OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - After two great starts, Scott Carroll has run into some adversity in his past two. He remains optimistic and confident.
Carroll allowed six runs and 11 hits over five innings as the Chicago White Sox lost 11-0 to the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday night.
“Scottie stayed too much in the middle and those guys were swinging,” White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. “It’s pretty simple.”
Carroll (1-3) allowed five runs with two outs and gave up his third homer in his past two games.
“It’s frustrating when it’s two outs, two strikes,” Carroll said. “I know I am better than that. There were some things to build on. I made some good pitches, but not enough of them when it counted.”
White Sox hitters weren’t able to do much against Drew Pomeranz and three relievers, who combined on a four-hit shutout as the Athletics won their sixth straight.
“We chased a lot of pitches up,” said Chicago leadoff hitter Marcus Siemen, who struck out four times. “He had a good breaking ball and did a good job of changing our eye level. He kept us off balance. As an offense you never want to get shut out, but it happens. We have to put together better at-bats.”
The White Sox have lost five of six since winning four straight.
“Guys swung through some pitches,” Ventura said. “We got outplayed all the way around. Nothing went right.”
Carroll, who allowed a home run to Josh Reddick, did retire nine of 10 hitters at one point.
Brandon Moss homered twice, and Yoenis Cespedes added two hits and scored twice to anchor a shuffled Oakland lineup that had catcher John Jaso batting leadoff for the fourth time this season. Jaso had three hits and scored twice.
“He was throwing a lot of strikes,” Moss said about Carroll. “He was mixing in his pitches, but when you’re throwing a lot of strikes you can be aggressive with pitches in the zone. That’s what our guys were doing.”
The A’s matched their season high with 17 hits and had at least three home runs for the fourth time this season.
Reddick hit a two-run shot as part of a four-run fifth. Moss added a two-run drive in the sixth and another two-run homer in the eighth.
Eight of Oakland’s nine starters had at least one hit. Reddick, Moss, Cespedes, Jed Lowrie and Craig Gentry had two apiece.
Carroll allowed one earned run over his first 13 1-3 innings but has given up 11 in his past nine innings.
NOTES: Chicago LHP Chris Sale, on the disabled list since April 22 with a left flexor strain, will make his first rehab start Thursday for Triple-A Charlotte. … RHP Andre Rienzo (3-0) starts the series finale for the White Sox in his first career appearance against the Athletics. LHP Tommy Milone (1-3) goes for Oakland. … White Sox INF Gordon Beckman went 0 for 4, ending an eight-game hitting streak. … Chicago INF Alexi Ramirez played every inning of every game until being replaced in the seventh inning by Conor Gillaspie.
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