White Sox end 6-game skid with walk-off hit

CHICAGO -- The White Sox ended a six-game losing streak with a 5-4 walk-off victory over the Padres on Saturday at Guaranteed Rate Field, on a night when the first 20,000 fans received Hawk Harrelson Alarm clocks.
Yolmer Sánchez delivered the game-winning single off Brad Hand, scoring Tyler Saladino from second. Saladino walked to open the ninth and then moved to second on Leury García's sacrifice bunt. Saladino's slide to the outside of the plate allowed him to elude the tag of catcher Austin Hedges. The umpires reviewed the play but it didn't take them long to have the call stand.
"I was 100-percent sure that he would be able to score because I know that he's a fast runner," said Sanchez, through interpreter Billy Russo. "My job in that role was just to put a ball in play, and once it rolled past the infield, I knew. I was 100-percent sure that he scored the run. I saw his slide, and I knew that he avoided the tag."

Wil Myers tied the game with one out in the eighth when he connected on a 2-1, four-seam fastball at 98.2 mph from Tommy Kahnle for his 10th homer of the season. Myers' exit velocity checked in at 109.3 mph, his launch angle was 23 degrees and the ball traveled 453 feet. It's the longest home run hit by the Padres this season, and for Myers, it's tied as his longest of the Statcast™ era. He also hit one 453 feet on April 9, 2016. Kahnle had a 10-game scoreless streak before that blast.
Manuel Margot and Allen Córdoba also went deep for the Padres, while Avisaíl García launched his sixth home run with one out in the second for the White Sox. Garcia connected off Trevor Cahill for an exit velocity of 101.3 mph and a launch angle of 31 degrees, covering 417 feet to center.

Cahill worked six-plus innings, giving up three earned runs on eight hits, while walking one and striking out seven. He also threw four wild pitches, including three after José Abreu reached base via an error with one out in the fourth and eventually came around to score.
"He battled all day, had his offspeed pitches, really probably didn't have his fastball command he's had throughout this season," Padres manager Andy Green said. "He was relying on the offspeed, probably threw the ball good enough to get a win if we could have just pushed a few more runs across for him."

Dylan Covey made his best start as a member of the White Sox, although he still came away without his first career victory. The right-hander entered the contest with 11 strikeouts and 11 walks over 25 innings, but struck out nine and walked two in 4 1/3 innings against the Padres on Saturday.
"Covey looked pretty good today," White Sox manager Rick Renteria said. "Much more effective. Pounding the strike zone. His breaking pitches were pretty sharp. He got into a little trouble. We just had him out there and keep us in check a little bit."
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
First pitch gone: Margot kicked off the game with his fourth home run on Covey's first pitch -- a day after Matt Szczur also homered on the game's first pitch. Margot's leadoff blast marked just the second time in team history the Padres have hit a leadoff home run in two consecutive games, according to Elias. Damian Jackson led off games on June 26 and 27, 2005, with a home run.
The last time a Major League team hit a first-pitch, leadoff home run in two straight games was when the Chicago Cubs' Alfonso Soriano accomplished the feat Sept. 19 and 21, 2007.
"Obviously I think that's rare," Renteria said. "There are hitters that go up there first pitch like an ambush looking for first-pitch strike fastball and if they get it, and they elevate it, they have a chance to get it out of the ballpark." More >

Abreu runs wild: Jose Abreu became the first Major League player to reach first and go to second, third and score on three wild pitches since the Yankees' Rob Refsnyder on Aug. 10, 2016, vs. Boston. Abreu did it in the fourth inning Saturday, after reaching on a one-out error. He is the first White Sox player to accomplish the feat since J.C. Martin did on July 14, 1961, vs. the Yankees per Elias. "Curveball, I think I threw a changeup, too," Cahill said. "Just trying to do too much, trying to strike a guy out with too good of a pitch instead of trusting it." More >
QUOTABLE
"Yeah, I was getting tired of getting beat with my mediocre stuff. So I went out there and gave it all I had with every pitch." -- Covey, who struck out nine over 4 1/3 innings in a no-decision
"You're not touching me. I'm going to do something to get out of the way." -- Saladino, on what he was thinking as he was coming home with the game-winning run on Sanchez's single

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS
Anthony Swarzak continues to be from another world in terms of his relief dominance. He retired all five hitters faced Saturday, meaning of the last 45 hitters he has faced, only one has a hit off the right-hander. He also has walked one during that stretch. Swarzak has an 18 1/3-inning scoreless streak and has not allowed a hit over his last seven outings.

UPON FURTHER REVIEW
The Padres challenged that Abreu was not safe on a grounder to third in the fourth inning. After third baseman Ryan Schimpf made a low throw to first, first baseman Myers tagged Abreu but didn't hang onto the ball. Upon review, the umpires upheld the call, and the Padres lost their challenge. Schimpf was given an error.
"I knew my foot was still on the bag when I caught it but evidently I didn't remain in control of the ball," Myers said.
KEEPING IT IN THE PARK
Cahill hadn't allowed a home run since April 21. He has given up just three this season.
WHAT'S NEXT
Padres:Jered Weaver (0-4, 6.81 ERA) will look to halt his struggles to keep his spot in the rotation in Sunday's rubber game. The 12-year veteran is 12-2 with a 1.89 ERA in 15 career starts against the White Sox. First pitch is at 10:10 a.m. PT.
White Sox:José Quintana (2-5, 4.46) makes his eighth start of the season and fifth at home in Sunday afternoon's homestand finale, with a first pitch of 1:10 p.m. CT. Quintana's five losses are tied for the most in baseball and his 2.55 run support average (12 runs scored) is the sixth-lowest in the American League.
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