White Sox-Athletics Game 2 highlights: A’s win to force Game 3

Three home runs gave the Athletics a lead they wouldn’t relinquish in a 5-3 win over the White Sox to force a Game 3 in their Wild Card Round series. The two teams will meet again Thursday afternoon in Oakland for a winner-take-all elimination showdown.

Dallas Keuchel had his worst outing of 2020 by allowing five runs, including three earned, in 3.1 innings before being chased from the game. The bullpen shut down the A’s from there, but the Sox offense couldn’t complete a ninth-inning rally despite loading the bases with two outs.

Now the White Sox’ season will come down to tomorrow. Here’s how it went down in Game 2.

Final score: A’s 5, White Sox 3

Athletics 5, White Sox 3: A hard one-hopper to second by Jose Abreu is cleanly handled to stifle the Sox comeback. We’re on to Game 3.

Athletics 5, White Sox 3: Yasmani Grandal patiently draws a walk to push in a run while keeping the bases loaded. Grandal has all three RBI for the Sox in the game.

Athletics 5, White Sox 2: Yoan Moncada walks to load the bases, so the A’s are pulling Liam Hendriks in favor of Jake Diekman, who will go for the final out.

Athletics 5, White Sox 2: Tim Anderson singles to put runners on the corners with two outs.

Athletics 5, White Sox 2: Liam Hendriks settled in to strike out Adam Engel and Jarrod Dyson, but Nick Madrigal keeps the game alive with a two-out single

Eighth inning: A’s 5, White Sox 2

Athletics 5, White Sox 2: Dylan Cease continued a solid day for the Sox bullpen by going 1-2-3 to get to the ninth inning down three.

Athletics 5, White Sox 2: After a Jose Abreu single, Nomar Mazara gets a brutal third strike call on a 3-2 count for the second out of the inning.

Athletics 5, White Sox 2: HOME RUN! Yasmani Grandal goes deep for the second straight game with a two-run home run to cut the deficit to three runs.

Athletics 5, White Sox 0: Tim Anderson finally chases Chris Bassitt with a leadoff single to open the eighth inning. Interestingly, the A’s are turning to closer Liam Hendriks with six outs to go.

Seventh inning: A’s 5, White Sox 0

Athletics 5, White Sox 0: Dylan Cease wraps up a 1-2-3 inning by inducing a foul pop fly from Tommy La Stella.

Athletics 5, White Sox 0: Cease enters the game out of the bullpen for the bottom of the seventh.

Athletics 5, White Sox 0: Zack Collins strikes out and Nick Madrigal softly grounds out to end the frame.

Athletics 5, White Sox 0: After a Luis Robert pop out, Adam Engel singles to get the A’s bullpen warming up with two on and one out. Chris Bassitt will try to get out of the jam.

Athletics 5, White Sox 0: Nomar Mazara enters for DH Edwin Encarnacion as a pinch hitter and singles off Chris Bassitt to lead off the seventh.

Sixth inning: A’s 5, White Sox 0

Athletics 5, White Sox 0: After walking Matt Olson, Jimmy Cordero bounces back by striking out Khris Davis and inducing a double-play grounder from Stephen Piscotty to get out of the inning.

Athletics 5, White Sox 0: Chris Bassitt seems to have settled in not unlike Lucas Giolito the day before. That’s another 1-2-3 inning for the Oakland ace.

Fifth inning: A’s 5, White Sox 0

Athletics 5, White Sox 0: Chad Pinder grounds out to second to end the inning. Jimmy Cordero has been solid through 1.2 innings.

Athletics 5, White Sox 0: A wild throw by Nick Madrigal on an attempted double play lets Mark Canha advance to second base with two outs.

Athletics 5, White Sox 0: Ramon Laureano gets his second single of the game with a one-out blooper over the head of Nick Madrigal.

Athletics 5, White Sox 0: The White Sox’ quiet day at the plate continues with a 1-2-3 top of the fifth. Chris Bassitt is up to 68 pitches through five.

Fourth inning: A’s 5, White Sox 0

Athletics 5, White Sox 0: Dallas Keuchel’s day is done as the Sox turn to Jimmy Cordero out of the bullpen. The five runs allowed is a season-high for Keuchel, who allowed no more than three runs in any of his 11 regular season starts.

Athletics 5, White Sox 0: HOME RUN (for the other team)! Khris Davis launches one to left-center for the Athletics’ second homer of the game.

Athletics 4, White Sox 0: As the broadcast had an ongoing conversation with A’s outfielder Mark Canha, the Sox kept it quiet at the plate with three straight outs.

Third inning: A’s 4, White Sox 0

Athletics 4, White Sox 0: Dallas Keuchel bounces back from a couple rough innings to go 1-2-3 – including a couple strikeouts – in the third.

Athletics 4, White Sox 0: Jose Abreu flies out as the Sox fail to take advantage of having two on with no outs.

Athletics 4, White Sox 0: Mark Canha makes a huge catch at the wall on a deep fly by Yoan Moncada, likely saving at least one run and possibly two.

Athletics 4, White Sox 0: Nick Madrigal and Tim Anderson hit back-to-back singles to open the third frame.

Second inning: A’s 4, White Sox 0

Athletics 4, White Sox 0: HOME RUN (for the other team)! Marcus Semien goes deep off Dallas Keuchel to double the A’s lead to four.

Athletics 2, White Sox 0: The Sox get a break as a Sean Murphy drive down the right field line narrowly goes foul, but Murphy quickly follows it up afterwards with a one-out single for Oakland.

Athletics 2, White Sox 0: A wild pitch allows Luis Robert to advance to second base but the Sox cannot take advantage.

Athletics 2, White Sox 0: Luis Robert hits a one-out single to right field for the Sox’ second hit of the afternoon.

First inning: A’s 2, White Sox 0

Athletics 2, White Sox 0: A deep fly out from Khris Davis ends the inning, but not before the A’s take the lead.

Athletics 2, White Sox 0: Nick Madrigal can’t stop a hard grounder from Matt Olson as two runs come in on the clutch two-out single. Madrigal likely wishes he had another shot at that one.

White Sox 0, Athletics 0: The Athletics are looking at bases loaded with two outs after singles by Ramon Laureano and Chad Pinder.

White Sox 0, Athletics 0: Tommy La Stella singles off Dallas Keuchel with one out as the A’s try to take their first lead of the series.

White Sox 0, Athletics 0: Jose Abreu grounds out to third on a looping curveball to end the first frame.

White Sox 0, Athletics 0: Yasmani Grandal draws a two-out walk to give the Sox their first baserunner of the afternoon.

Before the game

Coming off an impressive Game 1 victory Tuesday, the White Sox have a chance to advance to the American League Division Series with a victory over the Athletics in Game 2 of their Wild Card Round matchup Wednesday afternoon.

Dallas Keuchel, who had a sterling regular season with a 1.99 ERA in 11 starts, will face off against Athletics ace Chris Bassitt, a former White Sox prospect who had a strong season of his own with a 2.29 ERA in 11 starts.

The Sox have the advantage entering Game 2 after hitting three home runs in a 4-1 victory to open the series. Left-hander Jesus Luzardo didn’t last long before the A’s turned to their league-best bullpen, but by then the Sox had already built a lead big enough for Lucas Giolito, who carried a perfect game through six innings.

Bassitt, a right-hander, will likely give the Sox hitters more trouble in the early innings Wednesday, but that hasn’t stopped them from putting up numbers in the past.

How to watch Sox-A’s Game 2

Time: 2:08 p.m. CT

TV: ESPN

Live stream: Watch ESPN