Butler's homer lifts Athletics over White Sox

[September 18, 2015]  CHICAGO - As his deep drive reached the fence in the ninth inning on Thursday, Billy Butler had to pause for a second because he was unsure whether right fielder Avisail Garcia had caught it.

"I saw him catch it, and then I saw the bullpen's reaction," Butler said. "It was a pretty cool feeling when I saw their hands go up. I realized it had gone over the fence."

Butler's three-run home run gave the Oakland Athletics a 4-2 comeback win over the Chicago White Sox and a split of the four-game series.

With runners on first and third and one out, Butler, the designated hitter, hit a drive off Chicago closer David Robertson (6-4) to the opposite field. Garcia jumped and got a glove on the ball, but the contact with the wall jarred the ball loose and it fell into the visiting bullpen.

"I'd like to see a replay of it," Butler said. "It looked like the fence caused the impact and knocked it out of his glove.

"We caught our share of bad breaks this year. For one to go our way I thought was deserving."

Robertson has blown seven saves this season. The right-hander said he had no anxiety awaiting the outcome because both results were bad from his perspective.

"Either way, they were tying the ballgame up and I had blown it," he said. "I'm just furious with myself. I just screwed up another win for one our starters who pitched his [bleep] off. And I keep [bleeping] doing it."

Left-hander Sean Doolittle (1-0) pitched the final two innings for the win.

First baseman Mike Olt homered for the White Sox.

Chicago took a 2-1 lead into the ninth inning. Oakland had managed just four hits to that point against starter Jose Quintana and reliever Matt Albers.

Quintana allowed just one run on four hits in seven innings. He walked one and struck out six. It's the left-hander's 23rd quality start - at least six innings pitched and three runs or less - this season. He has 50 no-decisions since 2012, the most in the major leagues over that span.

"I mean, you get tired of talking about it with Q," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "He pitched a good game. We weren't getting much offensively. We had enough to win and they just come back and have a good inning there in the ninth.

"Avi made a good effort. Tough way to lose, definitely."

A's starter Sean Nolin also got a no-decision, allowing two runs on five hits in five innings to get the loss in his third start since being recalled from Triple-A Nashville on Sept. 4.

Second baseman Brett Lawrie, who started the ninth-inning rally with a one-out double, had three hits.

The A's grabbed a 1-0 lead in the third inning as catcher Josh Phegley led off with a double and came around to score on a single two outs later by shortstop Marcus Semien.

Chicago tied the score in the fourth on a solo homer by Olt. It's the second straight game that Olt - who was picked up by the White Sox at the beginning of the month - has homered.

The White Sox then grabbed a 2-1 lead in the fifth on an RBI single by left fielder Melky Cabrera, scoring second baseman Micah Johnson, who had reached on a walk.

That set the stage for Butler's dramatics.

"Billy did a good job of going the other way," Oakland manager Bob Melvin said. "If you try to pull [Robertson] there, it can be a groundball to shortstop and a double play."

NOTES: White Sox OF Trayce Thompson missed his third straight game with a hyperextended left elbow. "Every time he starts doing something he'll feel a little something," manager Robin Ventura said. "I don't really want him in there if it's going to change anything about his swing and how he plays." ... Athletics OF Billy Burns (right hamstring) planned to run sprints on Thursday to test whether his leg is ready for game action. The hope is he'll return sometime during the weekend series in Houston. ... Burns leads all major league rookies in stolen bases with 26. ... Heading into the game, LHP Jose Quintana was third in the AL with 22 quality starts this season. ... Before Thursday, Oakland starters were 6-18 with a 6.26 ERA over the last 33 games dating back to Aug. 11. ... The Athletics have used a franchise record 29 pitchers already this season. ... LHP Chris Sale, second in the majors with 250 strikeouts, pitches Friday and is within striking distance of the White Sox record of 269 by Ed Walsh in 1908.

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