Game Preview: White Sox At Athletics

(AP) - The Chicago White Sox are starting to distance themselves from a lackluster start to the season, in part by finally enjoying some success away from home.

With their first road series victory under their belt, the White Sox continue their six-game trip by opening a three-game set against the Oakland Athletics on Friday night.

Chicago (14-17) took the last two of three at Milwaukee on Tuesday and Wednesday, ending a seven-game road skid. The White Sox have won four of five overall.

"I'm not sure what our record is or how many games we played," left-hander Chris Sale told MLB's official website. "We are not winning or losing today or tomorrow or even the next day. Just keep coming in and plugging along and playing good baseball and picking each other up, and we'll see where it takes us."

 (1-0, 2.92 ERA) kicked off the five-game surge with his first major league start Saturday, allowing two runs in six innings while striking out eight to beat Cincinnati 8-2. He'll take the mound on the heels of two outstanding starts from the top of Chicago's rotation.

Sale gave up two runs in eight innings while striking out 11 in a 4-2 win over the Brewers on Tuesday and Jose Quintana had 10 strikeouts in seven innings of one-run ball in Wednesday's 4-2 victory.

For Rodon, it was an educational experience.

"Certain hitters, watch those big guys come up, watch how they pitch to them," he told MLB's official website. "If it's a tough situation, second and third or something, just watch how they approach that and what they start with and if they are ahead, what they go to. It's little things like that."

The White Sox have recorded 57 hits in the past five games after averaging fewer than eight in their first 26.

Jose Abreu is batting .333 during a nine-game hitting streak while Adam Eaton, hitting .186 going into the Brewers series, went 6 for 13.

Avisail Garcia has four two-hit performances in his last five games.

Oakland (13-23) has yet to experience its own resurgence. The Athletics fell 2-0 to Boston on Wednesday for their seventh loss in eight tries, wasting seven strong innings from Sonny Gray.

Oakland went 0 for 14 with runners in scoring position.

"It was horrible offense. When we get guys in scoring position, we've got to get them in," right fielder Josh Reddick said. "It just keeps happening to us. We can't seem to do it right now."

The performance with runners in scoring position was more of an anomaly for Oakland, which is among the AL leaders at .288 in those situations and also near the top of the league with 166 total runs.

Stephen Vogt matched a career high with his ninth home run Tuesday and leads all catchers with 30 RBIs. Vogt (1.098) and Reddick (.975) are among the major league leaders in OPS.

The A's might need to do plenty of scoring with Jesse Hahn (1-3, 4.73) set to take the mound. Hahn has allowed 12 runs - 10 earned - in 10 1-3 innings to lose his last two starts, both on the road.

Coco Crisp picked up his first hit of the season in 28 at-bats Wednesday with an infield single, snapping an overall 0-for-39 skid.

Updated May 14, 2015