White Sox 7, A's 3
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Right-hander Jeff Samardzija allowed three runs over eight innings, and the Chicago White Sox defeated the Oakland A's 7-3 Sunday at the O.co Coliseum, sweeping the three-game series and winning their season-high fifth consecutive game.
Samardzija (3-2) allowed eight hits, struck out five and walked three in his first career appearance against the A's, who traded him to the White Sox on Dec. 9 as part of a six-player deal. Samardzija went 5-6 with a 3.14 ERA in 16 starts for Oakland last season after being acquired on July 5 from the Chicago Cubs.
Right fielder Avisail Garcia went 3-for-5 with a two-run homer in the ninth for the White Sox (17-17), who reached the .500 mark for the first time this season. First baseman Jose Abreu went 1-for-4 and extended his hitting streak to 12 games. He drove in a run and scored once. Shortstop Alexei Ramirez added two hits and two RBIs.
A's rookie first baseman Max Muncy hit his first career home run, a two-run blast in the fourth inning. Center fielder Billy Burns went 3-for-4, stole a base and scored a run.
Oakland left-hander Scott Kazmir (2-2) allowed five runs (three earned) on seven hits while lasting only 4 1/3 innings, his shortest outing of the season. Kazmir struck out six, walked three and was hurt by three errors, including one of his own.
The A's lost their fourth straight game and fell for the 10th time in their past 11 games. They committed four more errors -- two by shortstop Marcus Semien -- and they lead the major leagues with 42 for the season. Oakland committed at least one error for the 14th game in a row.
Oakland (13-26) owns the major leagues' worst record.
The White Sox grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning, taking advantage of center fielder Adam Eaton's leadoff double and errors on Kazmir and catcher Stephen Vogt to score an unearned run.
Oakland answered with two runs in the fifth. Left fielder Coco Crisp walked with one out, and Muncy hit a two-run shot off Samardzija with two outs. Samardzija got ahead 0-2 in the count, but Muncy hit his 95 mph fastball over the right-center-field fence.
Chicago scored four times in the top of the fifth, taking a 5-2 lead. Leading off, Eaton hit a hard one-hopper to Semien, who booted the ball for an error. Designated hitter Emilio Bonifacio singled to left, moving Eaton to second.
With one out and runners on first and third, Abreu grounded a sharp single down the third base line, driving in Eaton. Garcia loaded the bases with an infield single, and third baseman Gordon Beckham walked, forcing Cabrera home to make it 3-2. Ramirez then hit a hard ground ball that was headed for Semien but ricocheted off Kazmir's glove and into left field for a two-run single.
That was it for Kazmir, who gave way to right-hander Dan Otero.
The A's cut Chicago's lead to 5-3 with a run in the bottom of the fifth. Burns hit a leadoff single, stole second, moved to third on right fielder Josh Reddick's infield single and scored on designated hitter Billy Butler's ground ball.
Avisail made it 7-3 in the ninth with his fourth homer of the season, a two-run shot to right-center with two outs off right-hander Tyler Clippard. Left fielder Melky Cabrera was on base after a one-out single.
NOTES: The A's placed 1B Ike Davis (strained left quadriceps) on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to Thursday. Davis had an MRI exam Saturday that revealed a Grade 2 strain. .. Oakland recalled OF Craig Gentry from Triple-A Nashville. Gentry was hitting .086 with the A's before being sent down on May 6. He hit .171 with no extra-base hits in nine games with Nashville. ... White Sox INF Emilio Bonifacio, a switch hitter, made his sixth start of the season and first at designated hitter, as regular DH Adam LaRoche was out of the lineup against A's LHP Scott Kazmir. "Just a day off," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said of LaRoche. ... The White Sox open a seven-game homestand Monday against the Cleveland Indians. They have won all five of their home series this season and are 10-5 at U.S. Cellular Field.