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Duchscherer sharp as Athletics edge White Sox

Jul 4, 2008 - 4:31 AM By Gene Chamberlain PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

CHICAGO (Ticker) -- Justin Duchscherer showed the Chicago White Sox why he entered Thursday's game with a miniscule ERA.

Duchscherer pitched seven excellent innings as the Oakland Athletics cooled off the White Sox with a 3-2 victory.

Donnie Murphy snapped a 2-2 deadlock in the fifth with a solo homer and Jack Cust belted a two-run blast for Oakland, which halted a two-game losing streak to even its record at 2-2 on a seven-game road trip.

Chicago saw its seven-game winning streak end, losing for the first time in 10 home games.

"We've been facing some pretty good pitching lately," White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said. "(Duchscherer), we really hit the ball hard a couple times with no luck, but that's part of the game. I still feel pretty good about the way the guys went about their business in the last three or four days."

Duchscherer (9-5), who began the day with a 1.91 ERA, allowed two runs - both in the first inning - and five hits with four strikeouts and two walks.

"The first inning certainly didn't start out the way I wanted," said Duchscherer of giving up a leadoff homer to Dewayne Wise and an RBI double to Jermaine Dye. "They saw the ball pretty good all night. I was fortunate they made some solid contacts right at guys."

Duchscherer improved his career record against Chicago to 4-1 and saw his ERA rise to 1.96.

"Now that it's over, I think Justin getting tagged early was great," Athletics manager Bob Geren said. "He's pitched so efficiently all year that it was good to see him pitch his way out of trouble for a change."

With Oakland ahead by one run, reliever Alan Embree started the eighth inning and recorded an out before giving up a double by A.J. Pierzynski. Geren promptly brought in closer Huston Street, who ended the threat by retiring the next two batters.

Street worked around a one-out single in the ninth to collect his 16th save in 19 opportunities.

With the game tied at 2-2 and two outs in the top of the fifth, Murphy hit a 1-2 pitch from White Sox starter Javier Vazquez (7-7) into the seats in left-center field to give the Athletics a one-run lead.

"I had swung at a couple bad pitches," Murphy said. "I had a feeling he was going to try to beat me with the fastball again. He left it up a little bit and I just put a good swing on it and luckily I made good enough contact to get it out of the park."

Cust had belted a two-run homer an inning earlier to forge the deadlock.

Vazquez (7-7), who went the distance for his 23rd career complete game, allowed three runs, four hits and a walk. The righthander, who is 1-3 lifetime against Oakland, matched a season high with 10 strikeouts.

"Awesome game by Javie, great bounce back (from previous start)," Guillen said. "Hopefully this outing will carry over all the way to the end. "I think that's the best I've seen him throw the ball. If he hopefully keeps it up like that, then he's going to win a lot of games."

Wise led off the first with a homer and Dye added an RBI double later in the frame to stake Chicago to a 2-0 lead.