Donaldson, A's beat Sales with grand effort

CHICAGO -- Josh Donaldson made his first career hit against Chicago White Sox ace Chris Sale a big one for the Oakland A's on the Friday night.

Donaldson's first career grand slam came off Sale in the sixth inning and gave the A's 4-3 win at U.S. Cellular Field.

"That's big time stuff," A's manager Bob Melvin said. "We've scored five runs off (Sale) in two games and beat him twice and Donaldson's knocked in all five runs. He keeps coming up with bigger and bigger hits and his approach is great every time, especially with runners in scoring position. Pretty impressive."

The blast, which sailed over the fence in right field for Donaldson's ninth home run, put Oakland up with one swing of the bat after Chicago had scratched out runs in each of the previous three innings to give Sale a 3-0 lead.

Until the sixth, Sale was sailing right along. He only allowed two hits through the first five frames and appeared to be locked in the way he'd been at home in his previous 15 starts. Sale (5-4), who took the loss, was 11-1 in those outings with a 1.82 ERA and 108 strikeouts in 108 2/3 innings.

He was also brilliant in this game until that sixth inning, when two singles brought Yoenis Cespedes to the plate with one out and two aboard. White Sox catcher Tyler Flowers said the situation didn't present a lot of good options, so they pitched Cespedes -- who'd homered twice on Thursday night against Chicago -- selectively.

"You know that situation is going to be probably the most important one in the game and you've got to take your pick," said Flowers, who went 3-for-3 with a solo home run in the third. "Not that Donaldson's not a good hitter, it just seemed like our game plan was a little bit better against him and it came back and bit us. We missed a spot on that pitch and that was it."

Prior to that at-bat, Donaldson was 0-for-4 against Sale in his career with one RBI, which he drove in during the A's 2-0 win on June 2 in Oakland. This time, one of the hottest hitters in baseball didn't miss a fastball Sale left out over the plate.

"Sale threw the ball great with the exception of really one pitch," Flowers said. "That one he probably just tried to throw it a little hard and left it out over the outer half. That kind of stinks when you're in that situation and that one mistake is the one that costs you -- but you can't dwell on that. He did a heck of a job other than that."

Sale has also been dominant of late against teams from the American League West, but Oakland (38-25) is the hottest team in baseball having won three in a row, seven of the past 10 and 18 of the past 21 games.

Jarrod Parker (5-6) started for the A's and picked up his second win against the Sox in as many outings. He also outdueled Sale in Oakland in that June 2 game. Parker pitched into the eighth inning, allowed five hits and all three of Chicago's runs, two of which were earned.

Following Donaldson's slam, he only allowed three base runners on two walks and a single.

The White Sox (25-34) had a chance to tie or take the lead in the eighth, after reliever Ryan Cook walked Alejandro De Aza following Flowers' single.

Cook, however, got Alexei Ramirez to pop up his sacrifice bunt attempt to Donaldson down the third-base line for the first out. Alex Rios then popped out to first baseman Nate Freiman before Adam Dunn's towering fly to center ended the threat.

Closer Grant Balfour earned his 15th save in as many opportunities, but without some drama. Conor Gillaspie came within inches of tying the game but Josh Reddick snagged his long fly just above the yellow line atop the right-field fence.

Cook saw the whole thing from the dugout.

"Right off the bat I didn't think it was [gone]," Cook said. "I actually kind of put my head down, looked up and I saw it traveling. That's when I realized, 'Uh-oh.' I've never seen anybody rob a home run so nonchalantly."

Flowers' third-inning home run put the White Sox on the board first. Chicago manufactured a run in the fourth to take a 2-0 lead when Rios singled, stole second, advanced to third on catcher Derek Norris' throwing error and scored when Dayan Viciedo lifted a sacrifice fly to center.

Chicago tacked on another run in the fifth to make it 3-0. Two singles put runners on the corners and De Aza drove in Gordon Beckham from third with another sacrifice fly.

The White Sox have now lost two in a row and 10 of 11 games since reaching the .500 mark on May 26 by beating the Miami Marlins at home.

"It's not lack of effort or talent," a frustrated Sale said. "It's just not falling our way."

NOTES: Pitching coach Don Cooper managed the White Sox in the second day of manager Robin Ventura's two-game absence for family graduation ceremonies. Bench coach Mark Parent, who managed the series opener on Thursday night, is now gone for two games for the same reason. ... Cooper said that LHP Hector Santiago would get most of the starts in Jake Peavy's spot in the starting rotation. Peavy is out for up to six weeks with a fractured rib. ... Chicago took a pitcher in seven of its first 10 picks in the First-Year Player Draft and five of its first 10 selections are under 20 years old. ... The A's are now 15 games into a stretch of 17 games in 17 days, which ties their longest stint of the season without an off day. They came into Friday night's game with a 12-2 record in the first 14 games. ... Eight of Oakland's first 12 picks in the 2013 draft have been pitchers, but three of the first four were position players.