CHICAGO — Jharel Cotton told Oakland’s relievers he wanted to give them some rest by pitching a complete game. Instead, the bullpen took over after his brilliant start got cut short.
Khris Davis and Matt Joyce homered, Cotton pitched three-hit ball into the sixth inning before leaving with a blister on his right thumb and the Athletics beat the Chicago White Sox 3-0 on Friday night.
Davis hit a two-run homer in the first. Joyce connected leading off the fifth against Mike Pelfrey (3-6) and the Athletics picked up the win coming off a four-game sweep by Houston.
Cotton (5-7) and four relievers combined on Oakland’s second shutout of the season.
Oakland manager Bob Melvin was hopeful that Cotton would make his next scheduled start.
“When he’s throwing the ball where he wants to and he’s throwing all his pitches, he usually has some success,” Melvin said.
Cotton gave up a leadoff single to Kevan Smith in the sixth and left after he came up shaking his hand following the first pitch to Adam Engel.
Cotton said the blister started to develop in the second inning, and he was forced to leave when his thumb started bleeding.
“I was cruising until the fifth and the sixth and then this happened,” Cotton said of the blister. “It was kind of a bummer that I couldn’t at least finish the sixth inning.”
Liam Hendriks, Ryan Madson and Sean Doolittle each worked a scoreless inning before Santiago Casilla ran into trouble in the ninth. He allowed singles to Melky Cabrera and Jose Abreu. But with two outs, he retired Matt Davidson on a long fly to center for his 12th save in 15 chances.
Pelfrey gave up three runs and four hits in 4 2/3 innings. Chris Beck came in after he walked consecutive batters, and Avisail Garcia ended the threat when he ran down Ryon Healy’s fly while crashing into the wall in the right-field corner.
RENTERIA, ANDERSON TOSSED
White Sox manager Rick Renteria and shortstop Tim Anderson were ejected by plate umpire Jim Wolf in the fifth inning after arguing that Anderson’s groundout to catcher Bruce Maxwell should have been called a foul ball.
Anderson said he told Wolf the ball was foul. He also said the umpire agreed but wouldn’t overturn the call.
“I told him that was (wrong). And he tossed me,” Anderson said.
Anderson and Renteria also thought the umpire was a bit quick with the ejections.
“I think we should be allowed to be disagreeable without getting tossed,” Renteria said. “I think it’s again emotions go high for everybody including the umpires. They are out there trying to do their job.”
RARE ROAD WIN
Melvin had talked before the game about the importance of getting off to a hot start away from home, as Friday was just the 10th road win of the season for the A’s, the fewest in the American League.
Davis said Melvin was so happy about Davis’ first-inning homer that he made a sly remark to the DH when the videoboard later showed its “Kiss Cam.”
“He told me he wanted to give me a kiss for some reason because we jumped out to an early lead,” Davis said. “I think I agree with that, that it was important to jump out and score first. Just keeping an aggressive mindset early on.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Athletics: SS Chad Pinder was lifted for a pinch-hitter in the sixth because of a strained left hamstring. Melvin said he’s day-to-day. . SS Marcus Semien, who had right wrist surgery April 18, was scheduled to begin a rehab assignment Friday with Class-A Stockton. Melvin said Semien would play six innings Friday, play DH Saturday and have off Sunday. … Melvin said 3B Matt Chapman, who was placed on the 10-day DL with a bacterial skin infection on his left knee (retroactive to June 19), is making progress and could leave the hospital Saturday.
UP NEXT
The A’s will send RHP Daniel Gossett (0-2, 7.20 ERA) to the hill for his third career start. The White Sox will counter with RHP James Shields (1-0, 2.42), who is making his second start since missing two months with a right lat strain. Shields gave up three runs in 5 2/3 innings in a no-decision Sunday in Toronto.
