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Cust Homers, Blanton Dazzles As A's Top ChiSox

POSTED: 8:10 am EDT July 5, 2008

(Sports Network) - Jack Cust slammed a two-run homer and Joe Blanton pitched seven solid innings in Oakland's 7-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox in the second of a four-game series.

Blanton (5-11) allowed just one run while scattering six hits and two walks for the Athletics, adding five strikeouts in the club's second straight win.

Donnie Murphy had two hits and two runs batted in, while Emil Brown and Wes Bankston each recorded three-hit nights.

"Our hitters took a good approach to Mark Buehrle, and we were able to execute," Cust said.

The aforementioned Buehrle (6-7) snapped a personal four-decision winning streak by surrendering four runs on 10 hits and three walks, as Chicago dropped its second straight following a seven-game winning streak. The White Sox gave up 17 hits, the most allowed this season by a usually stingy pitching staff. Jim Thome went 2-for-4 with the lone RBI in defeat.

Both starters held the offenses in check for the first three frames before the A's plated a pair on two pitches in the fourth. Buehrle's first offering was lined to left by Brown for a single, and Cust quickly answered with an opposite-field shot to left for his 15th home run of the year.

"I never had my stuff from the first inning on," Buehrle said. "I'm just glad I could minimize the damage."

The White Sox cut the lead in half in the bottom half, as Thome roped a two- out double to the left field wall. Carlos Quentin was on with a walk, and he came around to score when Mark Ellis didn't attempt to throw him out at the plate.

Another two-spot for the away team made it a 4-1 game in the sixth. Carlos Gonzalez scored from first on Jack Hannahan's two-out double to the right field gap. Buehrle then intentionally walked Ellis, and Ryan Sweeney rolled an RBI single up the middle. Hannahan slid past the tag of A.J. Pierzynski and was called safe, even though replays showed he may have missed touching the plate.

The A's added two more an inning later behind three straight singles off reliever Nick Masset, the last of which a broken-bat base-hit by Bankston to bring in a run. Two batters later, Murphy bounced a single in front of Quentin in left and the score read, 6-1.

Murphy doubled home another run in the ninth, and Santiago Casilla followed up Brad Ziegler's perfect eighth with one of his own in the ninth to seal the victory.

Game Notes

Buehrle is just 3-11 in 23 lifetime appearances -- 18 starts -- against Oakland...The White Sox are still an excellent 30-13 as the host this season... Oakland has won seven of its eight most recent meetings with Chicago...Oakland placed veteran reliever Keith Foulke on the 15-day disabled list Friday, retroactive to July 3, with right shoulder inflammation. To take his spot on the roster, the A's recalled left-handed pitcher Jerry Blevins from Triple-A Sacramento...Gonzalez left the game in the seventh with tightness in his right hamstring...Despite the win, the A's left 13 runners on base.


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