GAME THREAD: AL: LA ANGELS (87-61) at CHI WHITE SOX (63-85)

AL: LA ANGELS at CHI WHITE SOX

<div class="pre">LA ANGELS (7) VS CHI WHITE SOX (9) - FINAL

LA ANGELS ab r h rbi bb so lob avg
R Willits cf 5 1 1 0 0 0 6 .291
O Cabrera ss 4 0 2 0 0 1 0 .304
V Guerrero dh 4 2 1 1 1 0 2 .327
R Quinlan 1b 4 1 2 1 0 1 1 .248
b-C Kotchman ph-1b 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 .290
M Izturis 3b 5 1 1 0 0 0 3 .281
H Kendrick 2b 5 1 3 1 0 0 0 .322
J Rivera lf 4 1 2 2 0 1 0 .176
c-E Aybar ph-lf 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 .235
M Napoli c 2 0 2 1 3 0 0 .252
T Evans rf 3 0 0 0 0 0 4 .125
a-K Morales ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 3 .314
N Haynes rf 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 .206

Totals 40 7 15 6 4 4 21

a-struck out swinging for T Evans in the 7th; b-doubled to deep center for R
Quinlan in the 8th; c-grounded to shortstop for J Rivera in the 9th.

BATTING: 2B - R Willits (19, M Buehrle); C Kotchman (36, M MacDougal). HR - V
Guerrero (25, 1st inning off M Buehrle 0 on, 2 Out), J Rivera (1, 4th inning
off M Buehrle 1 on, 1 Out). S - O Cabrera. RBI - V Guerrero (120), J Rivera 2
(3), R Quinlan (21), H Kendrick (33), M Napoli (33). 2-out RBI - V Guerrero.
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out - M Izturis 1, R Willits 3. GIDP - V
Guerrero, E Aybar. Team LOB - 11.

FIELDING: E - R Willits (3, bobble).


CHI WHITE SOX ab r h rbi bb so lob avg
J Owens cf 4 1 1 1 1 1 1 .253
J Fields lf 4 1 2 3 0 2 2 .232
D Erstad lf 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 .255
J Thome dh 5 1 1 2 0 1 1 .268
P Konerko 1b 3 0 1 0 1 1 1 .264
J Dye rf 3 0 0 0 1 2 3 .251
J Uribe ss 3 1 0 0 1 1 2 .230
D Richar 2b 3 3 2 2 1 0 1 .227
A Gonzalez 3b 4 1 1 0 0 1 1 .192
T Hall c 2 0 1 1 1 0 0 .210
a-A Pierzynski ph-c 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .262

Totals 33 9 10 9 6 9 12

a-fouled out to third for T Hall in the 8th.

BATTING: 2B - J Fields (14, J Saunders); P Konerko (31, J Speier). HR - J
Fields (19, 7th inning off C Bootcheck 2 on, 1 Out), D Richar (5, 8th inning
off S Shields 1 on, 0 Out), J Thome (28, 9th inning off D Moseley 1 on, 0 Out).
RBI - J Owens (14), T Hall (2), J Fields 3 (59), D Richar 2 (12), J Thome 2
(85). 2-out RBI - J Owens. Runners left in scoring position, 2 out - J Dye 2, J
Fields 2. Team LOB - 6.

BASERUNNING: SB - J Owens (27, 2nd base off C Bootcheck/M Napoli). CS - J
Owens (7, 2nd base by J Saunders).

FIELDING: E - A Gonzalez (8, ground ball). DP: 2 (J Uribe-D Richar-P Konerko,
D Richar-J Uribe-P Konerko).


