Storm clouds loom overhead during the first game of a doubleheader. (Anthony Souffle / Chicago Tribune)
Just when it seemed a horrible night was about to be salvaged, the White Sox snatched a defeat out of the jaws of victory Friday.
Closer Addison Reed allowed four runs in the ninth inning, with a sacrifice fly by the Indians' Jason Kipnis tying the score and Nick Swisher’s long home run giving the Indians a 9-8 lead and the win.
The Indians won the opener 19-10 earlier on Friday, coming back from a 5-0 deficit in the first inning on the strength of 21 hits.
While the Sox amassed 18 runs on 26 hits, they left U.S. Cellular Field with their 20th and 21st losses in their last 29 games.
"You look at the way it was offensively and you wouldn't see this,'' White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "We just couldn't close it out.''
The White Sox had dug their way out of a 4-0, first-inning hole to lead the nightcap 8-5, but Reed could not convert the save.
Singles by Ryan Raburn, Asdrubal Cabrera and Michael Bourn started the Indians' rally.
Only a thousand or so of the original 28,628 fans were still in the park to see Swisher’s blast just inside the right-field foul pole.
"Hector (Gimenez) called the right pitches; I just didn't execute them,'' Reed said. "I left balls up and out over the plate. They made me pay for it.''
The final out came after 1 a.m. as the teams combined to play the longest doubleheader in history when neither game went more than nine innings. The opener took 4:02, the second game 3:51 and there was a 25-minute rain delay before the start of the second game.
The White Sox had scheduled fireworks but had to call them off because of the late finish.
After the game, the Sox sent infielder Brent Morel back to Triple-A Charlotte and optioned reliever Brian Omogrosso.