California Sports Journal

One day after beating the Chicago White Sox thanks to a series of bizarre fielding errors, they pulled out another victory in unusual fashion against the team with the best record in the major leagues.

After hitting Aaron Rowand with a pitch and walking A.J. Pierzynski, A’s reliever Justin Duscherer appeared to have loaded the bases with the scored tied 1-1 in the top of the ninth inning when he plunked shortstop Joe Crede with a curveball.

But homeplate umpire Hunter Wendelstadt immediately ruled that Crede didn’t try to get out of the way of the pitch, an automatic strike. On the next pitch, Crede popped up to first base, ending the inning, and the A’s went on to win the game, 2-1, on Marco Scutaro’s single in the bottom of the frame.

"It was a weird two games," said A’s catcher Jason Kendall. "I don’t know if I’ve ever been involved in two games like that."

The umpire's call led to two ejections: White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen for arguing the ruling, and Crede for throwing his bat in frustration on the next play.

"It’s rare that they call that, but now that I’ve looked at the replay, he saw it coming and leaned into it," A’s Manager Ken Macha said after the game.

Former A’s right fielder Jermaine Dye replaced Crede at shortstop for the bottom of the ninth inning. It was Dye’s first time playing an infield position in the major-leagues, and he looked shaky in warmups, but was never tested in the game.

After Erubiel Durazo reached on an error in the bottom of the decisive ninth inning, Mark Ellis laid a sacrifice bunt down the first-base line against White Sox reliever Dustin Hermanson, advancing Durazo to second. Hermanson then walked Nick Swisher intentionally to bring up Scutaro, who smoked a two-strike pitch down the third base line to score Durazo and end the game.

"You always want to be the hero and I guess I like those types of situations," Scutaro said. "When I got two strikes, I was just looking to make contact. It was a split finger that he left a little up."

The A’s scored their other run on a home run by Durazo in the fourth inning. Known for his patience at the plate, the designated hitter took five straight pitches, before blasting White Sox starter Freddy Garcia’s 3-2 split-finger offering over the fence in right centerfield.

Durazo overcame a sore throat and other flu-like symptoms to go three-for-four, almost reaching the bleachers again in the seventh inning when he hit a line drive off the scorebord in right field for a single.

"I feel awful. I feel so bad today," Durazo said after the game.

A’s starter Kirk Saarloos pitched 5 1/3 innings, allowing one run on four hits. Saarloos struggled with his control, walking five White Sox batter, but the A’s were able to stay out of trouble by turning four double plays.

A’s pitcher Huston Street relieved Saarloos in the fifth inning with runners on first and third and one out, and got Jermaine Dye to ground into an inning-ending double play. Duscherer entered the game in the eighth inning, pitched the ninth inning, and got credit for the victory, his second in as many days, lowering his season ERA to 0.66.

With the victory, Oakland (11-11) took the series 2-1, the first series that the White Sox (16-6) have lost all season.