Athletics 7, White Sox 2

Athletics 7, White Sox 2
CHICAGO (AP) -- Ramon Hernandez homered twice and drove in a career-high five runs as the Oakland Athletics defeated the Chicago White Sox 7-2 on Saturday night.
With the Kansas City Royals' 6-2 win over Tampa Bay, Chicago fell out of the top spot of the AL Central, which they held for a day. The White Sox are a half-game behind the Royals.
The A's have won 13 of their last 19 games. The second-place A's remained two games behind the AL West-leading Seattle Mariners, who defeated the New York Yankees 2-1 Saturday.
Chad Bradford (6-3), who spent part of three seasons with the White Sox before being traded for Miguel Olivo in December of 2000, pitched 2 1-3 scoreless innings of relief for the win.
Oakland scored three runs in the first inning off White Sox starter Jon Garland.
Scott Hatteberg reached safely on first baseman Paul Konerko's error to lead off the game. Jose Guillen bunted safely, and one out later, Miguel Tejada drove in Hatteberg on a bloop single to left. Garland (8-8) struck out Eurbiel Durazo then gave up Hernandez's two-run double off the left-field fence for a 3-0 lead.
Guillen drove in Mark Ellis on an RBI single in the second inning.
The A's took a 6-0 lead in the third. Garland gave up a lead off single to Durazo and Hernandez followed by hitting an 0-1 pitch into the right-center stands.
Hernandez hit a solo home run, his 16th, off Billy Koch in the ninth. It was his third career multihomer game and his first of the season.
Koch has allowed 11 earned runs over 11 innings of his last 11 outings since July 4, the day he was replaced as the White Sox's closer.
Oakland starter Ted Lilly gave up back-to-back doubles leading off the fifth. Konerko doubled down the left-field line and Crede followed with a double to right, scoring Konerko. One out later, Jamie Burke drove in Crede with a single. It was Burke's first major league RBI. Tony Graffanino and Aaron Rowand both followed with singles, loading the bases and chasing Lilly.
Bradford came in and struck out Frank Thomas and got Magglio Ordonez to ground out to end the inning. The submarine throwing right-hander struck out five and walked one.
Lilly pitched 4 1-3 innings, allowing two runs on seven hits.
Garland gave up six runs, three earned and nine hits in five innings.
Notes: White Sox 2B Roberto Alomar had the night off. ... The A's are 5-3 in August this season and are 51-14 in the month of August since 2001. ... Thomas went 1-for-4 and is 4-for-33 in his last nine games. ... Ordonez went 0-for-4; he is 5-for-34 in his last nine games.
ATHLETICS 7, WHITE SOX 2
OAKLANDCHICAGO
abrhbiabrhbi
Httberg 1b4110Grffnno 2b3020
JGillen rf5131Dubach ph1000
EChavz 3b5010SAlmr c1000
Tejada ss5121Rwand cf3010
Durazo dh4110CEvrtt cf1000
RaHrdz c5235Thmas dh4010
Long lf5010MOrdz rf4000
MEllis 2b4100Lee lf4010
Snglton cf4010Knerko 1b4110
Crede 3b4121
Vlentin ss4000
Burke c2011
WHarrs 2b1000
Totals417137Totals36292
Oakland312000001--7
Chicago000020000--2
E--Konerko (2). LOB--Oakland 10, Chicago 8. 2B--RaHernandez (19), Singleton (20), Konerko (13), Crede (17). HR--RaHernandez 2 (16).
IPHRERBBSO
Oakland
Lilly4 1-372203
Bradford W,6-32 1-300015
Rincon1-300000
Harville110001
Foulke110002
Chicago
Garland L,8-8596313
Wunsch100000
DWright110010
Schoeneweis110001
Koch121100
HBP--by Wunsch (Hatteberg).
Umpires--Home, Jim Joyce; First, Dale Scott; Second, Jim Reynolds; Third, Laz Diaz.
T--3:01. A--36,151 (47,098).
TWINS 8, TIGERS 4, 10 innings
MINNESOTADETROIT
abrhbiabrhbi
ShStwrt lf6010ASnchz cf5131
Rivas 2b5000WMoris 2b3120
Mntkw 1b4210Hggnsn rf5113
Koskie 3b3220DYong dh4000
JJones dh5233Witt lf3010
Mohr dh0100Petrick lf0000
THnter cf5124Monroe lf1000
Przyns c4021CPena 1b3010
Rstvich rf2000Munson 3b4010
CGzmn ss5000Inge c4120
RStiago ss3000
Totals398118Totals354114
Minnesota0002020004--8
Detroit1030000000--4
E--Higginson (3), Munson (19). DP--Detroit 2. LOB--Minnesota 8, Detroit 6. 2B--Mientkiewicz (30), JJones 2 (24). HR--THunter (21), Higginson (9). SB--THunter (5), ASanchez (26). CS--CGuzman (8), CPena (5). S--WMorris 2, RSantiago.
IPHRERBBSO
Minnesota
Radke7 1-384413
Romero1-300010
Hawkins1-300000
Rincon W,3-4230001
Detroit
Roney532231
JWalker2-332200
Spurling1 1-310001
Eckenstahler2-310001
DPatterson1-300000
Mears L,0-11 1-302230
Loux032210
Sparks2-300001
Loux pitched to 4 batters in the 10th.
Umpires--Home, Rob Drake; First, Doug Eddings; Second, Mike Winters; Third, Ron Kulpa.
T--3:09. A--19,199 (40,120).