By Adam Chappelle, WLS-AM 890 Staff Writer
@adamchappelle

(OAKLAND) Chris Sale struck out eight Oakland A’s en route to the Sox’ 4-3 opening day win in Northern California Monday night.

He got help from his offense early, as the Sox scored 4 runs in the 4th inning off former Cubs lefty Rich Hill, who got the Opening Day start for Oakland. After newcomer Austin Jackson walked and advanced to 3rd on an error, Adam Eaton tripled to deep center field, scoring Jackson for the first run of the season.

38-year old Jimmy Rollins then followed with an RBI single, and advanced to 3rd on a Jose Abreu double. Another A’s error allowed both Rollins and Abreu to score- that would mark the end of Hill’s night after just 3 2/3 innings.

Oakland mounted a comeback in the bottom half of the 4th. A Jed Lowrie single drove in a pair of runs, and an error by Jackson allowed Lowrie to score later in the inning to pull within a run at 4-3.

Sale settled down after the 4th, only allowing 3 hits over the next 3 innings. Jake Petricka and Zach Duke combined for a scoreless 8th inning, and David Robertson picked up his first save of the season with a scoreless ninth inning.

Notes: A’s pitcher Sonny Gray was scratched from his start due to food poisoning…the White Sox are now 13-2 in Opening Day games dating back to 2002…Oakland has now lost 11 of their last 12 Opening Day games.

© WLS-AM 890 News, 2016