OAKLAND, Calif. _ The numbers would seem to indicate that Oakland A's starting pitcher Jharel Cotton enjoys a routine. When he's pitched on regular rest this season, he's been solid. When he hasn't, he's struggled.
In that respect, Cotton's performance in the A's 7-2 loss to the Chicago White Sox on Monday before a fireworks-bolstered crowd of 40,019 at the Coliseum was a little bit of a mixed bag.
Cotton allowed just two hits in his final two innings to end his first start since June 23 on something of a positive note. But the three earned runs he allowed in the third inning were too much for the A's to overcome as they were sent to their season-high sixth straight loss.
Cotton, who now has a 5-8 record this season, had five strikeouts in five innings of work. He was one strike away from getting out of the third unscathed when the A's led 2-1 and the White Sox had runners on the corners.
White Sox third baseman Todd Frazier, though, doubled a 2-2 slider down the left field line to score Adam Engel from third. After Adam Rosales misplayed the throw from Khris Davis, Melky Cabrera also scored for a 3-2 Chicago lead.
Matt Davidson sent a Cotton slider to the wall in left center to score Frazier for a 4-2 White Sox lead. The A's, who had managed a combined eight runs in the last four games before Monday, couldn't scratch out another run in what became their eighth straight loss at home.
Cotton left his last start against the White Sox after five scoreless innings with a blister on his right hand, and history showed it was going to be tough for him to settle into a rhythm again after nine days' rest.
Coming into Monday, Cotton had a 1-5 record with a 7.76 ERA in seven starts on five days' rest or more. In six starts on four days' rest, Cotton had a 4-2 record with a 3.34 ERA.
The last A's win at home came in Cotton's last start at the Coliseum before Monday. On normal rest, he gave up three earned runs and struck out six in 6 1/3 innings in the A's last win, a 4-3 victory over the New York Yankees, on June 18.
Perhaps the A's best chance to cut into the White Sox's lead after the third inning came in the bottom the seventh.
The A's had runners on second and third with two outs, but Matt Chapman, fresh off the disabled list, struck out swinging on a 95 mph 3-2 fastball from White Sox reliever Anthony Swarzak.
The A's took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the second. With the bases loaded, Rosales' sharp single to right field off White Sox starter Carlos Rodon scored Josh Phegley and Franklin Barreto.
Rodon, making just his second start this season, struck out 10 and allowed four hits in 6 1/3 innings.
The announced attendance Monday was the largest at the Coliseum since Sept. 4, 2005, when the A's hosted the New York Yankees. From 2006 until mid-April of this year, the A's had tarps covering all or most of the third deck. When the tarps were removed, the capacity for A's games increased from 36,067 to 47,170.
_ To make room for Chapman, who was on the DL with left knee cellulitis, the A's on Monday optioned first baseman/outfielder Matt Olson to Triple-A Nashville.
Olson's most recent stay with the A's began June 22 and he was 9-for-40 (.225) with four home runs, eight RBI and six walks in 10 games. Olson saw time in right field in eight of those games.
"I thought he did well," A's manager Bob Melvin said of Olson. "The average doesn't look great, but he had some big hits for us. He had some good at-bats, was playing a little bit out of position even though he didn't look like it."
