OAKLAND, Calif. Alex Len Jersey . -- Less than two months into his career, Jose Abreu is already the guy the Chicago White Sox want at the plate when the game is on the line. Abreu hit a three-run homer in the eighth inning, and the White Sox snapped a four-game losing streak with a 4-2 victory over the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday. "We realize what he is and how important he is to us," manager Robin Ventura said. "When you get in situations like that youre pretty glad hes up there. Thats what he means to us. You always feel like youre in a good spot if hes up there with guys on." Gordon Beckham homered on the first pitch of the game for the White Sox, who rallied against Oaklands bullpen to end a seven-game losing streak at the Coliseum. John Jaso and Josh Donaldson hit solo homers off Andre Rienzo for the Athletics, who were in line for a season-best seventh straight victory before the bullpen meltdown in the eighth cost Tommy Milone a chance at a win. Beckham and Conor Gillaspie started the rally with one-out singles against Fernando Abad (0-1), and Abreu greeted Luke Gregerson with a no-doubt drive to left field for his 15th home run of the season. "He has ridiculous power," Gillaspie said. "When he gets the ball up in the air like that its going to be tough for it not to leave. Hats off to him. The guy made a mistake and he took advantage of it." Abreu, a rookie slugger from Cuba, is the fourth player in major league history to hit 15 homers in his first 42 games, joining Wally Berger, Kevin Maas and Wally Joyner. "I got the opportunity to hit a good pitch," Abreu said through an interpreter. "All I was doing was trying to hit a ball in the air to bring the guy from third base. But I was able to get a good swing and a good pitch to hit." Gregerson was trying to make Abreu chase a pitch out of the strike zone but caught too much of the plate instead. "You try to make him fish, which he definitely does," Gregerson said. "I dont think it was really a bad pitch. It was just something he was ready for. He was looking for it. Weve been doing it to him the whole series, pound him in. It just stayed up a little too much. Any other day it could be a ground out to third base, we get a double play." Ronald Belisario (2-3) got four outs for the win and Matt Lindstrom pitched the ninth for his sixth save in nine chances. Milone was in danger of losing his spot in the rotation before pitching eight scoreless innings against Washington last Friday. He followed that up with another strong performance, allowing one run and five hits in six innings. But he ended up with a no-decision because of Chicagos late rally. The bullpen has been the one spotty area so far for the As, with eight of the teams 16 losses being credited to the relievers. The teams traded leadoff home runs, with Beckham going deep for his second career leadoff homer and Jaso answering with a drive on a 2-0 pitch from Rienzo for his third. Oakland went ahead when Donaldson led off the fourth with his ninth homer, a day after get his first day off of the season. But those were the only hits the As could manage in 6 1-3 innings against Rienzo. Milone got some help from his defence in the fifth. A perfectly executed relay from Yoenis Cespedes to Eric Sogard to Derek Norris caught Beckham trying to score from first on Gillaspies two-out double off the left-field wall. NOTES: The last time both teams led off the game with homers was Aug. 13, 2013, when Seattles Brad Miller and Tampa Bays Ben Zobrist did it. ... Beckham became the first White Sox player to homer on the first pitch since Ray Durham did it twice in 2000. ... Oakland OF Coco Crisp missed his seventh straight game with a strained neck but could return Friday. ... Both teams are off Thursday. Chicago starts a three-game series in Houston on Friday, while the As open a nine-game road trip in Cleveland. Evan Turner Jersey . Especially after he got ejected. "How many innings was that?" he wondered. Toni Kukoc Jersey . Selected by the Titans in the 2007 NFL Draft, Johnson rejoined the club last season after a five-year stint with Indianapolis. LOS ANGELES -- Clayton Kershaw would have welcomed a little help from the umpires in the ninth inning, if only to end the game a bit sooner. When he didnt get it, the Dodgers ace finished off the Braves on his own. He scattered nine hits and struck out nine while tying his career-best winning streak of 10 games in a 2-1 victory Thursday night that completed Los Angeles three-game sweep of Atlanta. "Fortunately for us a lot of times he comes out on top," catcher A.J. Ellis said. "Hes an amazing talent who is just as strong in the ninth as he is in the first. Theres no drop-off ever. Were spoiled rotten." Kershaw (13-2) notched his second consecutive complete game for the second time in his career following his three-hit shutout at San Francisco last weekend. He is unbeaten in his last 11 starts with a 10-0 record since June 2. The left-hander beat the Braves for the first time during the regular season in his career. "You want to be the same from the first inning to the ninth," Kershaw said. "I got hurt this year at the beginning, but now I feel pretty strong." Kershaw had to work to close out the Braves in the ninth, when he finally gave up a run. With one out, B.J. Upton singled and advanced to third on Tommy La Stellas single. Freddie Freeman went down swinging for the second out, bringing the cheering crowd of 51,163 to its feet. But the Braves closed to 2-1 on Justin Uptons infield single to third. Juan Uribe charged to field the ball and fired to first, where Adrian Gonzalez stretched for the throw. Upton was called safe by umpire Mike Estabrook. Manager Don Mattingly challenged the call as the crowd grew rowdier. Kershaw crouched behind the mound waiting for a decision. It took 2 1-2 minutes before the umpires upheld the call, putting the potential go-ahead run on first. Evan Gattis grounded out to shortstop to end the game. "It looked really close. The umpire got it right," Kershaw said. "t;It would have been nice to get that overturned. Herm Gilliam Jersey. " Yasiel Puig homered as the Dodgers stretched their winning streak to a season-high six games and swept the Braves for the first time since taking four in a row from July 26-29, 1990, at home. The Dodgers, who turned three double plays, moved a season-best 3 1/2 games ahead of the idle Giants in the NL West. Julio Teheran (10-7) dueled with Kershaw, but fell behind in the first. Puig walked and scored from first when Gonzalez doubled to deep right-centre field. "I had my best and everything was working, but I made a couple of mistakes and they got two runs," Teheran said. "It was fun (pitching against Kershaw). I know its not that easy to face him, but we had a real battle out there." Puig extended the lead to 2-0 with his 13th homer in the third. Teheran gave up five hits in eight innings. He struck out nine and walked three in his third complete game of the season and his first loss. TRAINERS ROOM Braves: Outfielder Jason Heyward missed his third straight game with a sore back that he strained last week chasing a foul ball. Manager Fredi Gonzalez said he hopes Heyward can return sometime this weekend in San Diego. Dodgers: Left-hander Scott Elbert was outrighted to Triple-A Albuquerque. ON DECK Braves: Atlanta heads to San Diego for a three-game series beginning Friday. Left-hander Mike Minor (4-6, 5.23 ERA) will start the opener. Dodgers: The Cubs arrive Friday for a three-game set, with Dan Haren (8-8, 4.49 ERA) taking the mound. The right-hander lost all four of his starts in July. UPTONS HITTING Justin Upton is hitting .347 with nine runs scored, six doubles, two homers and eight RBIs in 14 games since the All-Star break. DOMINATING PUIG Puig has hit safely in all 11 career games against the Braves, batting .511 and that includes four post-season games. It was his 16th consecutive game hitting safely against an NL East opponent since May 2. ' ' '