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CHICAGO — The Chicago White Sox won back-to-back games for the first time in nearly three months, beating the Oakland Athletics 4-3 on Sunday behind home runs from Gavin Sheets and Bryan Ramos to end a streak of 20 consecutive series losses.

A day after scoring in the ninth to win 7-6 and stop a 16-game home losing streak, the White Sox took a 3-0 first-inning lead and strung together wins for the first time since three in a row against Atlanta and Colorado from June 27-29. Chicago, which won two of three against the A’s, hadn’t won a series since taking two of three from the Rockies.

“If there’s one thing we’ve learned it’s you can’t take big league wins for granted,” Sheets said. “To get back-to-back wins and get a series win, it feels really good. We have to enjoy these times and keep it going.”

Chicago is 35-115 with 12 games left and is trying to avoid the post-1900 record of 120 losses by the 1962 expansion New York Mets. The White Sox are 20-58 at home, one shy of the post-1900 mark for home losses shared by the 1939 St. Louis Browns and 2019 Detroit Tigers.

“You play music, everybody is happy, making jokes. That’s a good feeling,” Ramos said.

Sean Burke (1-0) allowed two runs and five hits in five innings. The 24-year-old right-hander, making his first big league start and second appearance, struck out five and walked two.

Ramos and Lenyn Sosa had two hits apiece for the White Sox.

Brent Rooker and Shea Langeliers homered for the Athletics (65-85). JJ Bleday and Nick Allen each had two hits.

JP Sears (11-11) gave up four runs and seven hits in six innings.

Andrew Vaughn’s RBI single and Sheets’ two-run homer built the early lead. Sheets has 10 homers after going deep in consecutive games.

Rooker hit his 37th homer, a two-run drive in the fifth, but Ramos boosted the lead with his sixth-inning homer.

“He continues to impress,” manager Mark Kotsay said. “You got to include this guy in the Silver Slugger conversation.”

Pinch hitter Shea Langeliers homered with two outs in the ninth off Fraser Ellard, his 26th. Allen then flied out, giving Ellard his first big league save.

“Offensively, we couldn’t scrap back,” Kotsay said. “Great swing by Lang in the ninth, but tough day, tough series for us.”

In more positive news for the White Sox, infielder Yoan Moncada (left adductor strain) is expected to be activated from the injured list Monday at Anaheim. He has been on the injured list since April 10. Moncada was in the clubhouse after Sunday’s game.

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USC QB pulls off fake punt wearing No. 80 jersey

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USC QB pulls off fake punt wearing No. 80 jersey

LOS ANGELES — No. 20 USC pulled off a remarkable fake punt against Northwestern in Friday night’s 38-17 win by sending out third-string quarterback Sam Huard in the same uniform number as the Trojans’ punter.

Wearing a No. 80 jersey, Huard came on the field with the punt team in the second quarter and completed a 10-yard pass to Tanook Hines. The first down extended the Trojans’ second drive, which ended with a TD run by Jayden Maiava.

This bit of trickery was quite legal, apparently: Huard wore No. 7 earlier this season for the Trojans, but he is listed as No. 80 on the USC roster for this week after Lincoln Riley’s team quietly made the change.

USC punter Sam Johnson also wears No. 80. College football teams frequently feature two players wearing the same number.

Huard, who is a couple of inches shorter than the 6-foot-3 Johnson, grinned widely as he high-fived teammates on the way off the field. He is a former five-star recruit who began his college career at Washington.

Bowling Green pulled off a similar stunt in last season’s 68 Ventures Bowl in Mobile, Alabama.

Third-string Falcons quarterback Baron May switched his uniform number before the game from 8 to 18 — very similar to punter John Henderson‘s No. 19 jersey.

Late in the first quarter, May came on the field instead of Henderson and threw a 43-yard touchdown pass to Malcolm Johnson Jr. — although Arkansas State overcame it for a 38-31 victory.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Missouri’s Norfleet (shoulder) ruled out vs. A&M

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Missouri's Norfleet (shoulder) ruled out vs. A&M

No. 22 Missouri will be without star tight end Brett Norfleet (shoulder) when the Tigers host undefeated No. 3 Texas A&M on Saturday in Columbia.

Norfleet, a junior from O’Fallon, Missouri, has started in each of the Tigers’ eight games this fall and enters Week 11 leading all SEC tight ends with five touchdown receptions. His 26 catches on the season rank third-most among Missouri pass catchers, trailing only wide receivers Kevin Coleman Jr. and Marquis Johnson.

Tigers coach Eli Drinkwitz told reporters that Norflett sustained a separated shoulder in Missouri’s 17-10 loss at Vanderbilt on Oct. 25. Drinkwitz later described Norfleet as “day-to-day” during the Tigers’ bye in Week 10, and the veteran tight end was listed as questionable in Missouri’s student-athlete availability report Thursday night.

Norfleet’s absence comes with Drinkwitz and the two-loss Tigers essentially facing a playoff elimination game against the Aggies on Saturday. Missouri will also be without starting quarterback Beau Pribula in Week 11 after the Penn State transfer dislocated his ankle at Vanderbilt. Freshman Matt Zollers, ESPN’s No. 6 pocket passer in the 2025 class, is set to make his first career start Saturday, facing Texas A&M coach Mike Elko and an Aggies defense that ranks 18th nationally in defensive pressures (137), per ESPN Research.

“For our team, it’s really about us focusing on helping Matt execute at the highest level possible,” Drinkwitz said this week. “We’re excited about Matt’s opportunity and what he’s earned. He has done a really good job in practice of leadership, stepping up, embracing the moment, embracing the opportunity.”

Missouri (6-2) kicks off against Texas A&M at 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC.

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Sources: Kansas State RB Edwards leaves team

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Sources: Kansas State RB Edwards leaves team

Kansas State running back Dylan Edwards has left the Wildcats and is expected to enter the transfer portal, sources confirmed to ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

Edwards has been hampered by injuries this season and has played in just four games. He has only 34 carries for 205 yards.

In 2024, Edwards finished with 546 rushing yards while averaging 7.4 yards per carry with seven total touchdowns.

He began his career in 2023 at Colorado before transferring to K-State.

The Wildcats (4-5, 3-3 Big 12) are off this weekend.

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