Stein, A’s Are Double Trouble

Whether the Angels face rookie pitcher Blake Stein in their next series with Oakland is uncertain. But the Chicago White Sox saw plenty of him Saturday.

And had no problems with him . . . at first.

Stein gave up a leadoff home run to Ray Durham, then two more hits before settling down to record his first major league win, an 11-3 victory over the White Sox.

Rookie Ben Grieve hit a home run and three doubles, and Oakland tied a team record with seven doubles.

“He doesn’t seem to get rattled,” Athletic Manager Art Howe said of Stein. “He’s aggressive and he goes right after people.”

Stein (1-1), who lost to the White Sox on May 10 in his only other major league start, gave up two runs on seven hits in seven innings. The 24-year-old right-hander, acquired from St. Louis in the Mark McGwire trade last year, struck out four.

Stein admitted he was nervous.

“[After Durham’s homer] I said, ‘It’s over with and let’s start over,’ ” Stein said. “I just needed to settle down.”

Said catcher Mike Macfarlane: “You’ve got to allow him a mulligan in the first inning. This is a good-, good-hitting ballclub that he’s pitched well against twice. He’s got to throw strikes and he did. From the second inning on, he was incredible.”

Carlos Castillo (1-3), replacing demoted starter James Baldwin in the rotation, gave up seven hits and one walk in 3 2/3 innings for the White Sox.

Grieve went four for six with two RBIs to lead Oakland’s 17-hit attack off four White Sox pitchers. It was the first time Grieve had three doubles in a game since Sept. 3, 1997.

He is batting .376 (38 for 101) with 12 doubles, a triple and five home runs in his last 24 games.

Rafael Bournigal drove in three runs for the A’s with an RBI double in the fourth and a two-run double in the seventh inning.