----------------------------------------------------
LA ANGELS - 100 200 400 -- 7
CHI WHITE SOX - 000 010 422 -- 9

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

LA ANGELS ip h r er bb so hr era
J Saunders 6 2 1 1 5 7 0 3.82
C Bootcheck 1/3 4 4 4 0 0 1 4.70
J Speier (H, 21) 2/3 1 0 0 0 1 0 3.07
S Shields (B, 6) 1 1 2 2 1 1 1 3.93
D Moseley (L, 4-3) 0 2 2 2 0 0 1 4.60

CHI WHITE SOX ip h r er bb so hr era
M Buehrle 6 1/3 11 7 6 2 3 2 3.55
R Bukvich 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 5.05
M Thornton 2/3 0 0 0 0 1 0 5.05
M MacDougal (W, 2-5) 2 3 0 0 1 0 0 6.35

R Bukvich pitched to 3 batters in the 7th.
D Moseley pitched to 2 batters in the 9th.

IBB - V Guerrero (by M Buehrle). Pitches-strikes: J Saunders 106-59; C
Bootcheck 18-14; J Speier 11-8; S Shields 25-13; D Moseley 9-5; M Buehrle
106-71; R Bukvich 9-5; M Thornton 11-8; M MacDougal 25-13. Ground balls-fly
balls: J Saunders 5-5; C Bootcheck 1-0; J Speier 0-1; S Shields 1-1; D Moseley
0-0; M Buehrle 8-8; R Bukvich 0-0; M Thornton 0-1; M MacDougal 4-2. Batters
faced: J Saunders 24; C Bootcheck 5; J Speier 3; S Shields 5; D Moseley 2; M
Buehrle 32; R Bukvich 3; M Thornton 2; M MacDougal 8.

UMPIRES: HP--Mike Reilly. 1B--Jeff Kellogg. 2B--Eric Cooper. 3B--Andy
Fletcher.

T--3:06. Att--29,010.
Weather: 68 degrees, sunny. Wind: 10 mph, right to
left.</div>

 

Thome hits No. 500 in walk-off win over Angels

<h3>CHI WHITE SOX 9, LA ANGELS 7</h3>

CHICAGO (Ticker) -- Jim Thome made a milestone homer ameaningful one.


Thome belted career home run No. 500 in the bottom of the ninthinning as the Chicago White Sox completed a come-from-behind 9-7victory over the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on Sunday.

Chicago overcame a 7-1 deficit by scoring eight runs in thefinal three frames - all on homers - to ruin an exceptionalouting by Angels starter Joe Saunders.


Saunders completely shut down Chicago, allowing just a leadoffdouble in the fourth inning to rookie Josh Fields and an RBIsingle by Jerry Owens in the fifth that cut the Angels lead to3-1.


The lefthanded Saunders left after six innings with a 7-1 lead,yielding a run and two hits with five walks and sevenstrikeouts.


But Fields hit a three-run homer off Chris Bootcheck in theseventh to cut Chicago's deficit to 7-5 and Juan Uribe's two-runblast in the eighth off Scot Shields tied the contest.

After Darin Erstad led off the ninth inning with a single, Thomebelted a 3-2 fastball from Dustin Moseley (4-3) over the centerfield wall for his 28th home run of the season on Jim Thomebobblehead day.


"This is awesome, something I will cherish forever, " said Thomeof became the 23rd player hit 500 homers.


Mike MacDougal (2-5) tossed two scoreless innings to pick up thewin.


Vladimir Guerrero opened the scoring in the first inning bybelting a 1-0 fastball from Chicago starter Mark Buehrle intothe right field seats to reach the 25-homer plateau for the 10thconsecutive season.


Juan Rivera, who was activated on September 2 after rehabbing abroken leg suffered playing winter ball, fouled off fourstraight 2-2 pitches before drilling Buehrle's ninth offeringover the fence in left field for a 3-0 edge in the fourth.

Anaheim pushed the edge to 7-1 with four runs in the seventh.Robb Quinlan and Howie Kendrick had RBI singles, another runscored on third baseman Andy Gonzalez's fielding error and MikeNapoli capped the outburst with a bases-loaded walk.

Buehrle was tagged for seven runs and 11 hits in 6 1/3 innings.

