably our best group since that 2013 group that had Corey Ray, Ro Coleman and Darius Day. We think a lot of these guys are going to go play big Division I baseball.”

Wilson Premier Baseball national director Matt Bliven wasn’t surprised to see the Chicago kids compete at a high level.

“They normally just play in regional tournaments and they always do well in those so I think this was kind of exciting for them to be on a bigger stage,” Bliven said. “I knew that they could compete and I think that their kids knew once they stepped on the field that they could compete with anyone in this tournament.”

It hasn’t exactly been overnight, but ACE’s development has been quick, and it doesn’t appear to be slowing down any time soon. 2018 graduate Alek Thomas plays for ACE, and he’s established himself as a potential early draft pick with a strong showing against elite competition so far this summer.

ACE players practice four to five days per week in the winter. The program rents an indoor facility in the southern suburbs of Chicago where players can hit and take ground balls. The players also have access to a weight room, and in the fall they work on ACT prep.

Coe says the program has had several players score high on the ACT, with some prospects scoring as high as 28s and 30s. For context, a 28 on the ACT is in the 90th percentile of all of those who take the test. College coaches like recruiting players with good test scores and good grades because their institutions can often provide more in the way of academic scholarships to supplement athletic scholarships.

Ten years after its inception, the ACE program is still developing; Coe hopes that they’ll someday be able to provide a facility where ACE players can go on a daily basis. But the ACE program is well on its way. It’s a well-oiled machine, competing on the national stage and churning out top prospects with regularity.