GAME THREAD: GAME THREAD: AL: DETROIT (60-40) at CHI WHITE SOX (45-56)

Error allows White Sox to slip past Tigers

<h3>CHI WHITE SOX 4, DETROIT 3</h3>CHICAGO (Ticker) -- The Chicago White Sox didn't want theirlong series with the Detroit Tigers to go any longer.

A throwing error by Detroit reliever Zach Miner in the bottom ofthe ninth inning allowed Scott Podsednik to score the winningrun from first base and handed the White Sox a 4-3 win onThursday.


With the win the White Sox took three games of their five-gameseries with the Tigers and avoided a potential extra-inningaffair in the process.


Podsednik led off the ninth with a single off Miner (1-3) whichbrought Josh Fields to the plate in a bunting situation.

Fields got the job done with a roller to the first base side andMiner was quick to reach the ball. However the pitcher bobbledthe transfer and then threw over the head of first baseman MikeHessman.


While the ball was retrieved in foul territory, the speedyPodsednik raced around the bases and beat a strong throw home byright fielder Ryan Raburn.


Chicago closer Bobby Jenks (3-4) earned the win after tossing aperfect ninth inning.


The White Sox had trailed 3-2 but knotted the game in theeighth.


Tadahito Iguchi led off the inning with a single, which endedthe day for Detroit starter Justin Verlander, who was replacedby Bobby Seay.


Seay promptly walked Jim Thome and was replaced by Miner, whowalked Paul Konerko to load the bases. However, the Tigerscaught a break as A.J. Pierzynski grounded into a 6-4-3 doubleplay. Iguchi came home with the tying run on the play.Jermaine Dye grounded out to end the inning.


Verlander allowed three runs, three hits and three walks whilestriking out five in seven-plus innings.


Chicago starter John Danks allowed three runs, six hits and twowalks while striking out five in 6 2/3 innings.


The lefthander got into trouble in the seventh but worked out ofit with the help of his bullpen. Danks walked Craig Monroe andallowed a single to Brandon Inge to open the seventh.

After a sacrifice by Omar Infante moved both runners intoscoring position, Danks struck out Curtis Granderson in aseven-pitch at-bat. Righthanded reliever Ehren Wassermann wascalled upon to face righthanded-hitting Placido Polanco andinduced an inning-ending groundout.


Wassermann also pitched a perfect eighth inning to keep the gamewithin reach and allow the White Sox to tie the game in thebottom of the inning.


Infante hit his second home run of the season in the loss.

 

AL: DETROIT at CHI WHITE SOX

<div class="pre">DETROIT (3) VS CHI WHITE SOX (4) - FINAL

DETROIT ab r h rbi bb so lob avg
C Granderson cf 3 0 0 0 0 2 2 .300
P Polanco 2b 4 1 1 1 0 0 2 .332
R Raburn rf 4 0 0 0 0 2 1 .417
M Ordonez dh 4 0 2 0 0 0 0 .355
M Hessman 1b 4 0 1 1 0 1 1 .333
I Rodriguez c 4 0 0 0 0 1 2 .286
C Monroe lf 3 0 0 0 1 0 0 .222
B Inge 3b 4 0 1 0 0 1 0 .248
O Infante ss 1 2 1 1 1 0 0 .257

Totals 31 3 6 3 2 7 8

BATTING: HR - O Infante (2, 3rd inning off J Danks 0 on, 2 Out). S - O Infante
, C Granderson. RBI - O Infante (14), P Polanco (44), M Hessman (5). 2-out RBI
- O Infante, M Hessman. Runners left in scoring position, 2 out - I Rodriguez
1, P Polanco 2. Team LOB - 5.

FIELDING: E - O Infante (4, ground ball); Z Miner (1, throw). DP: 1 (O
Infante-P Polanco-M Hessman).


CHI WHITE SOX ab r h rbi bb so lob avg
J Owens cf 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 .239
T Iguchi 2b 3 1 1 0 1 1 1 .251
J Thome dh 2 0 0 0 2 1 1 .280
P Konerko 1b 3 0 0 0 1 0 1 .261
A Pierzynski c 4 1 1 0 0 1 3 .264
J Dye rf 3 1 0 0 1 1 1 .227
S Podsednik lf 4 1 2 1 0 1 0 .268
J Fields 3b 3 0 0 1 0 0 1 .248
A Cintron ss 3 0 0 0 0 0 2 .233

Totals 28 4 4 2 5 5 11

BATTING: 2B - S Podsednik (5, J Verlander). S - J Fields. RBI - S Podsednik
(4), J Fields (29). Runners left in scoring position, 2 out - A Cintron 1, J
Dye 1, A Pierzynski 1. GIDP - A Pierzynski. Team LOB - 7.


