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Rosales, Athletics rally past White Sox in extras

Jun 7, 2013 - 5:33 AM Chicago, IL (Sports Network) - Adam Rosales hit the last of Oakland's four solo homers with two outs in the top of the 10th inning to lift the Athletics to a 5-4 win over the Chicago White Sox in the opener of a four-game series at U.S. Cellular Field.

Rosales' blast inside the left-field foul pole off Matt Thornton (0-2) helped the red-hot Athletics improve to a season-high best 12 games over .500 at 37-25. Oakland has won 17 of its last 20 games.

Yoenis Cespedes took Chicago starter Jose Quintana deep twice, while Josh Reddick also homered off the left-hander.

Dan Straily started for Oakland and gave up four runs on six hits in seven innings. Jerry Blevins (5-0) earned the win after striking out Tyler Flowers to end the bottom of the ninth with a runner on second.

The White Sox placed a runner on third in the home 10th, but Grant Balfour earned his 14th save by retiring Adam Dunn on a deep fly ball to left field.

Extra innings was the last thing Chicago players wanted. After all, they returned home after ending an eight-game losing streak with Wednesday's 16- inning victory at Seattle.

"Even after the late arrival and the long game (Thursday), we had a lot of energy," White Sox acting manager Mark Parent said.

The White Sox jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the third inning on Thursday. Alexei Ramirez blooped a two-out single over the shortstop to bring home Flowers and Alejandro De Aza. Ramirez then stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch before scoring on a base hit by Alex Rios.

Quintana was unhittable in the early going as he retired the first 11 batters. The A's, however, scored in four straight innings, beginning with Cespedes' two-out shot to left-center in the fourth.

"You never feel like you're ever down on this team," Straily said. "There's never any quit."

Rosales doubled home Nate Freiman with two outs in the fifth, but the White Sox got a run back in the home half of the inning. Gordon Beckham led off with a walk, advanced to third on Flowers' double and scored on a De Aza single.

Chicago then loaded the bases with one out later in the fifth, but Reddick snagged Dunn's fly ball in right and threw Flowers out home to end the inning. Oakland catcher Derek Norris managed to hold onto the ball following a collision at the plate.

Cespedes and Reddick launched homers in the next two frames to tie things up.

Game Notes

Chicago skipper Robin Ventura missed Thursday's game to attend family graduation ceremonies in California. Parent, the bench coach, managed in place of Ventura, who will also miss Friday's game ... The A's limited the White Sox to three runs while sweeping a three-game set in Oakland last weekend ... The White Sox placed pitcher Jake Peavy on the 15-day disabled list with a fracture of the left fourth anterior rib. The White Sox also shuffled their bullpen following Wednesday's marathon game in Seattle, recalling Deunte Heath from Triple-A Charlotte and purchasing the contract of pitcher Ramon Troncoso from the Knights. Brian Omogrosso was optioned to Charlotte.