That’s because the White Sox did something no team this season has been able to do. They scored a run off Reds closer Aroldis Chapman and won the game, 4-3.
The Reds trailed, 3-1, entering the ninth inning and faced Robertson, who hadn’t given up a run in 12 appearances and was five-for-five in save opportunities.
But the Reds scored twice to tie it, 3-3, and set it up for Chapman, who hadn’t given up an earned run since last Aug. 17, covering 28 1/3 innings. And it looked safe when he retired the first two White Sox in the bottom of the ninth.
But Avasail Garcia singled to center field on a 100 mph fastball. Fellow Cuban Alexei Ramirez also singled to center, on another 100 mph fastball.
Chapman threw a slider in the dirt, a wild pitch, and the runners moved to third and second. Chapman went to 2-and-2 on Gordon Beckham before he blooped a 102 mph fastball into short right field, a walk-off single.
The Reds began the ninth inning against Robertson with three straight hits, a single by designated hitter Devin Mesoraco, a single by Brayan Pena and a double by Zack Cozart for two runs to tie it, 3-3.
So they had Cozart on second with no outs. Billy Hamilton was asked to bunt and failed terribly, eventually striking out. Marlon Byrd also struck out on three pitches, and Joey Votto grounded to second to end the inning.
Rookie Michael Lorenzen started for the Reds and was an escape artist during his five innings, but held the White Sox to one run.
The White Sox put their first batter of an inning on base in seven of the first eight innings.
•Lorenzen walked two in the first but kept the White Sox off home plate.
•Lorenzen retired the first two in the second. But Tyler Flowers doubled, No. 9 hitter J.B. Shuck walked and Emilio Bonafacio singled for a 1-0 lead.
•Lorenzen put two on with one out in the third but the White Sox didn’t score.
•Lorenzen filled the bases with no outs in the fourth. But Melky Cabrera lined to third and Jose Abreu hit into an inning-ending double play and no runs scored.
•Lorenzen gave up a leadoff double to Adam LaRoche in the fifth, but he didn’t score.
The Reds tied the game 1-1, when Philllips was called out at first on a ground ball, but a review revealed that first baseman LaRoche missed the tag and Phillips was credited with an infield hit. Mesoraco tripled off the top of the center field wall to score Phillips.
Lorenzen was finished after five, giving up one run despite seven hits and four walks.
Then the bullpen failed again.
Tony Cingrani gave up a run without giving up a hit. But he walked the first two batters he faced on eight straight pitches. A fly ball moved the runners to second and third, and the White Sox took a 2-1 lead on Ramirez’s sacrifice fly to right.
The White Sox added a run in the eighth when Flowers led the inning against Jumbo Diaz with a single. Shuck bunted the runner to second and Flowers took third on a wild pitch. With the infield drawn in, Bonfacio hit one hard to second baseman Phillips, which he stopped while on his knees. He appeared to have time to get the runner at home, but threw to first as the run scored for a 3-1 lead.
Then came the top of the ninth and the fateful bottom of the ninth.
The White Sox took two of three and haven’t lost a series at home this season. The Reds have failed to win a getaway game this year, either at home or away.
They finished the 10-game trip 5-5, splitting four games in Atlanta, winning two of three in Pittsburgh and losing two of three to the White Sox.
The Reds return home for seven games — a three-game series against Atlanta beginning Monday and a four-game series against the San Francisco Giants.
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