White Sox win for eighth time in 11 games under acting manager Miguel Cairo

Five runs in the ninth overcome a 3-0 deficit after the Sox were no-hit by the Athletics through the first six innings.

SHARE White Sox win for eighth time in 11 games under acting manager Miguel Cairo
Liam Hendriks gets the final outs Friday night.

White Sox relief pitcher Liam Hendriks reacts after a double play ended the team’s baseball game against the Oakland Athletics in Oakland, Calif., Friday, Sept. 9, 2022. The White Sox won 5-3. (AP)

AP Photos

OAKLAND, Calif. — Miguel Cairo is enjoying the ride.

And what a ride Friday’s improbable 5-3 win over the Athletics was for the White Sox, who won for the eighth time in 11 games since Cairo, the Sox’ bench coach, took over as acting manager.

Down 3-0 and being no-hit for six innings, the Sox (71-68) scored five runs in the ninth, four of them after two outs, to stay within 1 12 games of the Cleveland Guardians in the AL Central.

Eloy Jimenez homered for the third time in three games against A’s lefty A.J. Puk to start it before the Sox scored four runs after two outs. Andrew Vaughn singled home pinch runner Leury Garcia, Romy Gonzalez (after striking out three times) singled home pinch runner Adam Engel with the tying run (Engel sneaking his hand over the plate with a fading slide) and former Athletic Elvis Andrus delivered the tiebreaking shot, a two-run double into the left field corner scoring two runs.

“We were like sleeping for a bit and we just got a wakeup call,” said Cairo, who pushed all the right buttons in the ninth inning pinch-hitting Yasmani Grandal (walk) and using two pinch runners. Cairo took over when Tony La Russa left the team for medical reasons.

“They don’t give up. That’s the phrase Tony uses, never give up. And [play for] 27 outs],” Cairo said.

“That was a good win. We have to come back tomorrow with the same intensity, same fire.”

The Sox have won eight of their last 10 games. Cairo said the good stretch has been a team effort on the field, and with former manager Jerry Narron and coaches Shelley Duncan, Joe McEwing and Ethan Katz all putting their heads together, a group effort from the staff.

“They all help with the moves, with everything,” Cairo said. “Everyone is contributing.”

The Sox were a disappointment the first five months of the season but are now playing as planned.

“Amazing win,” said Lucas Giolito, who pitched six innings of three-run ball. “To put five runs up in the ninth inning like that, it was a lot of fun to watch. Maybe there was a little hangover from last night [scoring 14 runs on 21 hits] early in the game.

“Keep the good vibes rolling. There is a lot of fight in this team. Just amazing clutch at-bats by all the guys. This is stuff we can do when we’re playing loose and free.”

The Sox beat the Mariners for a series win Wednesday after their first seven batters struck out. They were down 4-0 in that one.

“It shows how resilient this team is,” Andrus said. “Eloy’s homer woke us up. This win shows how much heart and passion this team has.”

“These are the games early in the year we wouldn’t win,” Hendriks said. “The attitude in here is a little more yelling at each other which is one of the things we’re thriving on.”

Liam Hendriks, who pitched the ninth for his 32nd save against his former team, said Cairo “has done things differently here but it’s been fantastic.”

“As far as winning percentages he’s the winningest manager in White Sox history, right?” Hendriks said. “We’ve had Miguel for a couple years. It’s been fantastic watching him. We want Tony to get better and healthy and make sure we’re firing on all cylinders but Miggy stepped up admirably into that role.”

The Latest
Woman is getting anxious about how often she has to host her husband’s hunting buddy and his wife, who don’t contribute at all to mealtimes.
He launched a campaign against a proposed neo-Nazis march at a time the suburb was home to many Holocaust survivors. His rabbi at Skokie Central Congregation urged Jews to ignore the Nazis. “I jumped up and said, ‘No, Rabbi. We will not stay home and close the windows.’ ”
That the Bears can just diesel their way in, Bronko Nagurski-style, and attempt to set a sweeping agenda for the future of one of the world’s most iconic water frontages is more than a bit troubling.
A 22-year-old man is in police custody and being questioned, according to Rockford Police Chief Carla Redd. She said investigators haven’t determined a motive for the attacks, which happened days after a Walmart employee was stabbed to death.