A's close the door on struggling Sox
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Kurt Suzuki couldn't remember the last time he hit a ball so far.
"Maybe with an aluminum bat in my hand but not wood," said Suzuki after his game-winning, 3-run home run in the 10th inning lifted the Oakland Athletics to an 8-5 win over the White Sox on Thursday. "It felt great. I was hoping it would get to the wall."
A.J. Pierzynski had 3 hits and scored twice for the White Sox, who held a closed-door team meeting before the game at the request of general manager Kenny Williams. The White Sox, who had dropped six of their previous eight games, including a pair of 1-run defeats in the first two games of the series with Oakland, responded with 12 hits, their best offensive performance since collecting 14 against Cleveland on Aug. 8.
It wasn't enough to prevent the White Sox from dropping their fifth in a row and 27th in their last 33 visits to Oakland.
"We can't win here," said the Sox' Jermaine Dye, the one-time Oakland outfielder who went 1-for-4 with 2 strikeouts. "They beat us in different ways. For whatever reason, it's tough to pick up wins here. When I was on the other side, we used to beat up on the White Sox pretty good."
Suzuki's homer -- hit well over the 15-foot fence in left-center -- was his second in as many days and fourth overall -- but the first game-ending shot of his brief major-league career. Suzuki was promoted to be the Athletics' every-day catcher after Jason Kendall was traded to the Cubs on July 16.
Designated hitter Mike Piazza had 3 hits including a triple and home run for the A's, who completed a three-game sweep of the Sox while winning their fourth straight game.
Suzuki's game-winning hit came off reliever Matt Thornton (3-4) after Mark Ellis tripled with one out. White Sox center fielder Jerry Owens tried to make a sliding catch, but the ball bounced off the grass and caromed off Owens' leg and into right field, allowing Ellis to take third.
Marco Scutaro was intentionally walked before pinch hitter Donnie Murphy lined out to second. Suzuki hit the first pitch he saw from Thornton deep over the wall in left-center.
Piazza hit his first triple since Sept. 22, 2006, leading off the second, then later added a two-out, 2-run homer off White Sox starter Javier Vazquez in the fifth.
Piazza, who singled in the fourth, just missed hitting for the cycle when his sinking liner to left-center was caught by a diving Owens to end the seventh. The 39-year-old Piazza also struck out looking against Thornton in the 10th.
Vazquez allowed 4 runs and 7 hits over 6 innings. The White Sox right-hander, who had won 7 of his last 8 decisions, struck out three and left with a 5-4 lead after Darin Erstad's RBI double off A's reliever Andrew Brown in the top of the seventh.
The White Sox bullpen had not allowed an earned run in 29 consecutive innings but failed to protect the lead for Vazquez. Shannon Stewart hit his 10th home run of the season, a solo shot off White Sox reliever Boone Logan in the seventh, to tie the score at 5-5.
Stewart also made what White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen called the play of the game when he cut off Erstad's double down the left-field line in the seventh. Erstad wound up taking third on a passed ball but was stranded there, and the White Sox never scored again.
"The difference in the game was Stewart," Guillen said. "It would have been a different ballgame if he didn't make that play."
Athletics 8, White Sox 5 (10 inn.)
At the plate: The Sox outhit Oakland 12-11 but had only 2 extra-base hits, doubles by Pierzynski and Erstad. Jerry Owen, batting leadoff, went 0-for-6.
On the mound: Javier Vazquez gave up 4 runs in 6 innings. Boone Logan allowed the tying run in the seventh inning, and Matt Thornton gave up the decisive 3-run, two-out homer to Kurt Suzuki in the 10th.
Scouting report
White Sox vs. Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field
TV: Comcast SportsNet today and Sunday; Channel 9 Saturday
Radio: WSCR 670-AM
Pitching matchups: The White Sox' Jose Contreras (6-14) vs. Miguel Batista (12-8) today at 9:05 p.m.; John Danks (6-10) vs. Jeff Weaver (4-10) Saturday at 9:05 p.m.; Jon Garland (8-8) vs. Felix Hernandez (8-6) Sunday at 3:05 p.m.
At a glance: The White Sox were swept in the three-game series at Oakland to open the road trip. They've lost five in a row. This is Contreras' first start since July 31. Over his last 7 starts, the big right-hander is 0-7 with a 10.38 ERA. Contreras is coming off 2 solid appearances out of the bullpen, combining to pitch 7 innings and allowing 1 unearned run. The Mariners won two of three against the Sox at U.S. Cellular Field last weekend. Weaver pitched a complete-game shutout on Sunday, allowing 5 hits, striking out eight and walking none.
Next: Kansas City Royals at U.S. Cellular Field, Monday-Wednesday
-- Scot Gregor