Sunday, he felt a special sense of pride. ”That’

Nick Martini picked a perfect time – and place – for his first major league hit.

Pinch hitting Brian Burns Jersey , Martini drove in the tiebreaking run in the eighth inning with full-count single up the middle and the Oakland Athletics came back from an early five-run deficit to edge the Chicago White Sox 7-6 on Saturday.

Martini, recalled from Triple-A before the game, battled through the eight-pitch at-bat and lined his hit off Juan Minaya (0-2) with two outs to center to score Stephen Piscotty from second. Piscotty reached on a double when right fielder Avisail Garcia lost his routine fly in the sun.

Martini is from Crystal Lake, Illinois, a Chicago suburb about 45 miles northwest of Guaranteed Rate Field. Although the 27-year-old outfielder says he followed the crosstown Cubs as a kid, coming through on the South Side suited him just fine.

”It’s hard to describe,” said Martini who played in front of a contingent of family members and friends. ”To get it here in my backyard was definitely special and I was super excited.”

Martini was called up by the A’s for three games earlier this month, but the 27-year-old outfielder was hitless in nine at-bats.

Piscotty launched a two-run drive and Matt Olson hit a solo shot as the Athletics homered in their 24th consecutive road game, tying a modern day record set by Baltimore in 1996. Olson’s homer was his 17th and third in four games.

”Who knows why, but we’re definitely in a groove right now,” Piscotty said. ”I felt like the way our offense has been, (coming back) wasn’t too daunting a task.”

Lou Trivino (5-1), the A’s fourth reliever, pitched 1 2/3 innings and struck out four. Blake Treinen got the last five outs for his 17th save as Oakland hung on for its sixth victory in seven games despite committing two errors in the ninth.

Tim Anderson hit his 13th homer http://www.carolinapanthersteamonline.com/greg-little-jersey , a three-run shot on his 25th birthday, that capped Chicago’s five-run first inning burst. The White Sox have lost nine of 10.

Both starters exited early with injuries.

Oakland’s Daniel Mengden was roughed up for the fourth straight outing, allowing five runs and five hits before a sprained right foot forced him to leave after two innings. The right-hander, who is 0-2 with an 11.57 ERA over 16 1/3 innings in June, said the foot has bothered him over his past few starts.

Although he appeared to be cruising with a 5-2 lead, White Sox starter Dylan Covey was pulled due to right hip soreness with no outs in the fifth when Oakland scored three times to tie it at 5. Manager Rick Renteria called the move precautionary and said the team would know more on Sunday.

Coved said his hip ”felt funny” as he left the field after four innings.

”I could feel it in my (fifth inning) warmups,” Covey said ”My drag leg was not really painful, but nagging me. I was bracing every pitch for something. It was affecting the quality of my pitches.”

Covey, who was charged with four runs, left after walking Matt Joyce to start the inning and reaching a 2-1 count on Jonathan Lucroy. Chris Volstad completed the walk to Lucroy, then gave up a single to Franklin Barreto, a sacrifice fly to Dustin Fowler and Jed Lowrie’s two-run double.

Piscotty’s homer in the second made it 5-2. After Oakland tied it, Olson’s homer leading off the sixth put the A’s ahead 6-5.

Yoan Moncada grounded into a force at second with the bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth to push in a run to tie it at 6.

ROSTER MOVES

Martini was recalled from Triple-A Nashville on Saturday, and right-handed pitcher Chris Bassitt and left-hander Danny Coulombe were optioned.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Athletics: Manager Bob Melvin said LHP Ryan Buchter (strained left shoulder) will be activated on Monday at Detroit. . Melvin had no timetable or plan for Mengden Will Grier Jersey , but said the right-hander’s current injury isn’t related to previous surgery.

White Sox: RHP Miguel Gonzalez (right rotator cuff inflammation) is expected to throw three innings in a rehab start Sunday at Triple-A Charlotte. Gonzalez, who was 0-3 with a 12.41 in three starts in April, said he expects to make three or four starts on the rehab assignment. . Renteria said OF Nicky Delmonico (broken finger on right hand) is getting ready to start hitting off a tee.

