Athletics at White Sox
The Oakland Athletics continue to put on an impressive show of power away from home and can set a major-league record when they visit the Chicago White Sox on Sunday in the finale of a four-game series. The Athletics hit two more homers in Saturday's 7-6 victory to tie Baltimore's record of going deep in 24 consecutive road games.
While Stephen Piscotty and Matt Olson each homered to spark Oakland's comeback from an early five-run deficit, rookie Nick Martini's pinch-hit single delivered the go-ahead run. It was the first career hit for Martini, who was recalled from Triple-A Nashville on Saturday, and gave the Athletics their sixth win in seven games. The White Sox wasted a three-run homer by Tim Anderson, his second blast in as many days, to fall to 1-9 over their last 10 games. Matt Davidson continues to struggle for Chicago, going 1-for-19 with nine strikeouts over the last five games.
TV: 2:10 p.m. ET, NBCS California (Oakland), WGN (Chicago)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Athletics RH Paul Blackburn (1-1, 8.03 ERA) vs. White Sox LH Carlos Rodón (0-2, 4.41)
Blackburn, who will be making the fourth start of the season, did not factor in the decision at San Diego on Tuesday after giving up two runs and four hits over five innings. It was a decent bounce-back performance after he was battered for eight runs on eight hits in 1 1/3 innings by World Series champion Houston in his previous start. Blackburn is 2-1 with a 1.77 ERA in six career road starts.
Rodon, who missed the first two-plus months of the season while rehabbing from arthroscopic shoulder surgery, is still in search of his first win as he makes his fourth start of the year. He went a season-high 6 1/3 innings in a loss at Cleveland on Tuesday, giving up four runs and five hits. Rodon, 1-1 with a 4.67 ERA versus Oakland, has had issues with Josh Phegley, who is 3-for-8 with a homer against him.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Athletics lead the majors with 67 homers in 37 road games.
2. White Sox RF Avisail Garcia has a hit in both games since coming off the disabled list but has struck out five times in nine at-bats.
3. Oakland has scored 52 runs in six games versus Chicago this season, winning five of them.