 

Thome hits No. 500 in walk-off win over Angels

<h3>CHI WHITE SOX 9, LA ANGELS 7</h3>

CHICAGO (Ticker) -- Jim Thome made a milestone homer ameaningful one.


Thome belted career home run No. 500 in the bottom of the ninthinning as the Chicago White Sox completed a come-from-behind 9-7victory over the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on Sunday.

The 37-year-old became the 10th lefthanded hitter in history toreach the milestone, the seventh active player and third thisseason, joining Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees and FrankThomas of the Toronto Blue Jays - a former White Sox.

"This is awesome, something I will cherish forever," said Thomeof becoming the 23rd player in major league history to reach 500homers. "To see your teammates waiting for you at home plate,it's a great thing.


"To get to this point of my career, and accomplish this isamazing. ... I don't think it will sink in until I'm home thiswinter."


Thome needed 6,809 at-bats to reach 500 home runs, thefourth-fastest pace in major league history behind Mark McGwire(5,487), Babe Ruth (5,800) and Harmon Killebrew (6,671).

"I would never have imagined doing that as a walk-off. It'sjust amazing to see your teammates standing there, it was justlike a movie script, it really is.


"All weekend long you're trying to get a pitch to do it with,and I had several of them all weekend long. And as it keptgoing along I kept trying to tell myself, 'Relax, just let ithappen.' In that situation, you're looking for a ball to drivebut I was having a really hard time seeing with the shadows. Hethrew me a changeup, he threw me some really good fastballs, itis amazing, it really is. It is hard to imagine doing that inthat situation."


Chicago overcame a 7-1 deficit by scoring eight runs in thefinal three frames - all on homers - to ruin an exceptionalouting by Angels starter Joe Saunders.


"This game went so well. I believe in destiny," Chicago managerOzzie Guillen said. "Down 7-1 when he got the last strikeout, Itold a couple of my coaches, 'We'll have to do it in KansasCity, and he is going to hit it back in the water.'

The home run by (Danny) Richar and (Darin) Erstad got the bighit, the game went well for us, went real good for Jim to finishit up like that.


Saunders completely shut down Chicago, allowing just a leadoffdouble in the fourth inning to rookie Josh Fields and an RBIsingle by Jerry Owens in the fifth that cut the Angels lead to3-1.


The lefthanded Saunders left after six innings with a 7-1 lead,yielding a run and two hits with five walks and sevenstrikeouts.


But Fields hit a three-run homer off Chris Bootcheck in theseventh to cut Chicago's deficit to 7-5 and Juan Uribe's two-runblast in the eighth off Scot Shields tied the contest.

After Darin Erstad led off the ninth inning with a single, Thomebelted a 3-2 fastball from Dustin Moseley (4-3) over the centerfield wall for his 28th home run of the season on Jim Thomebobblehead day.


Mike MacDougal (2-5) tossed two scoreless innings to pick up thewin.


Vladimir Guerrero opened the scoring in the first inning bybelting a 1-0 fastball from Chicago starter Mark Buehrle intothe right field seats to reach the 25-homer plateau for the 10thconsecutive season.


Juan Rivera, who was activated on September 2 after rehabbing abroken leg suffered playing winter ball, fouled off fourstraight 2-2 pitches before drilling Buehrle's ninth offeringover the fence in left field for a 3-0 edge in the fourth.

Anaheim pushed the edge to 7-1 with four runs in the seventh.Robb Quinlan and Howie Kendrick had RBI singles, another runscored on third baseman Andy Gonzalez's fielding error and MikeNapoli capped the outburst with a bases-loaded walk.

"They came back and beat us," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said."You're not going to put a win in the bank until the last out.Something uncharacteristic happened to us. Eight runs out of thebullpen over three innings, that doesn't happen to us veryoften, but it happened today."


Buehrle was tagged for seven runs and 11 hits in 6 1/3 innings.