Athletics 2, White Sox 1

[April 07, 2016]  OAKLAND, Calif. -- Right-hander Sonny Gray pitched seven solid innings, Mark Canha hit a solo home run, and the Oakland Athletics defeated the Chicago White Sox 2-1 at the Oakland Coliseum on Wednesday night.

The A's snapped their season-opening two-game losing skid and ended Chicago's streak of six victories at the Coliseum.

Gray was scratched from his scheduled Opening Night start against the White Sox on Monday because of a nasty flu bug or food poisoning that put him in the emergency room for a few hours that morning. Gray got back to work Tuesday and took the mound Wednesday.

Gray, who finished third in the American League Cy Young Award voting last season, allowed one run on three hits. He struck out five, walked four and threw 97 pitches before giving way to right-hander John Axford, who opened the eighth.

White Sox left-hander Carlos Rodon allowed two runs on seven hits over seven innings in his first start of the season. He struck out six, walked one and threw 99 pitches as his career-high three-game winning streak ended.

Axford pitched a scoreless eighth, and Ryan Madson pitched a scoreless ninth for his first save as an Athletic after giving up a leadoff single to Melky Cabrera.

After back-to-back one-run losses to the White Sox, the A's came out ahead in a one-run game.

A's center fielder Billy Burns had two singles in four at-bats and scored a run in the first inning. Jed Lowrie had his fifth RBI of the season with a sacrifice fly in the first.

White Sox right fielder Adam Eaton went 2-for-3 and raised his average to .636 through three games. Austin Jackson doubled and scored Chicago's only run in the third inning on Jimmy Rollins' sacrifice fly.

The A's grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Billy Burns grounded a leadoff single to center, went to third on Khris Davis' single and scored on Jed Lowrie's sacrifice fly.

Canha made it 2-0 in the second, sending Rodon's first-pitch fastball over the out-of-town scoreboard in right for the Athletics' first home run of the season. Canha started in right field for the second time in his career.

The White Sox answered with a run in the third off Gray. Austin Jackson doubled down the right field line, moved to third on Eaton's groundout and scored on Rollins' sacrifice fly to shallow left field. Davis' throw was high and well off line.

NOTES: A's LHP Eric Surkamp will be called up from Triple-A Nashville on Friday and start that night against the Mariners in Seattle, manager Bob Melvin said. Surkamp will start in place of LHP Felix Doubront, who went on the 15-day disabled list Monday with an injury to his left elbow. ... A's RHP Henderson Alvarez, a 2014 National League All-Star with Miami, threw to hitters for the first time since undergoing season-ending right shoulder surgery on July 28. He will throw another simulated game Sunday. ... Avisail Garcia made his third consecutive start at designated hitter for the White Sox, but he will start in right field Thursday at Oakland, manager Robin Ventura said. Ventura acknowledged that Garcia "needs to work" on his defense. ... White Sox INF Tyler Saladino will start at shortstop Thursday, giving 37-year-old Jimmy Rollins a day off after three straight starts.

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