CHICAGO — White Sox starter Chris Sale missed a shot at his first win since mid-May but didn’t seem upset after Chicago rallied in the bottom of the ninth for a 5-4 interleague victory over the New York Mets on Tuesday.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been disappointed after a win,” Sale said after pitching eight innings without a decision. “Stuff happens. It’s not the first time and it won’t be the last, Any time you walk away with a win, there’s no reason to hang your head. A record is irrelevant.”
Alexei Ramirez snapped a 4-4 tie with a walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the ninth as his two-out single down the third base line scored Jeff Keppinger from third for the game-winning run off right handed reliever LaTroy Hawkins.
Hawkins (2-1) allowed two hits and committed a fielding error in a rocky ninth after the Mets had rallied to tie in the top of the inning.
The White Sox missed a chance to win in the top of the ninth when a potential game-ending popup by pinch-hitter Daniel Murphy was misplayed by second baseman Gordon Beckham.
That allowed David Wright to score an unearned run from second off White Sox reliever Addison Reed, who worked one inning for the victory. He’s now 3-0.
“I ran in there and screwed it up,” Beckham said. “Stupid play for me, my heart was in the right spot but my mind obviously wasn’t. I’m glad it didn’t cost us the game and I’m glad we won but I’m an idiot.”
The error cost Sale a victory despite striking out 13 and leaving after eight innings with a 4-3 lead.
Sale gave up four hits while walking two in the opener of a two-game series at U.S. Cellular Field. Sale, who remains 5-6, had lost four straight starts before Tuesday’s no-decision.
Sale’s 13 strikeouts represented his second-highest total this season.
Chicago went ahead with a two-run rally in the fifth. Alejandro De Aza brought home Beckham from third on a fielder’s choice to tie the game, and Ramirez’s sacrifice fly to right scored Tyler Flowers.
New York right-hander Zack Wheeler got a no-decision in his second major league start. Wheeler gave up four runs on four hits in 5 1/3 innings. He walked three and struck out one.
But Mets’ manager Terry Collins continues to like what he sees from Wheeler.
“Zack’s going to get a lot better, he’s got really good stuff,” Collins said. “You’ve got to like what you see. He’s got a live arm, his fastball’s got life to it, his curveball today was so much better than it was in his last start. If he finds a slider to go along and he’s got three pitches, he’s going to get a lot of outs.”
But Wheeler said he was disappointed with the effort.
“I didn’t throw a lot of strikes and when I did they were bad strikes,” he said. “I thought the balls were up and the only thing I had working today was the curveball. We’ve got a lot of work to do.”
The White Sox broke a three-game interleague losing streak.
The Mets scored twice in the first after Eric Young Jr. doubled down the third base line to open the game.
Young stole third with one out and scored on Marlon Byrd’s sacrifice to right. Wright walked, stole second and came home on Josh Satin’s single to center.
Chicago replied with a run in the bottom of the inning. De Aza hit a leadoff single and stole second. He reached third on Ramirez’s ground ball to short, and he came home on Alex Rios’ groundout to third.
Flowers led off the White Sox third with a solo home run to left. His seventh homer of the season came on a 1-1 pitch off Wheeler. Sale struck out the side in the fourth and piled up nine strikeouts through four innings. In the fifth, though, he gave up a first-pitch solo home run to Andrew Brown as the Mets went ahead 3-2.
NOTES: Prior to the game, the Mets traded OF Collin Cowgill to the Los Angeles Angels for OF Kyle Johnson, who was hitting .308 with Class A Burlington. Cowgill was designated for assignment last week. … Mets manager Terry Collins says he’s in no hurry to bring back 1B Ike Davis, who’s hitting .333 with five homers in 15 games at Triple-A Las Vegas. “When the time’s right he’ll be up here. It’ll probably be when we’re making sure we’re facing some righties,” Collins said. … The two-game series is only second-ever between the Mets and White Sox in Chicago. The White Sox went 2-1 against New York in 2002. The teams split two games earlier this season at Citi Field. … Mets RHP Shaun Marcum (0-9, 5.76 ERA) will face White Sox LHP John Danks (1-4, 5.40 ERA) to wrap up the two-game series Wednesday.