The White Sox turned Sutter Health Park into a launching pad, hitting five home runs to defeat the Athletics 7-4 on Saturday night. Chicago's power display overcame an early deficit and provided enough cushion to withstand Oakland's late rally.
Miguel Vargas led the assault, going 2-for-3 with a two-run homer, two walks and two runs scored. The versatile infielder's blast in the second inning gave Chicago a 4-0 lead after Derek Hill had opened the scoring with a solo shot. Munetaka Murakami and Colson Montgomery added back-to-back homers in the fifth inning to extend the margin to 7-1.
The decisive moment came in the second inning when Vargas homered to left, scoring Meidroth for a three-run advantage. Hill had opened the frame with his solo blast to left center, traveling 415 feet. The early power surge put Chicago in control and gave their starter breathing room.
Jeffrey Springs absorbed the loss for Oakland, allowing nine hits and seven runs over five innings with seven strikeouts. His ERA now stands at 3.34. The Athletics mounted a late charge in the seventh when Zack Gelof doubled home two runs, then scored on a wild pitch to cut the deficit to 7-4, but could not complete the comeback.
Chicago snapped a one-game losing streak to improve to 7-14, while Oakland fell to 11-10 despite the loss ending their brief winning streak.