CHICAGO — Loud chants of “Fire Tony!” broke out at Guaranteed Rate Field as manager Tony La Russa and the Chicago White Sox blew a five-run lead and lost to the Texas Rangers 11-9 in 10 innings on Saturday.
La Russa has been under increased scrutiny this week since ordering an unconventional intentional walk in a loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The White Sox won the AL Central last season but now are just 27-30 under their 77-year-old Hall of Fame manager.
He didn’t seem fazed, though.
“I hear it with one ear and I see it with one eye,” La Russa said. “I just know I appreciate [that] they want us to win. And, when we don’t win, they’re unhappy.”
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Fans took up the chants a couple more times as the crowd of 30,221 rapidly thinned out in the 10th.
“There isn’t anything that’s happening with this team that, in the end, I’m not responsible for,” La Russa said. “Never dodged accountability and I won’t start now.”
Chicago has lost three of four. Texas won for just the fourth time in its past 11 games.
Jake Burger hit a three-run homer off AL ERA leader Martin Perez that helped the White Sox take a 5-0 lead into the fourth. But the Rangers clawed back when Adolis Garcia hit a three-run homer off Lucas Giolito in the fifth, then tied it at 7 on Jonah Heim’s sacrifice fly in the seventh.
Nathaniel Lowe put Texas ahead with his second double of the game, a drive that began a four-run burst in the 10th. A passed ball by Reese McGuire scored another run, and Marcus Semien hit a two-run single.
Danny Mendick’s RBI single and Andrew Vaughn’s sacrifice fly pulled Chicago within two runs in the bottom half, but Joe Barlow retired Luis Robert and Jose Abreu to end it.
Texas has now completed a trio of five-run comeback wins this season.
Texas reliever Matt Moore (3-0) fanned five in two scoreless innings.
Matt Foster (1-1) took the loss.
The White Sox tagged Perez for 12 hits and six earned runs in five innings. He began the day with a 1.56 ERA.
Giolito was impressive through four innings before Garcia homered for the 12th time this year.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.