Mazzaro wins debut as A's blank White Sox

[June 03, 2009]  CHICAGO (AP) -- Vin Mazzaro pitched into the seventh inning to win his major league debut and Matt Holliday hit a three-run double to lead the Oakland Athletics to a 5-0 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night.

Mazzaro allowed three hits, walked four and struck one in 6 1-3 innings. Jack Cust homered for Oakland, which won for just the second time in seven games.

Mazzaro, who had his contract purchased from Triple-A Sacramento before the game, helped end Chicago's season-high, four-game winning streak and handed the White Sox their fourth loss in 14 games.

Bartolo Colon (3-5) gave up five runs, two earned, and six hits in 5 1-3 innings for the White Sox. He was originally scheduled to start Monday, but the club decided to give the veteran right-hander an extra day of rest.

Mazzaro (1-0) threw 27 pitches in the first, but he got Paul Konerko to fly out with runners on first and second to end the inning. He got into another jam in the second before retiring Jayson Nix on a flyout and Scott Podsednik on a popup -- part of a stretch where the 22-year-old right-hander retired 14 of 15 batters.

Cust helped Oakland get off to a fast start. He drove in Orlando Cabrera with a sacrifice fly in the first and hit his eighth homer in the fourth to make it 2-0.

Colon intentionally walked Cust to load the bases in the fifth, but Holliday responded with a double to give Oakland a 5-0 lead. Third baseman Wilson Betemit's error helped up set up the big inning.

Notes: White Sox 2B Chris Getz missed his second straight game with a slightly sprained right ankle. ... To make room for Mazzaro, the A's optioned reliever Kevin Cameron to Triple-A Sacramento. ... Holliday made a nice sliding catch on Podsednik's ball in the eighth. ... White Sox LHP Wes Whisler made his major league debut in relief in the ninth inning. He struck out two in a scoreless inning.

[Associated Press]

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