(Sports Network) – Mark Kotsay and Mark Teahen each recorded a pinch-hit RBI in the top of the ninth as Chicago nipped Oakland, 4-3, in the finale of a three-game set.
Dayan Viciedo added a pair of hits and knocked in a run for the White Sox, who snapped an eight-game losing streak — their longest since 2007 — and won less than 24 hours after being eliminated from the AL Central race.
Matt Thornton (4-4) allowed one hit over 1 2/3 relief frames for Edwin Jackson, who worked the first seven innings and yielded five hits and three runs — two earned — with six strikeouts.
Chris Carter homered and Jack Cust knocked in a run for the Athletics, who had won four of five coming in.
Brad Ziegler (3-5) took the loss and the blown save, charged with two runs and two hits over 1 2/3 innings.
Chicago took a 4-3 lead against Ziegler in the ninth. Carlos Quentin worked a one-out walk, then moved up on a groundout. Kotsay followed with a pinch- single to right which knotted the game, and Teahen added a run-scoring double which put the visitors on top.
Oakland put two runners on in the ninth with singles, one against Thornton and one against J.J. Putz, but Chris Sale managed to strike out pinch-hitter Steven Tolleson to end the contest and earn his third save.
Carter’s leadoff homer in the third put Oakland on the board, and the A’s tacked on one more in the sixth. Cliff Pennington was hit by a pitch and stole second, then Kurt Suzuki walked. Cust dumped a single to right for a 2-0 game.
A’s starter Brett Anderson exited in the seventh inning after Quentin’s one- out double was followed by a two-out RBI single from Viciedo for a 2-1 contest. Boof Bonser fanned Brent Morel to end the inning.
Jeff Larish doubled in the home seventh and scored thanks to a throwing error by Sox second baseman Brent Lillibridge on an Eric Sogard grounder for a 3-1 Oakland edge.
The Sox crept within one in the eighth. Juan Pierre and Alexei Ramirez singled with one out to put runners on the corners. Pierre caught the A’s sleeping on a steal of home, but Alex Rios hit into an inning-ending double play.
Oakland won five of the nine games in the season series…Anderson scattered six hits and one run over 6 2/3 innings…Thornton picked up his first win since July 28…Ziegler’s fourth blown save of 2010 was his first since he posted back-to-back blown saves on June 27 and 30.