White Sox 7, Athletics 3
A.J. Pierzynski’s home run keyed a five-run sixth inning as Chicago took the rubber match of a three-game series at home.
Pierzynski broke a 1-1 tie with a two-run blast to left against Bartolo Colon (9-9). Dewayne Wise, making his return to the majors after being signed to a minor-league deal earlier this month, followed with an RBI base hit and scored on a two-run single by Gordon Beckham.
Chris Sale (14-3) pitched 6 2/3 solid innings for the win, scattering six hits while striking out 11 without a walk.
Oakland’s two runs against Sale both came on solo homers, with Jonny Gomes going deep in the sixth inning and Adam Rosales in the seventh. Derek Norris tacked on a solo homer off Addison Reed in the ninth.
Pierzynski stretched the Chicago lead to 7-2 in the bottom of the seventh with some alert baserunning, scoring from first on a groundout when nobody bothered to cover home plate for the Athletics.
Colon yielded six runs on nine hits in 5 2/3 innings, striking out two and walking two.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Chicago extended its lead in the American League Central to two games over Detroit, which lost at Texas on Sunday ... Colon is 0-2 against the White Sox this season ... Oakland lost for just the fourth time in its last 14 road games.