GAME THREAD: GAME THREAD: AL: CHI WHITE SOX (54-64) at OAKLAND (58-62)

AL: CHI WHITE SOX (54-64) at OAKLAND (58-62)

<h3>Cust looks to lift Athletics over White Sox</h3>

Chi White Sox (54-64) at Oakland (52-68) 10:05 pm EDT

OAKLAND, California (Ticker) -- Jack Cust will look to buildoff his second career multi-homer performance when theOakland Athletics host the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday.

Cust homered twice and drove in three runs as the Athleticsmanaged to hang on for a 4-3 victory over the White Sox onTuesday. The six-year veteran is 9-for-23 (.391) with threeblasts and 12 RBI over his previous six contests.


The 28-year-old Cust, who had spent parts of six seasons withfour different organizations and had just five career homersbefore coming to Oakland, is hitting .273 with a club-high 20homers and 63 RBI this season.


Joe Blanton (9-8, 4.10 ERA) will take the mound for theAthletics, who are looking for their third consecutive win.

Blanton is coming off his worst outing of the season,surrendering nine runs over just four innings in a 16-10 triumphover the Detroit Tigers on Friday.


Chicago will counter with Mark Buehrle (9-7, 3.34), who wastagged for seven runs - six earned - and eight hits over fourinnings in Thursday's 7-5 setback to the Cleveland Indians.

The White Sox have lost five of their last seven contestsfollowing a four-game winning streak.

 

AL: CHI WHITE SOX at OAKLAND

<div class="pre">CHI WHITE SOX AT OAKLAND -- LINEUPS

CHI WHITE SOX OAKLAND
AVG HR RBI AVG HR RBI
Jerry Owens CF .251 1 7 Travis Buck CF .289 7 34
Josh Fields 3B .251 13 40 Shannon Stewart LF .303 9 36
Jermaine Dye RF .245 24 62 Nick Swisher 1B .252 14 57
Paul Konerko DH .263 23 65 Jack Cust RF .273 20 63
Darin Erstad 1B .263 2 25 Mike Piazza DH .271 3 24
Juan Uribe SS .228 13 49 Mark Ellis 2B .262 16 55
Scott Podsednik LF .263 1 7 Donnie Murphy SS .227 4 13
Toby Hall C .230 0 1 Jack Hannahan 3B .000 0 0
Danny Richar 2B .176 0 1 Kurt Suzuki C .242 2 11

Mark Buehrle LHP (9-7, 3.34) Joe Blanton RHP (9-8, 4.10)</div>

 

AL: CHI WHITE SOX at OAKLAND

<div class="pre">AL AT OAKLAND
WARMUPS: CHA - MARK BUEHRLE (9-7, 3.34)
OAK - JOE BLANTON (9-8, 4.10)

UMPIRES: HP - BRUCE DRECKMAN
1B - GARY DARLING
2B - LARRY PONCINO
3B - JERRY MEALS

WEATHER: 64 Degrees, clear
WIND: 16 mph, out to right</div>

 

AL: CHI WHITE SOX at OAKLAND

<div class="pre">AL AT OAKLAND
STARTING BATS: CHA - MARK BUEHRLE AND TOBY HALL
OAK - JOE BLANTON AND KURT SUZUKI

DUE UP FOR CHI WHITE SOX: J OWENS (.251, 1 HR, 7 RBI)
J FIELDS (.251, 13 HR, 40 RBI)
J DYE (.245, 24 HR, 62 RBI)</div>

 

Re: AL: CHI WHITE SOX (54-64) at OAKLAND (58-62)

First pitcha strike. We are underway.

 

Re: AL: CHI WHITE SOX (54-64) at OAKLAND (58-62)

Base hit first batter. One on no outs.

 

Re: AL: CHI WHITE SOX (54-64) at OAKLAND (58-62)

Stikeout One out.

 

Re: AL: CHI WHITE SOX (54-64) at OAKLAND (58-62)

Fly out. Two Outs.

 

Re: AL: CHI WHITE SOX (54-64) at OAKLAND (58-62)

Three outs. Bottom of the 1st coming up.

 

AL: CHI WHITE SOX at OAKLAND

<div class="pre">AL
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
- - - - - - - - - - - -
CHI WHITE SOX 0 0 1 0
OAKLAND 0 0 0 (BOT 1)

CURRENT PITCHERS: CHA - MARK BUEHRLE
OAK - JOE BLANTON

DUE UP FOR OAKLAND: T BUCK (.289, 7 HR, 34 RBI)
S STEWART (.303, 9 HR, 36 RBI)
N SWISHER (.252, 14 HR, 57 RBI)</div>

 

AL: CHI WHITE SOX at OAKLAND

<div class="pre">CHI WHITE SOX (0) VS OAKLAND (0) - MID 1ST - IN PROGRESS

CHI WHITE SOX ab r h rbi bb so lob avg
J Owens cf 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 .255
J Fields 3b 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 .250
J Dye rf 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 .244
P Konerko dh 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 .263
D Erstad 1b 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .263
J Uribe ss 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .228
S Podsednik lf 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .263
T Hall c 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .230
D Richar 2b 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .176

Totals 4 0 1 0 0 1 3

BATTING: Runners left in scoring position, 2 out - P Konerko 1. Team LOB - 1.


