Nix, Floyd paces White Sox past A’s

OAKLAND, Calif. — Jayson Nix homered and drove in three runs, Gavin Floyd pitched seven strong innings and the Chicago White Sox beat the Oakland Athletics 8-1 on Saturday.

Jim Thome hit his 563rd homer while Gordon Beckham added a two-run single in the sixth, when Chicago scored three runs to break the game open.

Floyd has pitched well at home and struggled on the road this season, but he scattered eight hits and limited the damage with eight strikeouts. The White Sox right-hander got the A’s to hit into two double plays, gave up one run and walked two.

Adam Kennedy tied his career high with five hits for Oakland, which lost for the third time in four games.

Nix homered off A’s starter Gio Gonzalez with one out in the third, a two-run shot that hit off the foul pole in left. Chicago scored two more off Gonzalez in the fourth, then chased the left-hander with three runs in the sixth.

That was enough for Floyd (10-7), who entered the game with a sub-.500 record and a 5.76 ERA on the road while going 5-2 with a 2.38 ERA at home.

A day after Jose Contreras let an early six-run lead slip away before the White Sox held on for an extra-innings win, Floyd slammed the door on nearly every Oakland uprising. He gave up a two-out RBI double to Mark Ellis in the fourth but stranded five runners in scoring position.

That allowed manager Ozzie Guillen to give his bullpen a rest after Chicago’s relievers pitched 5 2-3 scoreless innings on Friday. Scott Linebrink and Randy Williams worked an inning apiece to finish for Floyd.

Thome, who turns 39 on Aug. 27, homered leading off the ninth against Oakland’s Edgar Gonzalez to move into a tie with Reggie Jackson for 12th place on the career list.

The A’s couldn’t get out of the hole left by Gio Gonzalez (4-3) and dropped their second straight to the White Sox after taking three of four at U.S. Cellular Field in June.

The young lefty, who hadn’t lost since June 30, gave up six runs on six hits and issued a career-high six walks in five-plus innings. The victory guaranteed the White Sox of a series win against Oakland, which had won its previous three series.

Kennedy had four singles and a double while going 5 for 5 for the second time this season. He joined former A’s third baseman Sal Bando as the only players in franchise history to have two five-hit games in the same season. Bando did it in 1969.

NOTES: Guillen reiterated his stance that Contreras will remain in Chicago’s starting rotation. … The White Sox plan to have Freddy Garcia pitch against Kansas City on Tuesday. … Even with the loss, the A’s are 28-10 against Chicago in Oakland since 2001.