The Chicago White Sox saw their five-game winning streak come to a halt Sunday at Petco Park, but not before delivering some late-inning drama that had the sellout crowd of 40,171 on the edge of their seats.

Trailing 3-1 in the seventh inning, pinch hitter Derek Hill stepped to the plate with a runner on base and delivered a game-tying, two-run home run that seemed to shift momentum entirely in Chicago's favor. Hill connected on an 0-2 fastball from reliever Adrian Morejon, sending the ball deep into the San Diego night. It was a clutch moment that showcased the depth and fight this Sox team has cultivated during their recent hot stretch.

"It's a big spot and he came through," manager Will Venable said of Hill's heroics.

But baseball is a game of quick twists, and the Padres answered right back in the bottom of the eighth. A walk, a stolen base, and an infield single put pressure on the Sox defense, and with two outs, Xander Bogaerts delivered the decisive blow — a check-swing RBI infield single on a 2-2 fastball from Bryan Hudson that trickled between the mound and third base.

The Sox didn't go quietly. In the ninth, Tristan Peters singled and stole second, putting the tying run in scoring position against Padres closer Mason Miller. But Miller locked in and struck out Luisangel Acuña to end the game, giving San Diego the 4-3 victory.

Despite the loss, there were plenty of positives for Venable to take away from the series, which the Sox won two games to one. The team played the kind of fundamental baseball that wins games in October, with starters Noah Schultz and Sean Burke delivering back-to-back six-inning shutout performances on Friday and Saturday.

"Tough loss, but we're in a good spot," Venable said. "Guys just continue to play hard."

Even with a couple of early base-running mistakes — Sam Antonacci thrown out at the plate on an infield hit in the first, and Jarred Kelenic picked off first in the fourth — Venable praised his team's resilience. "I thought the guys did a great job battling, gave ourselves a chance there."

For a team that's now 16-18, the message from the clubhouse is clear: the winning culture is building, and the fight is here to stay.