Burger hits 18th homer, White Sox hold off A's 8-7 to avoid a sweep
OAKLAND, Calif. - Jake Burger hit his 18th home run and the Chicago White Sox beat the Oakland Athletics 8-7 on Sunday to avoid a three-game sweep.
Zach Remillard added a two-run single and Eloy Jiménez had a pair of RBI singles as the White Sox finished their seven-game road trip 3-4.
Brent Rooker homered for Oakland hours after being named an All-Star.
Chicago jumped on A's starter Paul Blackburn for five runs in the third inning. Tim Anderson started the scoring with a sacrifice fly, followed by Jiménez's first RBI single.
Gavin Sheets was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to force in a third run and Remillard singled home two more to make it 5-0.
Blackburn (1-1) gave up five runs on six hits in five innings, striking out five and walking four.
Oakland got two runs back in the bottom of the third on an RBI single by Tony Kemp and a bases-loaded walk by Seth Brown.
JJ Bleday doubled home a run in the fifth to make it 5-3.
Andrew Benintendi had a sacrifice fly in the sixth, followed by Jiménez's second RBI single. Burger homered 442 feet to center in the seventh.
Rooker hit a two-run homer 441 feet to center in the eighth.
Bleday added another RBI double in the ninth, followed by an RBI single by Brown to bring the A's within 1. But Gregory Santos got Jace Peterson to line out to right, earning his first career save.
Touki Toussaint made his third appearance and first start for the White Sox, allowing two runs and three hits in 3 2/3 innings. He struck out five and walked four in a no-decision.
Aaron Bummer (3-1) was credited with the win, allowing a run in 2 1/3 innings with two strikeouts.
The Athletics were seeking their second sweep of the season but finished their six-game homestand 3-3.
Injury report:
White Sox: Placed RHP Michael Kopech on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to June 29, with right shoulder inflammation. Chicago selected RHP Bryan Shaw from Triple-A Charlotte and transferred INF Romy Gonzalez (right shoulder inflammation) to the 60-day IL.
Athletics: Reinstated LHP Richard Lovelady (strained left elbow) from the 15-day IL and optioned LHP Kyle Muller to Triple-A Las Vegas.