Sox knocked out of playoffs, but say future is bright

In the strangest season in major-league history, the White Sox followed suit with what was likely the most unusual game in their 120-year existence Thursday.

There were ups, downs, historic pitching changes and critical injuries in Game 3 of the opening round of the playoffs.

"I think that today's game was a unique situation," Sox manager Rick Renteria said.

Making their first trip to the postseason since 2008, the White Sox jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the deciding game before the bats went quiet and a parade of relief pitchers buckled under some heavy weight in a 6-4 loss to the Athletics at Oakland Coliseum.

The White Sox are going home after their first winning season in eight years, but their heads aren't bowed.

"It's just the start of something," said shortstop Tim Anderson, who was fantastic (9-for-14) in his playoff debut. "I think it was good for us to get in. Guys got a taste of it and I think it's just going to make them more hungry to get back there. We battled today.

"I couldn't be more happy and proud of the way we fought, and I know that we gave our all. It's a tough one to swallow, but we've got to keep going. It's just the start of something that could be great."

There were 17 pitchers used in the game - nine by the Sox - a major-league record for a nine-inning postseason game.

Dane Dunning got the call to start and the rookie right-hander did get two outs. He also gave up a leadoff single to Tommy La Stella and was lifted after Mark Canha singled with two outs.

Rookie Garrett Crochet relieved Dunning and struck out Matt Olson to end the first inning. After the left-hander struck out Khris Davis to start the second, he was immediately lifted with left forearm tightness.

Eloy Jimenez (foot) also left the game in the third inning after getting back into the lineup at designated hitter.

Crochet, the Sox's first-round draft pick in June threw 9 pitches and failed to hit 100-mph or higher like he usually does.

"We looked at the velocities," Renteria said. "We saw there was a dip and I just thought it was a different type of pitch, that's why we walked out there. He wasn't showing any signs. He wasn't doing anything that really indicated anything was amiss. The velocity showed something so we went out and talked to him."

Ideally, Crochet would have pitched the second and third innings and put the White Sox in a better situation.

"That was not to be," Renteria said. "I think the guys came in and tried to put zeros up as much as they possibly can and see if we can score some runs."

Luis Robert hit a 487-foot home run in the second inning and added an RBI single in the third inning. Nomar Mazara drove in runs with a double in the third and single in the fifth.

That was it for the Sox's offense, which went 3-for-14 with runners in scoring position while stranding 12 runners.

"It kind of got quiet," Anderson said. "But we put together some good (at-bats), guys fought in the box. We can live with this one. We gave our all, I know we gave our all. But this is something that I hope gets a lot of guys excited."

With the bullpen in such disarray, the usually effective Matt Foster was called upon in a rough situation. Coming on with the bases loaded and two outs in the fourth inning, Foster walked in two straight runs as the A's took a 4-3 lead.

"That's the way it goes," Renteria said. "I think the guys gave us everything they could. They left everything out there. Every single reliever, every single position player, everybody did what they could to try to keep us in a good place and we just fell a little short."