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Athletics overtake White Sox in ninth

Apr 11, 2007 - 6:35 AM OAKLAND, California (Ticker) -- The Oakland Athletics failed to score more than two runs for the sixth time this season and never felt so good about it.

Mark Ellis hit a long single to deep left field for the winning run as the A's scored twice in the ninth inning to pin a 2-1 defeat on the Chicago White Sox.

Shut down by White Sox starter Jon Garland for seven innings, the struggling Oakland offense, which had produced just six runs in its previous four games, rallied against closer Bobby Jenks in the ninth.

"I didn't get my job done earlier in the night," said Ellis, who stranded Travis Buck on third in the fifth. "That last hit there was big for myself, and the team. Hopefully this will turn our offense around. We've been struggling, and have been facing some good pitching, but you can only say that for so long."

Milton Bradley and Mike Piazza opened the frame with singles against Jenks (1-1), who had allowed no runs and just one hit in his first four appearances this season.

The burly righthander came back to strike out Eric Chavez and retire Nick Swisher on a fly to left, but pinch hitter Todd Walker delivered a clutch two-out single to left for the tying run.

"It's great to get in there and have some success," said Walker, who made his debut with Oakland last week against Los Angeles. "These guys have been great to me. I didn't spend any spring with them, but they welcomed me. It's nice to come through like that tonight."

With both runners moving up a base on a wild throw home, Jenks intentionally walked pinch hitter Travis Buck to load the bases and bring Ellis to the plate.

"That's part of the game," White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said of the intentional walk. "That's his job, to save it, or to lose it. We didn't help him - we only got three hits. We should have had more runs before we got in that situation."

Ellis lofted a long fly ball that bounced off the head of White Sox left fielder Scott Podsednik at the wall as pinch runner Marco Scutaro easily scored the winning run.

"With the bases loaded, I knew I was going to get a chance to hit," Ellis said. "He didn't have much margin for error, and I was able to get a good swing on one."

Oakland closer Huston Street (1-0) earned the win with a scoreless top of the ninth. He followed Justin Duchscherer, Alan Embree and starter Chad Gaudin, who worked 5 2/3 innings, allowing one run and three hits while striking out six and walking three.

"It's awesome, a wonderful feeling when everyone comes though like that," Gaudin said. "You can't commend those guys enough. The relievers came in and shut the door and we put it all together. If we can win tough games like that, we're going to have a good year."

Garland yielded just three hits and struck out seven in seven innings.