Dunn Hits Three-Run Homer, White Sox Top A's
CHICAGO (AP) -- White Sox slugger Adam Dunn has said that he only needs about 75 good swings a season to be valuable. He had one of those on Sunday afternoon.
Dunn hit a three-run homer to back seven strong innings by Phil Humber and the Chicago White Sox beat the Oakland Athletics 5-4.
Humber (6-3) pitched at least seven innings for the fifth straight start, allowing three runs, four hits, two walks and a homer. He struck out a career-high seven. Humber is 5-1 with a 2.53 ERA over his last nine starts.
"I don't really look at the numbers a whole lot," Humber said. "Every time out there, I want to give the team a chance to win. The numbers will take of themselves."
The White Sox broke a tie with two runs in the seventh. Mark Teahen scored on a throwing error by Oakland third baseman Scott Sizemore and Paul Konerko had an RBI single.
Dunn's three-run shot off Oakland starter Guillermo Moscoso gave the White Sox a 3-1 lead. Konerko and Juan Pierre had two hits apiece for Chicago.
"That felt good to finally square one up," Dunn said. "He was throwing really good and that was a situation where we were very fortunate to get those three runs."
Moscoso (2-3) allowed baserunners in every inning except the first, but lasted one out into the seventh. He gave up six hits, five runs -- four earned -- four walks and struck out two.
"You can't lose concentration after that," Moscoso said about Dunn's homer. "I kept my focus and pitched two more innings and we tied the game."
The Athletics scored a run off Chicago closer Sergio Santos in the ninth, but Santos got Coco Crisp on a groundout to third with two on to end it for his 12th save. Crisp nearly beat out the throw, which brought Athletics manager Bob Melvin out to argue as the teams left the field.
"It looked to us like he was safe," Melvin said.
Did he see the replay?
"Yeah."
And?
"I can't go there."
Replays seemed to show that Crisp beat the throw from White Sox third baseman Brent Morel, which nearly brought Teahen off of first base. There were runners on first and second at the time, which meant Morel might have opted for the force play at third.
"I didn't see the replay, but I thought he had a better chance at third base to tag the base rather than throw across," White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said. "As soon as he threw the ball to first, I said, 'That's a problem."'
Santos got his 12th save of the season despite allowing two hits and a walk in the ninth. In his last outing on Friday, Santos allowed four runs in the ninth inning of Oakland's 7-5 comeback win.
"This just did wonders for me," Santos said. "Whether it was ugly or not, I was able to get the job done."
Sizemore's solo homer off Humber in the seventh tied it at 3. Three of Sizemore's four career homers have come as a visiting player at U.S. Cellular Field.
"It's frustrating," Sizemore said. "Guillermo pitched a great game. He set us up to win it in the eighth or ninth, we just couldn't bail him out."
Crisp had two hits, two runs and a stolen base for Oakland.
The White Sox finished 6-4 on their 10-game homestand and wrapped up just their second season series victory against Oakland since 2001. The Athletics have lost 12 of 13 and their starting pitchers are 0-10 over their past 13 games.
NOTES: Dunn tied Joe DiMaggio for 72nd on the career home run list with his 361st. ... Humber was a member of the Oakland organization for about a month during the offseason, before being waived to make room for free-agent signee Grant Balfour. ... Dunn struck out against Oakland lefty reliever Brian Fuentes in the eighth. Dunn is hitting .031 (1 for 47) against left-handed pitching this season.
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