OAKLAND, Calif. - Darin Erstad hit a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the ninth after Jermaine Dye connected for a tying two-run homer an inning earlier, and the Chicago White Sox beat the Oakland Athletics 6-3 Wednesday.

The A's scored all of their runs in the first inning, then Chicago's pitchers shut down the struggling Oakland offense the rest of the way - and the defending division champions have yet to win a series through their initial three sets.

Dye, who had a career-best 44 homers last year, hit his first of the year, a drive off Justin Duchscherer after the right-hander had struck out two batters. Erstad hit a bases-loaded sacrifice fly after closer Huston Street (1-1) allowed a single to Juan Uribe and consecutive walks to A.J. Pierzynski and Scott Podsednik. Street intentionally walked Jim Thome to bring up Paul Konerko, who lined a two-run double to left.

David Aardsma (1-0) pitched a perfect eighth for the win, then Bobby Jenks finished for his second save, one day after blowing a chance in Chicago's 2-1 loss. The White Sox pounded nine hits after getting 12 total in the first two games. Uribe's RBI double in the second scored the team's first run Wednesday.

Mike Piazza, who is getting this DH thing down, hit a two-run double in the first to stake Joe Kennedy to an early lead. Eric Chavez added and RBI double after Piazza's hit, but that was it for the A's.

The 38-year-old Piazza, playing in the American League for the first time after a 15-year catching career that will likely land him in the Hall of Fame, has an eight-game hitting streak and is 14-for-33 (.424) during that span.

White Sox left-hander Mark Buehrle allowed three runs and four hits in seven innings and threw 113 pitches, showing signs he's healthy after leaving his season debut in the second inning following a line drive on the left forearm. He retired 17 of his final 18 batters.

Kennedy, who missed half of 2006 because of an injury to his throwing shoulder, allowed one run and five hits in five innings, struck out three and walked three in an 84-pitch effort before the bullpen blew it. Kiko Calero and Jay Marshall had combined for two innings of scoreless relief before Justin Duchscherer entered in the eighth.

First-year A's manager Bob Geren moved Nick Swisher into the No. 2 hole and Shannon Stewart into the leadoff spot and dropped Jason Kendall down in the lineup - he batted eighth Wednesday.

The defending division champion A's began the day in sole possession of last place in the AL West for the third time this season after not spending a single day in the cellar in 2006.

Marco Scutaro, Oakland's super-sub the past two seasons when shortstop Bobby Crosby was hurt, earned a start in place of the struggling 2004 AL Rookie of the Year and made several nice defensive plays.

Crosby, who was lifted for pinch-hitter Todd Walker in the ninth a night earlier, is batting .190 (4-for-21) with no home runs or RBIs - and is 1-for-10 in his last three starts.

Notes:@ Tadahito Iguchi returned to Chicago's lineup after getting a day off to rest and nurse a bruised finger. … A's CF Milton Bradley had the day off, leaving his hitting streak against the White Sox intact at 23 games. … Kennedy improved to 3-4 in seven career starts vs. Chicago. He faced the White Sox as a reliever three times last season.