OAKLAND - Franklin Barreto enjoyed quite a rebound game.
The A's rookie infielder delivered his first career walk-off homer with one out in the ninth Tuesday and Oakland beat the Chicago White Sox 7-6 to snap a six-game losing streak.
Barreto worked the count to 3-2 and then hit a towering shot toward left off Tommy Kahnle. The ball barely cleared the left field wall, and then Barreto's teammates stormed the field to greet him at home plate.
Adam Rosales administered the pie to the face as Barreto was conducting his postgame TV interview.
The A's sixth walk-off victory was a see-saw ending that saw the Sox tie the game off closer Santiago Casilla in the top of the ninth. But the A's pulled it out and put a halt to an eight-game home losing streak that matched their longest in 35 years.
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Barreto came with just two hits in his previous 24 at-bats and no RBI and 13 strikeouts in his previous seven games.
Alonso has a big day: Lost in the hoopla of his first All-Star selection was that Yonder Alonso has been scuffling at the plate lately.
What a lift it was for the A's to see their first baseman regain the power stroke that has marked his breakthrough 2017 season. Alonso went deep twice, his third multi-homer game of the season.
Leadoff man Matt Joyce also went deep as the A's snapped out of a funk that had seen them score just 10 runs over their previous five games.
Homers hurting the rookie: A's starter Daniel Gossett was in line for the victory until Chicago's game-tying rally in the ninth. But the right-hander is having an issue keeping the ball in the ballpark. All five runs he allowed in five-plus innings came on two swings of the bat - a two-run homer by Cabrera in the third and a three-run shot by Jose Abreu in the fifth that briefly gave Chicago a 5-4 lead. Gossett has surrendered seven home runs through his first five major league starts (26 IP).
Casilla can't hold lead: Melky Cabrera's game-tying single in the ninth came on an 0-2 count in which Casilla, his one-time Giants teammate, hung a curve that caught too much plate. Rajai Davis made a strong throw from left field, but Tim Anderson slid in safely just ahead of the tag from Bruce Maxwell.
Barreto's big day at plate: The rookie also had an RBI triple in the fourth, his first career three-bagger.
Healy's condition improving: Designated hitter Ryon Healy was out of the lineup for a second consecutive game as he deals with upper back spasms. Manager Bob Melvin said before the game that he hoped Healy might be an option off the bench.
