Brandon Inge knew as soon as he made a diving stop in the seventh inning what was wrong with his shoulder and what he needed to do as quickly as possible.
So, he just popped it back into place and stayed in the game Saturday night.Two batters later, he started an inning-ending double play at third base, and then in the eighth he delivered the go-ahead single for the Oakland Athletics in a 9-7 victory over the White Sox.
“I dislocated it. I just had to put it back in the socket,” Inge said of his right shoulder that came out of place after he made a diving stop in the seventh on Alex Rios’ infield single down the third base line.”It might get a little sore tomorrow, but I’ll do my best,”
The White Sox went on to score in the seventh on A.J. Pierzynski’s RBI single for a 7-6 lead. But Jonny Gomes homered off Matt Thornton (4-8) in the eighth, and after singles by Yoenis Cespedes and Chris Carter, Inge greeted reliever Brett Myers with a go-ahead single into the right field corner.
“I guess it just shows two teams that don’t want to give up. I like that,” Inge said.
Inge said he would do what was best for the A’s on Sunday but hopes to be in the lineup.
“I plan on playing. If I feel like I’m going to be a detriment to the team, I won’t come back in,” he said. “If I feel like I have something to offer, I’ll play through some pain. Just make sure I’m somewhat smart about it.”
Gomes added an RBI single in the top of the ninth before Grant Balfour pitched the bottom half for his eighth save in 10 chances, his first since May 5. Balfour took the closer’s role back from Ryan Cook (5-2), who gave up Pierzynski’s single in the seventh but got the win.
“I was surprised he stayed in the game. He felt like the shoulder may have come out of the socket and went back in,” Oakland manager Bob Melvin said of the veteran Inge.
“He stayed in, made a great play on the double play and ends up getting what ends up being the biggest hit. We all know he’s a very tough guy and can play through a lot of pain.”
Tyler Flowers homered and had three RBIs and a career-high three hits for the White Sox. Kevin Youkilis also homered and was hit in the left forearm by Balfour’s pitch in the ninth.Thornton took the blame for the pitch he made to Gomes.
“It’s really frustrating. We’ve been playing well and I didn’t do my job,” he said. “One-run lead and I thought it was a good idea to throw him a breaking ball. He jumped all over it.”
Francisco Liriano, who left his previous start after five innings with a bruised right quadriceps, didn’t make it out of the fourth this time. He surrendered seven hits and six runs in 3 1/3 innings.He struck out four of the first five batters Saturday before he got in trouble in the third when the A’s loaded the bases on a single, walk and hit batter. Carter delivered a two-run single, Inge walked to reload the bases, and Derek Norris had a two-run, ground-rule double. Adam Rosales then drove in the fifth run of the inning with a single as Oakland sent 10 batters to the plate.The Sox scored two in the second on an infield out by Dayan Viciedo and an RBI double by Flowers. Josh Reddick had an RBI single for Oakland in the fourth, and Flowers added a run-scoring single for the White Sox in the bottom half.Youkilis hit his 14th homer in the fifth to make it 6-5. It was his 10th since joining the White Sox in a June 24 trade from Boston. Flowers’ third homer of the season tied it at 6-6 in the sixth.Oakland’s Travis Blackley, in his first start since July 29, gave up five runs and six hits in five innings.
NOTES—Cook has been removed from the closer’s role, at least temporarily, by Melvin, who said he wanted to get the rookie some work in lower-pressure situations. Cook has converted just two of his last six save opportunities, and 12 of 19 for the season…..Paul Konerko will take it easy this weekend and will be re-evaluated by doctors after suffering a concussion earlier this week and being placed on the 7-day DL. Robin Ventura said Konerko won’t be on the first part of next week’s trip that starts in Toronto…..Dewayne Wise was called up from Triple-A Charlotte to take Konerko’s roster spot.