BASERUNNING: SB - J Owens (17, 2nd base off J Blanton/K Suzuki).


OAKLAND ab r h rbi bb so lob avg
T Buck cf 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .289
S Stewart lf 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .303
N Swisher 1b 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .252
J Cust rf 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .273
M Piazza dh 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .271
M Ellis 2b 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .262
D Murphy ss 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .227
J Hannahan 3b 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
K Suzuki c 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .242

Totals 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

BATTING: Team LOB - 0.


----------------------------------------------------
CHI WHITE SOX - 0 -- 0
OAKLAND - -- 0
----------------------------------------------------

CHI WHITE SOX ip h r er bb so hr era
M Buehrle 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3.34

OAKLAND ip h r er bb so hr era
J Blanton 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 4.07

Pitches-strikes: J Blanton 14-10. Ground balls-fly balls: J Blanton 0-2.
Batters faced: J Blanton 4.

UMPIRES: HP--Bruce Dreckman. 1B--Gary Darling. 2B--Larry Poncino. 3B--Jerry
Meals.

Weather: 66 degrees, clear. Wind: 16 mph, out to right.</div>

 

AL: CHI WHITE SOX at OAKLAND

<div class="pre">AL AT OAKLAND
CONFIRMED STARTERS: CHA - MARK BUEHRLE
OAK - JOE BLANTON</div>

 

Re: AL: CHI WHITE SOX (54-64) at OAKLAND (58-62)

Buck strucks out to start the night for the A's. One out.

 

Re: AL: CHI WHITE SOX (54-64) at OAKLAND (58-62)

Two quick outs. I don't like it so far.

 

Re: AL: CHI WHITE SOX (54-64) at OAKLAND (58-62)

Nick Swisher with yet another walk.

 

AL: CHI WHITE SOX at OAKLAND

<div class="pre">AL
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
- - - - - - - - - - - -
CHI WHITE SOX 0 0 1 0
OAKLAND 0 0 0 0 (TOP 2)

CURRENT PITCHERS: CHA - MARK BUEHRLE
OAK - JOE BLANTON

DUE UP FOR CHI WHITE SOX: D ERSTAD (.263, 2 HR, 25 RBI)
J URIBE (.228, 13 HR, 49 RBI)
S PODSEDNIK (.263, 1 HR, 7 RBI)</div>

 

AL: CHI WHITE SOX at OAKLAND

<div class="pre">CHI WHITE SOX (0) VS OAKLAND (0) - END 1ST - IN PROGRESS

CHI WHITE SOX ab r h rbi bb so lob avg
J Owens cf 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 .255
J Fields 3b 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 .250
J Dye rf 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 .244
P Konerko dh 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 .263
D Erstad 1b 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .263
J Uribe ss 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .228
S Podsednik lf 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .263
T Hall c 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .230
D Richar 2b 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .176

Totals 4 0 1 0 0 1 3

BATTING: Runners left in scoring position, 2 out - P Konerko 1. Team LOB - 1.


BASERUNNING: SB - J Owens (17, 2nd base off J Blanton/K Suzuki).


OAKLAND ab r h rbi bb so lob avg
T Buck cf 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 .288
S Stewart lf 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .303
N Swisher 1b 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 .252
J Cust rf 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 .272
M Piazza dh 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .271
M Ellis 2b 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .262
D Murphy ss 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .227
J Hannahan 3b 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
K Suzuki c 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .242

Totals 3 0 0 0 1 1 1

BATTING: Team LOB - 1.


----------------------------------------------------
CHI WHITE SOX - 0 -- 0
OAKLAND - 0 -- 0
----------------------------------------------------

CHI WHITE SOX ip h r er bb so hr era
M Buehrle 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 3.32

OAKLAND ip h r er bb so hr era
J Blanton 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 4.07

Pitches-strikes: M Buehrle 20-11; J Blanton 14-10. Ground balls-fly balls: M
Buehrle 1-1; J Blanton 0-2. Batters faced: M Buehrle 4; J Blanton 4.

UMPIRES: HP--Bruce Dreckman. 1B--Gary Darling. 2B--Larry Poncino. 3B--Jerry
Meals.

Weather: 66 degrees, clear. Wind: 16 mph, out to right.</div>

 

Re: AL: CHI WHITE SOX (54-64) at OAKLAND (58-62)

Three outs. After one. 0-0

 

Re: AL: CHI WHITE SOX (54-64) at OAKLAND (58-62)

One out for the White Sox in the Top of the second inning.

 

Re: AL: CHI WHITE SOX (54-64) at OAKLAND (58-62)

Basehit.