The Indians notched their 11th walkoff victory Friday.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- David Murphy did not take long to get re-acclimated.
Pinch-hitter Murphy hit a bases-loaded single with one out in the 10th inning as the Indians defeated the White Sox, 2-1, at Progressive Field. Paid attendance: 15,531.
Murphy was activated from the disabled list earlier in the day. He had been sidelined because of an abdominal injury.
Yan Gomes led off the 10th with a triple to left against righty Maikel Cleto. Gomes was able to reach third because of a long carom after left fielder Michael Taylor banged into the wall. Chris Dickerson pinch-ran.
Michael Bourn was intentionally walked. Lefty Eric Surkamp entered and intentionally walked Lonnie Chisenhall to load the bases for Jason Kipnis.
Kipnis swung and missed at 3-1 and 3-2 pitches. White Sox manager Robin Ventura hooked Surkamp for righty Ronald Belisario.
Murphy lined a 1-2 pitch to center for Cleveland's AL-leading 11th walkoff victory. Murphy notched his fifth career walkoff RBI -- all via singles.
"It was a pretty thing to watch him come through there,'' Indians manager Terry Francona said.
The Tribe is 11-7 in extra innings.
In the top of the 10th, White Sox center fielder Adam Eaton, a left-handed batter, led off against lefty Marc Rzepczynski with a first-pitch bunt toward first. As Carlos Santana fielded, Eaton beat second baseman Kipnis and Rzepczynski to the bag.
Leury Garcia's bunt pushed Eaton to second. Rzepczynski intentionally walked Jose Abreu. Francona signaled for righty C-C Lee to face righty Avisail Garcia.
Garcia fouled two full-count pitches before drawing a walk to load the bases.
Lee escaped by getting Dayan Viciedo to pop foul to first and Marcus Semien to ground to second.
What it means
The Indians (72-67) remain relevant in the race for a postseason berth. The White Sox (63-77) still lead the season series (9-8). Last season, they lost 17 of 19 meetings.
House party
Indians left-hander T.J. House had the unenviable task of attempting to keep up with White Sox lefty Chris Sale. House not only kept up with Sale, he outlasted him.
House allowed one run on seven hits in seven innings. He walked none and struck out seven as part of 101 pitches.
Sale allowed one run on five hits in six innings. He walked one and struck out five as part of 98 pitches. His AL-leading ERA went from 2.11 to 2.09.
In nine road starts, Sale's ERA is 1.41.
House answered the challenge with his second straight superb start. On Aug. 31 at Kansas City, he allowed one run on five hits in seven innings. The Indians led, 4-2, entering the bottom of the 10th when the game was suspended because of rain.
Early advantage
The Indians took a 1-0 lead in the first. They forced Sale to throw 26 pitches.
Tyler Holt led off with an eight-pitch at-bat that ended with a grounder into the hole at second for a single.
Jose Ramirez grounded sharply to third, where Semien triggered a 5-4-3 double play. Michael Brantley lined a 1-2 fastball to left for a single. Brantley extended his hitting streak to nine games.
Brantley notched just the 17th hit by a left-handed batter against Sale this season. Lefties entered Friday at 16-for-107 (.150) with one double, two RBI, six walks and one hit-by-pitch against him. The OPS was .361.
On a 1-2 pitch to Carlos Santana, Brantley stole second. Brantley advanced to third when catcher Tyler Flowers' throw ended in the outfield. Brantley is 18-for-19 in steals.
After a ball, Santana singled to left to make it 1-0. Gomes struck out swinging.
Sale had not allowed an earned run on the road in his previous 22 innings over three starts. He had given up one earned run on the road in the past 32 2/3.
Alexeeei goes deep
The White Sox tied the score, 1-1, in the third. Alexei Ramirez sent a 2-2 off-speed pitch into the left-field bleachers for his fourth homer against the Indians and 14th overall. More credit goes to Ramirez than blame to House for the homer; it was decent pitch.
Rookie slugger Abreu followed with a liner off the right-field wall that caromed past Ryan Raburn. By the time Raburn secured the ball, Abreu had bagged his second triple of the season.
House bowed his neck and got Avisail Garcia to ground to third.
Painful exit
With a runner on second and two outs in the Chicago fifth, Ramirez was drilled in the left foot by House's 1-2 pitch. Ramirez hopped in pain and crumpled to the ground. Leury Garcia pinch-ran.
At this point, the game was on the line, because the ultra-dangerous Abreu stepped in. House fell behind, 2-1. After a foul and a ball, House refused to give in. He threw a nasty off-speed pitch away, and Abreu swung and missed.
"He was either going to swing at something outside the zone or walk to first,'' House said.
Providing assistance
The Indians backed House with quality defense. Among the plays that stood out:
*With one out in the first, center fielder Holt denied Ramirez extra bases by making a running catch in deep right-center. The play was magnified when Abreu singled to right. Garcia struck out swinging to end the threat.
Abreu extended his hitting streak to 14 games.
*With one out in the second, Semien lined a single to right-center. It would have been an extra-base hit if Raburn had not made a backhanded pick of a ball that appeared to be past him.
Semien advanced to second on a passed ball. As Taylor grounded to short, Semien, despite the play being in front of him, sprinted for third. Jose Ramirez smoothly handled the hop and threw on-target to Chisenhall for the out. Tyler Flowers struck out looking.
*Flowers led off the fifth with a grounder up the middle that second baseman Zach Walters picked with the backhand.
When the White Sox were in the field, Semien made several above-average plays.
What's next
The series continues Saturday night when Indians righty Corey Kluber (13-9, 2.72 ERA) faces White Sox lefty Jose Quintana (7-10, 3.44).
Kluber has lost his past three starts, although two rate as quality. He is coming off his shortest outing of the season, during which he allowed five runs (two earned) in 2 2/3 innings against Detroit in Cleveland.