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.’’
Follow me on Twitter @CST_soxvan.
Email: dvanschouwen@suntimes.com
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