CHICAGO -- Chicago White Sox left-hander Chris Sale tried to stay positive during a seven-week stretch without earning a victory.

On Saturday evening, Sale's patience finally paid off. The All-Star southpaw won his first game since July 2 as the White Sox held on for a 6-2 win over the Oakland Athletics.

"It was just getting over the hump, really," Sale said. "My last few times out, I haven't been as good as I wanted to be or as good as I really needed to be. Coming in and getting this one after a loss was important."

Sale (15-6) scattered three hits in eight scoreless innings as he held Oakland's hitters off balance all night. He walked three and struck out eight before exiting the game at 120 pitches.

Chicago (58-64) beat the A's for the 13th time in their last 18 matchups.

"He's real deceptive," Oakland manager Bob Melvin said of Sale. "His ball moves all over the place, whether it's his fastball or his breaking ball. He is able to throw his breaking ball on 'off counts.' And he throws the ball at high velocity. It makes it difficult for righties and lefties."

Jose Abreu went 2-for-3 with a double, a home run and two runs scored to lead the White Sox's offense. Melky Cabrera finished 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs.

Chicago scored all six of its runs in the first four innings to give Sale a comfortable lead.

"That alleviates a little bit of the pressure," Sale said. "You see your guys fighting. When stuff like that goes, you kind of feed off of that and build momentum and try to execute some pitches."

Danny Valencia went 2-for-4 with a solo home run for the A's (53-70), who lost for the sixth time in its past seven contests.

White Sox right-hander Nate Jones allowed two runs while recording only one out in the ninth inning. He was replaced by right-hander David Robertson, who retired the next two batters for his 31st save. Center fielder Adam Eaton made a sprinting catch near the warning track to end the game.

"This was one of (Eaton's) better nights I've seen, route wise and going back on the ball," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "I think there were some plays there that really change the dynamic of the game if he doesn't catch them."

Oakland left-hander Ross Detwiler (1-2) drew his second straight loss. The journeyman southpaw surrendered six runs on 10 hits in four innings. He walked one and struck out two.

Melvin said a few missed pitches proved to be the difference for Detwiler.

"I thought his stuff was pretty good," Melvin said. "I thought it was better than last time out. He left a couple breaking balls up to the bottom of the order, and I think the location of the fastball (cost him) a couple times. Give them credit, too. They shot the ball the other way and had some good at-bats."

The White Sox grabbed a 1-0 lead on Abreu's opposite-field home run in the first inning. The ball landed just beyond the reach of right fielder Brett Eibner, who tried to make a leaping catch but hit the wall a moment too early to throw off his timing. It was Abreu's 15th homer of the season.

Chicago added a pair of runs on four consecutive two-out singles in the second inning to pull ahead 3-0. Carlos Sanchez drove in the second run on a hard-hit single to left field. Tim Anderson followed with a ground-ball single through the right side of the infield to score Dioner Navarro.

Detwiler allowed two more runs in the third inning as Chicago increased its lead to 5-0. Cabrera doubled to the left-center field wall to score Abreu. Three batters later, Jason Coats drove in Cabrera with a groundout to third base.

The White Sox made it 6-0 in the fourth inning when Cabrera singled to score Adam Eaton.

NOTES: Athletics 2B Chad Pinder made his major league debut three days after he was promoted from Triple-A Nashville and went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts. Pinder, 24, was Oakland's second-round draft pick in 2013. ... White Sox 2B Tyler Saladino did not play for the second consecutive game because of back soreness. ... Athletics DH/1B Billy Butler did not start because of an illness. ... White Sox C Alex Avila (strained right hamstring) is expected to begin a minor league rehabilitation assignment soon. "He's getting a lot closer," manager Robin Ventura said. ... Athletics RHP Zach Neal will start Sunday's series finale. Oakland initially planned to activate RHP Jesse Hahn from the 15-day disabled list for Sunday's start, but that plan changed when Hahn felt soreness in his shoulder after a recent bullpen session.