UP NEXT

Athletics RHP Paul Blackburn (1-1, 8.03) faces White Sox LHP Carlos Rodon (0-2, 4.41) on Sunday in the series finale. Both Blackburn and Rodon will make their fourth starts since returning from the DL.

ASHBURN, Va. (AP)Kapri Bibbs was out of work, not out of hope. Traded from the Denver Broncos to the San Francisco 49ers after 29 carries in 12 games and then cut after training camp, Bibbs trained at Tom Shaw’s facility in Orlando and bided his time for three months. Bibbs said he was ”working my butt off every single day.” It took season-ending injuries to three Washington Redskins running backs for Bibbs to get back into the NFL. On Sunday against Arizona, the 24-year-old scored a touchdown on screen-pass to become the latest newcomer to make an immediate impact for the Redskins. It was another much-needed contribution from a player essentially picked up off the street for a battered team in need of help from just about every source. Center Tony Bergstrom played four days after signing in October, fill-in rookie kicker Nick Rose made 10 of 11 field goal attempts when Dustin Hopkins went down and defensive lineman Arthur Jones played 23 snaps in one game as an injury replacement before hurting his shoulder. With no previous connections to the Redskins, Bibbs and Bergstrom have given the Redskins contributions they’ve needed every bit of just to stay afloat. ”I’ve been very impressed with them,” coach Jay Gruden said. ”It’s one thing to come in here and learn the system but another to come in here and play and produce. Both of them did what they were asked of and they both played very well.” Bibbs should again split carries with rookie Samaje Perine on Sunday against the Broncos , who had the former Colorado State star on their 53-man roster off and on from 2014-2016. At 6-8, Washington has only the prospect of finishing .500 to play for http://www.carolinapanthersteamonline.com/christian-miller-jersey , though for Bibbs it’s a chance to revitalize his career. ”Kapri’s been ready to play for years now. He just kind of hasn’t had his opportunity,” said Bert Whigham, who trains players in Shaw’s program . ”He’s healthy and hungry because he was sitting around training and watching players play that he feels like he’s better than or that he feels like he can compete with. His body’s fresh and ready to go, so I think he can make a difference.” Thanks to the crash-course teaching of running backs coach Randy Jordan, that definitely seems possible. ”Ever since the first day I walked in, he put in extensive work and kept hounding us on the playbook and did little things to help me and make me feel more comfortable within the playbook,” Bibbs said after his 36-yard touchdown catch Sunday. ”All props to Coach Jordan. He’s a great coach and I appreciate him for believing in me and putting me in there in that position.” Bibbs made it clear he’s no NFL neophyte because this is his fourth year in the league. It’s also the fourth for Bergstrom, 31, who played four games for the Baltimore Ravens earlier this season and then stepped in cold at center for the Redskins on Oct. 29 and started twice more. Quarterback Kirk Cousins appreciated Bergstrom’s ability to pick up his job quickly and the two developed a selfless working relationship in short order. ”He likes to try to keep as much off my plate as possible,” Cousins said. ”So when he does have something for me, he almost asks apologetically, not trying to put too much on me. And I feel the opposite toward him: `Put as much on me as possible. You’ve only been here a few weeks.”’ That’s life for free agents out of football, trying to stay ready while not knowing where the next call will come from. So when safety D.J. Swearinger watched Bibbs score Sunday, he felt a special sense of pride. ”That’s been me Jordan Scarlett Jersey ,” said Swearinger, now a Redskins starter and their leader after stints with Houston, Tampa Bay and Arizona. ”I definitely understand where he’s coming from. I’ve been on the couch before, watching football. Those guys, when we come in off the street, they’re hungry. They want to make their presence felt again in the league.” Bibbs is working on that. He discusses Washington’s struggles and desire to finish strong like he has been around all season rather than talking about this being an audition for his future. It probably is, though the Redskins’ lack of a steady running game the past three seasons could open the door. For now, Bibbs has a fan in Cousins. ”He’s been a joy to work with the last couple weeks and he’s shown some ability,” Cousins said. ”It’s a great feeling when players that you pick up who are with other teams and on the practice squad and were just looking for an opportunity and then they arrive and they make good of that opportunity.” —