CHICAGO _ In a span of five pitches, the first inning went from good to bad for White Sox starter Mike Pelfrey.
After retiring the first two A's, Pelfrey walked Jed Lowrie on four pitches before giving up a 429-foot blast to Khris Davis that bounced off the shrubbery in center field that spotted the A's a two-run lead in what turned out to be a 3-0 victory.
Matt Joyce hit a solo home run to lead off the fifth in the Sox's first game of a 10-game homestand.
The White Sox offense managed just seven hits against five A's pitchers.
Melky Cabrera and Jose Abreu led off the bottom of the ninth with consecutive singles before Avisail Garcia flew out to right. A's first baseman Yonder Alonso then dropped Todd Frazier's pop up in short right field but fired to second to force out Abreu.
Matt Davidson then flew out to deep center to end the game.
White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson was ejected in the bottom of the inning after he hit what he thought was a foul ball in front of home plate, only to be tagged out by A's catcher Bruce Maxwell.
White Sox manager Rick Renteria subsequently was thrown out, too.
The Sox (32-40) had played 44 of first 71 games on the road.
The A's improved to 32-42.
Pelfrey allowed three runs, four hits, five walks and struck out four in 4 2/3 innings.
Garcia made an against-the-fence catch in right field to rob Ryon Healy of extra bases and end the fifth, saving the Sox two runs.