----------------------------------------------------
DETROIT - 001 002 000 -- 3
CHI WHITE SOX - 000 200 011 -- 4

No outs when winning run scored.
----------------------------------------------------

DETROIT ip h r er bb so hr era
J Verlander 7 3 3 3 3 5 0 3.43
B Seay (H, 9) 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2.96
Z Miner (L, 1-3; B, 2) 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 3.18

CHI WHITE SOX ip h r er bb so hr era
J Danks 6 2/3 6 3 3 2 5 1 4.83
E Wassermann 1 1/3 0 0 0 0 0 0 5.79
B Jenks (W, 3-4) 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 3.53

J Verlander pitched to 1 batter in the 8th.
B Seay pitched to 1 batter in the 8th.
Z Miner pitched to 2 batters in the 9th.

HBP - J Owens (by J Verlander). Pitches-strikes: J Verlander 109-68; B Seay
5-1; Z Miner 24-13; J Danks 104-58; E Wassermann 11-8; B Jenks 15-13. Ground
balls-fly balls: J Verlander 1-15; B Seay 0-0; Z Miner 4-0; J Danks 7-8; E
Wassermann 4-0; B Jenks 1-0. Batters faced: J Verlander 29; B Seay 1; Z Miner
5; J Danks 28; E Wassermann 4; B Jenks 3.

UMPIRES: HP--Chad Fairchild. 1B--Rick Reed. 2B--Tim Timmons. 3B--Alfonso
Marquez.

T--2:39. Att--30,567.
Weather: 82 degrees, sunny. Wind: 10 mph, left to
right.</div>

 

Error allows White Sox to slip past Tigers

<h3>CHI WHITE SOX 4, DETROIT 3</h3>CHICAGO (Ticker) -- The Chicago White Sox didn't want theirlong series with the Detroit Tigers to go any longer.

A throwing error by Detroit reliever Zach Miner in the bottom ofthe ninth inning allowed Scott Podsednik to score the winningrun from first base and handed the White Sox a 4-3 win onThursday.


With the win, the White Sox took three games of their five-gameseries with the Tigers and avoided a potential extra-inningaffair in the process.


"They have a great ballclub." White Sox manager Ozzie Guillensaid. "They have one of the best ballclubs in the league.(Beating them) is nice. It shows what kind of quality people wehave in the clubhouse."


Podsednik led off the ninth with a single off Miner (1-3), whichbrought Josh Fields to the plate in a bunting situation.

Fields got the job done with a roller to the first base side andMiner was quick to reach the ball. However the pitcher bobbledthe transfer and then threw over the head of first baseman MikeHessman.


While the ball was retrieved in foul territory, the speedyPodsednik raced around the bases and beat a strong throw home byright fielder Ryan Raburn.


"It's exciting, it's intense," Podsednik said. "It's the typeof ball that I'm going to play, that running game, it's fun toget out there and open it up a little bit."


Chicago closer Bobby Jenks (3-4) earned the win after tossing aperfect ninth inning.


The White Sox had trailed 3-2 but knotted the game in theeighth.


Tadahito Iguchi led off the inning with a single, which endedthe day for Detroit starter Justin Verlander, who was replacedby Bobby Seay.


Seay promptly walked Jim Thome and was replaced by Miner, whowalked Paul Konerko to load the bases. However, the Tigerscaught a break as A.J. Pierzynski grounded into a 6-4-3 doubleplay. Iguchi came home with the tying run on the play. JermaineDye grounded out to end the inning.


Verlander allowed three runs, three hits and three walks whilestriking out five in seven-plus innings.


"(Verlander) was good. We hoped to get one more (inning) out ofhim but he couldn't do it," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said.

Chicago starter John Danks allowed three runs, six hits and twowalks while striking out five in 6 2/3 innings.


"It feels good to keep us in the ballgame, and to win.Especially against a team like Detroit, who we are chasing."Danks said.


The lefthander got into trouble in the seventh but worked out ofit with the help of his bullpen. Danks walked Craig Monroe andallowed a single to Brandon Inge to open the seventh.

After a sacrifice by Omar Infante moved both runners intoscoring position, Danks struck out Curtis Granderson in aseven-pitch at-bat. Righthanded reliever Ehren Wassermann wascalled upon to face righthanded-hitting Placido Polanco andinduced an inning-ending groundout.


Wassermann also pitched a perfect eighth inning to keep the gamewithin reach and allow the White Sox to tie the game in thebottom of the inning.


Infante hit his second home run of the season in the loss.

Detroit slugger Gary Sheffield was scratched from the lineup forthe second straight game due to a sore right shoulder. He isbatting .298 with 23 homers, 87 runs scored and 67 RBI.

"He's day to day and I'd like to see him in the line uptomorrow." Detroit manager Jim Leyland said.