After two games in which the White Sox offense looked flat, the Sox hit three home runs to back starter Gavin Floyd in a 6-1 victory that halted a two-game losing streak and gave the first-place Sox their 50th win of the season.

Floyd became the first White Sox starter to reach the ten-win plateau by throwing 7.1 innings, allowing no runs on three hits, three walks, and six strikeouts.

The weapon of choice for Floyd on Saturday was a snapping breaking ball that baffled A's hitters all night. All six of Floyd's strikeouts came on curveballs, which tells you just how good that pitch was today for Floyd.

Floyd struck out the first four batters of the game and did not allow a hit until Ryan Sweeney singled to lead off the fourth inning. On the next play, Jermaine Dye gave Floyd a big boost with a spectacular running catch in foul territory that took the Sox outfielder into the seats down the right field line. However, because Dye's body was completely out of the field of play, Sweeney was allowed to advance to second base with one out.

The A's threat was quickly ended when Floyd got Jack Cust to fly out to Brian Anderson and Mark Ellis to pop out to Joe Crede to hold the White Sox lead to 1-0, a lead that was garnered on a solo home run by Nick Swisher.

The White Sox padded their lead in the bottom of the fifth when Anderson nailed a two-run home run to left field off starter Greg Smith.

Smith had previously faced the White Sox on April 14, allowing just one run over seven innings in just his second MLB start.

Today was different for Smith, who lasted just five innings—greatly in part to a whopping six walks. One of those walks came around to score on a two-run double off the bat of Orlando Cabrera in the bottom of the sixth that put the White Sox up 5-0, a lead that proved to be insurmountable for the A's.

A solo home run by Alexei Ramirez in the bottom of the eighth accounted for the White Sox's sixth and final run of the day.

Scott Linebrink allowed a solo home run to Sweeney, who was part of the package the White Sox sent to the A's for Swisher in the offseason, in the ninth to account for the lone Athletics run of the game.

Linebrink likely will be put back in his eighth inning role next week, as closer Bobby Jenks is expected to return to his ninth inning role when the White Sox open a three-game series in Kansas City on Tuesday. Jenks previously had missed six games due to "twinge" in his back.

John Danks (5-4, 2.50) will face Rich Harden (5-0, 2.25) tomorrow afternoon at 1:05.