>>White Sox Slug A's

Mike Olt homered and Melky Cabrera had a two-run double as part of a six-run fourth inning to help Chicago beat the Oakland Athletics 9-4 on Wednesday night.

Chicago's scoring burst in the fourth came a night after the White Sox allowed 10 runs in the fourth inning during an 11-run loss.

In this game, the White Sox hit three home runs to help Erik Johnson (2-0) to his second straight win. He gave up three runs and six hits over six innings.

Chicago sent 11 hitters to the plate in the fourth to extend their lead to 9-1. Olt's two-run homer and Cabrera's two-run double came after Jose Abreu - who hit his 29th home run in the third inning - drew a bases-loaded walk off reliever Pat Venditte.

Oakland starter Cody Martin (2-5), called up from Triple-A after Jesse Chavez was placed on the 60-day disabled list with a broken rib, gave up six runs and six hits in three-plus innings.

Martin gave up three homers, walked three and struck out two less than two days after getting the call that he was joining the Athletics.

OF Trayce Thompson (hyperextended left elbow) missed his second straight game after leaving Monday night's game with the injury. Thompson was initially in the White Sox lineup for Wednesday's game, but was later scratched.

LHP Sean Nolin (1-1, 3.09 ERA) will make his third start coming off his first major league victory when he allowed only one run in 5 2/3 innings on Sept. 12 against Texas.

LHP Jose Quintana (9-10, 3.53 ERA) has won his last two starts after recording only one win in August.

>>Cardinals Edge Out Brewers

Tommy Pham homered twice and tripled, Matt Carpenter added a solo shot and Jaime Garcia went 6 1-3 innings to lead the St. Louis Cardinals to a 5-4 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday night.

The Cardinals increased their lead in the NL Central to four games over the Pirates, who lost 3-2 to the Chicago Cubs.

Pham's two-run shots came in the second and the fourth off Milwaukee starter Wily Peralta (5-9). It was the rookie's third and fourth home runs of the season and first multi-homer effort in 43 career games over this season and last. He was recalled from Triple-A Memphis on August 17 when Randal Grichuk went on the disabled list with a right elbow strain.

His first home run came on a 3-1 pitch he deposited over the wall in center. His second blast was on a 3-2 count that ended up on the short porch near dead center.

Carpenter led off the third with his 22nd home run and 74th RBI of the season, both team highs.

Garcia (9-5) won for the third time in his last four starts and improved to 6-1 in nine starts since Aug. 1, helping the Cardinals go 8-1 over that span.

Garcia's only trouble came in the fourth when the Brewers pushed across four runs, highlighted by Martin Maldonado's three-run homer.

Garcia allowed eight hits, struck out four, walked one in 6 1-3 innings as the Cardinals won their third straight after a 2-8 skid.

Jonathan Broxton retired the side in order in the eighth. Trevor Rosenthal struck out the side in the ninth for his 45th save, matching his career high set in 2014.

Peralta hadn't allowed a home run in four starts since Aug. 19 against the Miami Marlins, but Pham and Carpenter ended that quickly.

John Lackey (11-9, 2.89 ERA) makes his team-leading 30th start and fourth against the Brewers this season. He is 2-0 with a 2.70 over that span.

Jimmy Nelson (11-12, 3.95 ERA) makes his team-leading 30th start and third against the Cardinals this season. He is 0-1 with a 7.50 ERA in the two prior starts. Overall, he is 0-4 with an 8.72 ERA in five career games, including four starts, facing St. Louis.

>>Arrieta Strong in Cubs Win But Can't Pick Up 20th Win

Jake Arrieta's streak of winning starts ended Wednesday night in Pittsburgh.

Pinch-runner Quintin Berry raced home on Anthony Rizzo's sacrifice fly in the top of the 12th inning, and the Cubs slipped by the Pirates 3-2.

Arrieta's bid to become the first 20-game winner in the majors went along smoothly before he wavered in the eighth as Pittsburgh rallied to tie it. Arrieta allowed two runs, one earned, and six hits but received a no-decision after winning eight consecutive starts since Aug. 4.

Not that he cared much after the Cubs drew within three games of the Pirates for the top spot in the NL wild-card race despite an errant throw to first in the sixth that gifted Pittsburgh a run and a jam in the eighth he couldn't quite escape unscathed as the Pirates pulled even.

Chris Denorfia singled off Vance Worley (4-6) to start the 12th and was replaced by Berry, who advanced to second on a wild pitch and third on Austin Jackson's single. Starling Marte tracked down Rizzo's sinking liner to left field but had no shot at Berry.

Kris Bryant had three hits for Chicago. Hector Rondon (6-4) worked two innings in a game that served as a potential preview of what awaits the two clubs in October.

Neil Walker and Marte had two hits apiece for Pittsburgh, which fell four games behind first-place St. Louis in the NL Central.

Rizzo singled in the sixth and scored on a double by Bryant. The rookie slugger made it 2-0 when he raced home from third on a sacrifice bunt back to the mound by Starlin Castro, who reached safely when reliever Jared Hughes threw wide of first for an error.

Burnett gave up two runs and eight hits in 5 1-3 innings. He walked one and struck out seven to give him 2,495 strikeouts in his 17-year career.

Pittsburgh scored in the sixth when Arrieta threw wide of first on a comebacker by Marte and tied it in the eighth after Maddon decided to keep Arrieta in even with the bases loaded and his pitch count at 116.

Gregory Polanco grounded to second, but rather than go to second for the forceout, Castro hesitated and went to first instead, giving pinch-runner Sean Rodriguez time to cross the plate safely before a double play was completed with several throws.

Kyle Hendricks (7-6, 4.08 ERA) starts the series finale. He is 0-1 with a 5.63 ERA in three career starts against the Pirates.

Charlie Morton will try to win 10 games for the second time in his career when he makes his 21st start of the season Thursday. Morton (9-7, 4.02) is 6-2 with a 3.00 ERA in 10 games at PNC Park this year.