OAKLAND (Reuters) - The Chicago White Sox handed pitcher Trevor Cahill his first defeat of the season as they held on for a nail-biting 4-3 victory over the Oakland Athletics on Sunday.
Cahill, who entered the game with a Major League-best 6-0 record, surrendered 10 hits and four runs in seven innings.
Chicago scored twice to take a 4-1 lead in the seventh inning where 23-year-old right hander Cahill made a throwing error that allowed a run to score before giving up an RBI single to Alexei Ramirez.
Ramirez finished 3-for-4 with two RBIs on the day but it was the Chicago bullpen that preserved the victory.
Oakland (20-20) rallied with two runs in the bottom of the seventh and put the potential game-tying run on third base in the ninth before White Sox reliever Sergio Santos got the final out for his fifth save of the season.
"We knew it would be a close game because we're facing the best pitcher in the American League right now," White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen told reporters.
"We battled against one of the best. We all know every game is big, but this one was bigger because it finished up the road trip on a good note."
Starter Mark Buehrle picked up the win after striking out six batters and allowing three runs in 6 1/3 innings.
Buehrle exited in the seventh having allowed a two-run single to Daric Barton to make it 4-3, but Chicago's Jesse Crain took the mound and got out of a jam with runners on first and third.
(Writing by Jahmal Corner in Los Angeles; Editing by Greg Stutchbury)
