Sports

AL: White Sox pitchers leave Twins baserunners stranded

Associated Press
Published April 20, 2005

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CHICAGO - Paul Konerko hit his major league-leading seventh home run and Orlando Hernandez pitched six shutout innings, sending the White Sox to a 3-1 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday night.

Hernandez scattered 10 hits, allowing at least one in every inning. He also walked one and hit a batter with a pitch. Aided by two of Chicago's three double plays, he squirmed out of several jams, including two with the bases loaded and one out.

Konerko homered to center off starter Brad Radke, the former Jesuit standout, in the sixth. Joe Crede and Scott Podsednik each drove in a run in the fifth for the White Sox, who swept the two-game series against their Central rivals.

Luis Vizcaino and Dustin Hermanson each pitched a scoreless inning for Chicago before Shingo Takatsu gave up a run-scoring single to pinch-hitter Matthew LeCroy in the ninth. Damaso Marte got two outs for his first save.

Radke pitched eight innings, allowing three runs and 11 hits. He struck out five and walked none. The right-hander hasn't issued a walk to a White Sox batter in 11 outings, spanning 771/3 innings since Aug. 19, 2002.

Jacque Jones and Shannon Stewart each had three of Minnesota's 14 hits; 12 were singles. But the Twins grounded into three double plays for the second straight game.

The Twins loaded the bases with one out in the second but didn't score. Hernandez struck out Michael Cuddyer, then got Nick Punto to pop out to end the threat.

Jones and Lew Ford singled with one out in the fourth, but Cuddyer grounded into a double play.

The White Sox broke through for two runs in the fifth.

After A.J. Pierzynski led off with a single, he scored on Crede's double over Torii Hunter's head in centerfield. Tadahito Iguchi's sacrifice bunt moved Crede to third, and he scored on Podsednik's sacrifice fly.

With one out in the sixth, Jones, Ford and Cuddyer singled off Hernandez to load the bases. Hernandez escaped again when Punto popped out and Stewart flied to right.

With a runner on and two outs in the sixth, Pierzynski drove a pitch to deep center, but Hunter reached to the top of the fence and caught it.

BLUE JAYS 4, RED SOX 3: Corey Koskie singled home the go-ahead run in the ninth with his fourth hit, and Roy Halladay pitched eight strong innings to lead visiting Toronto.

Boston put runners at first and third with two outs in the ninth before Ramon Vazquez, playing third base because Bill Mueller had flu symptoms, flied to centerfield against Miguel Batista.

Until Koskie's decisive hit, all the runs scored on homers. Manny Ramirez hit one in the first and Koskie tied it with his second homer of the season in the sixth. David Ortiz's two-run drive made it 3-1 in the seventh, and Vernon Wells tied it with a two-run shot in the eighth.

Keith Foulke retired the first batter in the ninth before Frank Catalanotto was hit by a pitch and Gregg Zaun walked. Shea Hillenbrand singled, but pinch-runner Reed Johnson was thrown out at the plate by leftfielder Jay Payton.

Koskie then singled to right to drive in Zaun for a 4-3 lead.

Toronto broke a nine-game losing streak at Fenway Park and snapped Boston's five-game winning streak.

MARINERS 5, ANGELS 3: Richie Sexson hit a three-run homer and Raul Ibanez also homered in a four-run first for visiting Seattle.

Jamie Moyer gave up three runs and five hits in six innings, moving within two wins of passing Randy Johnson (130) for the most in Mariners history.

Sexson hit the first pitch for his fourth homer of the season after Kevin Gregg opened the game by walking Ichiro Suzuki and Jeremy Reed. Ibanez hit his third homer a batter later.

RANGERS 3, A'S 0: Pedro Astacio pitched eight shutout innings for his first win in nearly two years, and rookie Joe Blanton's outing was ruined by a couple of grounders by host Texas.

The Rangers broke the scoreless tie in the seventh when, with one out and the bases loaded, third baseman Eric Chavez misplayed Sandy Alomar's grounder for an error. Gary Matthews then hit a grounder to second, beating the relay on a double play attempt as another run scored.

Astacio scattered six hits for his first win since May 22, 2003, while pitching for the Mets. The right-hander, 35, made one start for Boston last season before shoulder surgery and started this season on the disabled list, without missing a start, because of a strained right groin.

ORIOLES 8, TIGERS 4: Brian Roberts kept up his surprising power surge with a three-run homer, and Miguel Tejada and Rafael Palmeiro also homered for host Baltimore.

Roberts connected in the second off Nate Robertson for a 4-0 lead. The 5-foot-9 second baseman has six homers, surpassing his high of five in 2003. He hit four in 159 games last season.

ROYALS 6, INDIANS 5: Alberto Castillo hit a winning homer off Arthur Rhodes with two outs in the ninth for Kansas City. Castillo, a 10-year veteran with 10 homers in 904 previous at-bats, also had two singles and three runs as the Royals won for the second time in eight home games.

[Last modified April 20, 2005, 02:56:36]