CHICAGO -Manager Ken Macha likes to say that players write themselves into the A's lineup. Eric Byrnes is starting to use permanent ink.

Byrnes tied a career high with three hits and scored twice Tuesday, including the go-ahead run in the seventh inning, as the A's rallied to beat the Chicago White Sox 3-2 at U.S. Cellular Field. Byrnes also made a diving catch in the first inning to thwart a Chicago rally as the A's won their fifth in a row.

``His determination out there has been something else,'' Macha said. ``He's played really well and he keeps putting his name in the lineup every day.''

Byrnes has started a career-high four consecutive games since replacing injured Jermaine Dye in the lineup and has hit safely in each start. Byrnes has nine hits in his past 18 at-bats and Tuesday reached base in all four of his plate appearances.

``I've always said it's easier to get hits when you get consecutive at-bats,'' Byrnes said. ``You can take all the batting practice you want, but it's not the same as getting in a game.''

Byrnes and Chris Singleton had five of the A's six hits in the opener of the three-game series. Singleton's seventh-inning single scored Byrnes from second to break a 2-2 tie.

The production from the bottom of the lineup supported a solid start by Barry Zito (4-2) as he beat Bartolo Colon (2-2) in a game that started 1:25 late because of rain.

Zito allowed two runs in seven innings in his previous start but was pinned with the loss in a 4-1 setback against Detroit. Tuesday, Zito allowed two runs, one earned, and four hits in seven innings to beat Chicago for the third time in a row.

``He really kept us off-balance, but it was a well-pitched game by two big-name pitchers,'' Chicago Manager Jerry Manuel said.

Zito yielded a home run to Tony Graffanino in the third inning and Chicago took a 2-0 lead in the fourth with an unearned run. The A's tied the score in the fifth inning, and Zito didn't allow another runner as far as second base.

``They picked me up huge tonight, and I was able to hold them down the rest of the game,'' Zito said. ``It's huge when you give up two runs early against Colon and battle back.''

The A's deficit could have been larger if not for a great diving catch by Byrnes, the left fielder, for the final out in the first inning. With two out, Zito walked Frank Thomas before Magglio Ordoņez hit a liner to left-center. Byrnes raced far to his left to make the catch.

Byrnes concedes he probably should have let Singleton, the center fielder, make the play.

``I called it early, instinctively,'' Byrnes said. ``Then I thought he might be calling me off. I looked and he was behind me, so I just went for it. Fortunately I made the play.''

The A's did all the little things right, a necessity because Colon was nearly as good as Zito. Colon, who won 20 games last season with Cleveland and Montreal, allowed three runs and struck out five in eight innings.

Colon led 2-0 until the fifth inning, when Byrnes led off with a single to right. Singleton followed with a triple off the center-field wall -- about three feet from clearing it for a homer -- to cut the A's deficit to 2-1. Mark Ellis' sacrifice fly tied the score 2-2.

Byrnes came through again in the seventh with a one-out double. He scored on Singleton's single to right.

Former Chicago closer Keith Foulke pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his seventh save.