Sports

AL: Chisox help ace to No. 15

Associated Press
Published July 23, 2005

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CHICAGO - Jon Garland saw the way Tim Wakefield's knuckleball was moving early and figured it could be tough for his White Sox teammates to score.

"It was pretty impressive what he was doing those first couple of innings. I just tried to go out there and match him. I just saw some of the swings some of our guys were taking. His ball was dancing," Garland said.

"I just wanted to keep us in the game."

Garland did just that Friday night against the Boston Red Sox and became the majors' first 15-game winner.

He kept it close before A.J. Pierzynski and Juan Uribe hit two-out, three-run homers in the sixth off Wakefield as the White Sox won 8-4.

"Wakefield is a guy you can't explain until you stand in there and try and hit it. It's amazing," Pierzynski said.

"The ball moves one way or the other every time. And you just hope he makes a mistake and you can somehow hit it. I fouled off some tough ones and he made a mistake and luckily for me I hit it in the right spot and it got up and got out.

"I think I heard the whole crowd give a big sigh of relief. It was a really tense and a tight game."

Garland gave up two runs and seven hits in 62/3 innings, including Johnny Damon's homer in the seventh, and pitched out of several jams as the White Sox snapped a three-game losing streak. They have not lost four in a row this season.

"I've always had it (confidence) in myself. There are a lot of people who don't think it," Garland said of reaching 15 victories after winning 12 in each of the previous three seasons.

"Things are coming together. I'm making the right pitch at the right time, getting runs when runs are needed and timely defense."

ANGELS 6, YANKEES 3: Adam Kennedy's two-run single keyed a four-run second against Al Leiter for host Los Angeles.

Darin Erstad, Chone Figgins and Jose Molina had run-scoring singles for the Angels, 47-45 against New York in the regular season since Joe Torre became Yankees manager in 1996. No other team has a winning record against them during that stretch.

Leiter gave up six runs and 10 hits in six innings in his second start since the Yankees acquired him from Florida on July 16.

TIGERS 12, TWINS 6: Craig Monroe had a career-high five hits and tied a career best with six RBIs to lead host Detroit.

The Tigers had a season-high 18 hits, including three doubles by Monroe, and combined to score nine in the fifth and sixth innings.

Mike Maroth got the win despite allowing six runs and eight hits in six innings. He walked two and struck out seven.

ATHLETICS 11, RANGERS 10: Nick Swisher drove in four runs with a homer and a double and Danny Haren won his AL-best seventh straight decision. It was the Rangers' second 11-10 loss in five days, ending with Michael Young tagged out at home as he tried to score on a wild pitch.

MARINERS 4, INDIANS 3: Ichiro Suzuki's two-run homer in the eighth inning was only visiting Seattle's third hit off Scott Elarton, but it sent the Mariners to victory. Ichiro looked bad on Elarton's sinker in the dirt before hitting a fastball over the fence.

ROYALS 3, BLUE JAYS 3: Runelvys Hernandez gave up three runs and seven hits in six innings to earn his third straight win for host Kansas City. Royals All-Star Mike Sweeney was taken to a hospital for X-rays after he was hit in the left hand by a pitch in the first inning. X-rays were negative, detecting only a bruise.

[Last modified July 23, 2005, 01:26:02]

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