ANAHEIM, Calif. — The Chicago White Sox were down but not out late Tuesday against the Los Angeles Angels.
The Sox trailed by two runs when Chase Meidroth led off the seventh with a home run.
The Sox put pressure on the Angels in the eighth and ninth but couldn’t push across another run in a 4-3 loss in front of 26,892 at Angel Stadium.
“The game’s not over until the end of the ninth inning,” Meidroth said. “Battled the whole way.”
The Sox couldn’t overcome three Angels home runs.
Sox starter Erick Fedde allowed home runs to Mike Trout and Jorge Soler in the first inning. Zach Neto hit a tiebreaking solo blast against Fedde in the fifth. Nolan Schanuel drove in a run later in the fifth with a double.
Fedde allowed four runs on six hits with two strikeouts and two walks in 4 2/3 innings.
“Just tried to compete and go after guys and give the boys a chance to win,” Fedde said. “I’ve said over the past couple of weeks my sweeper has been a big pitch for me, it just felt I was missing a little more arm-side today. Just wasn’t as precise on the command with that pitch. Got beat on it a couple of times.”
The Sox (17-19) jumped out to a 2-0 lead, scoring twice in the first inning. They loaded the bases with no outs on a single by Meidroth and walks by Miguel Vargas and Colson Montgomery.
Randal Grichuk, who signed a one-year deal with the Sox on Monday, hit a broken-bat single to right field, bringing in Meidroth.
Edgar Quero followed with a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Vargas to make it 2-0.
The Angels responded in the bottom of the inning with solo home runs from Trout and Soler to tie the score. It remained that way until the fifth, when Neto homered with two outs. Trout walked and then scored on Schanuel’s double, increasing the Angels’ lead to 4-2. It was the last batter Fedde faced.
“Fedde was good,” Sox manager Will Venable said. “He was efficient. Just a couple of pitches he probably wants back.”
The Sox threatened in the sixth, placing runners on the corners with two outs after a pinch-hit single by Munetaka Murakami. Angels reliever Drew Pomeranz got Sam Antonacci to fly out to left field.
Meidroth homered leading off the seventh against reliever Sam Bachman, bringing the Sox within 4-3.
“Just looking for something up and got a good pitch,” Meidroth said.
Pinch hitter Tristan Peters reached on a fielding error by second baseman Vaughn Grissom with two outs in the eighth. Murakami hit a long drive just foul down the right-field line on the first pitch from reliever Ryan Zeferjahn. The right-hander eventually struck out Murakami swinging.
“Every ball he hits in the air, you think it’s got a shot,” Venable said. “Just foul there but good at-bat by (Murakami).”
Zeferjahn hit Antonacci with a pitch in the ninth. Antonacci stole second while Meidroth struck out and advanced to third on a throwing error by catcher Sebastián Rivero. Vargas walked, bringing Montgomery up with runners on the corners and one out.
Zeferjahn struck out Montgomery, but Jarred Kelenic walked to load the bases for Quero. Zeferjahn got Quero to ground out to second to end the game.
“It’s kind of been the mentality of this team, the ability to come back and put us in games,” Fedde said. “It feels like every game we have unfortunately not won, we’ve had moments when we have a chance to win or take the lead, and that’s all you can ask for. The guys are battling. Gave it a fighting effort to win today.”
The Sox left 11 runners on base and went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position in the loss.
“I thought the bullpen did a really good job of keeping us in it,” Venable said. “Had opportunities there in the ninth. Just wasn’t able to cash in.”
