White Sox beat O's 6-1 in Chicago
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Paul Konerko hit a pair of solo homers and Jose Contreras picked up his second win this season vs. the O's, as the White Sox beat the Birds, 6-1 Sunday.
The Orioles are now 3-3 on this road trip and 14-11 on the season. They are in a virtual three-way tie for first with Boston and Tampa.
Chicago scored three in the 6th to break a 1-1 tie. Konerko's solo homer off Jeremy Guthrie made it 2-1 Chicago. He also hit a solo shot in the first and picks up his 22nd multi-homer game.
Later that inning, two runs scored on an errant throw home by SS Brandon Fahey to make it 4-1. Greg Aquino walked three batters and hit one in the 7th leading to two more Sox runs.
Guthrie (0-3) took the loss, allowing five hits and three runs in five innings. He has allowed seven homers this year, four to Chicago.
Winning pitcher Jose Contreras gave up just 1er on 5 hits over 6.2ip. He is 2-0 vs the O's on the season, giving up just two runs in 13.2 innings.
Brian Roberts hit a solo homer in the third for the O's and went 2-3 extending his hitting streak to seven games.
The White Sox, leaders in the AL Central, improved to 14-10.
Daniel Cabrera faces Javier Vazquez Monday afternoon at 2:05 in the finale of this four-game series and final game of the seven-game road trip.
Balt 1-5-3
CWS 6-7-0
POST-GAME NOTES
GUTHRIE HANGING IN THERE
Dave Trembley said after the game Jeremy Guthrie is a team player and won't get frustrated with lack of run support. But it seems each time he pitches the game hangs in the balance on every pitch. That has to wear on a guy over time.
Five of his six starts have been decent this year, but he is 0-3 and the club is 2-4 in those outings.
KONERKO A BOMB AND A BOMB
Paul Konerko hit solo homers off Guthrie in the 2nd and 6th. It's his 22nd multi-homer game. He now has five homers on the season. In his career vs. O's pitching he's hit 15 homers and has 52 RBI in just 240 at bats.
HITTING STREAK
Brian Roberts solo homer in the third provided the only O's run, it was his 3rd this season. Roberts went 2-3, with a stolen base and now has a seven-game hitting streak. During the streak he is 9-27 with two homers and 5 rbi.
Luke Scott is headed in a downward direction, with just two hits in his last 20 at bats. His average has tumbled from .386 to .312.
WHERE'S THE BEEF
The Orioles offense had another tough day with just 5 hits, four singles and a homer. It's the fewest hits in a game since they had five April 16, also vs. Chicago. The top four in the order went 5-12, but hitters five thru nine went a combined 0-19 with five strikeouts. It's the 7th time the O's have been held to two runs or less.
TAMPA CHARGING
With Tampa's win over Boston Sunday, the O's and Rays are tied for first just percentage points up on the Sox.
The AL East
Balt-TB 14-11 .560
Boston 15-12 .556
New York 13-13 1.5 gb
Toronto 11-15 3.5 gb
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AQUINO'S OUTING
Greg Aquino, pitching for the first time since April 15th walked three and hit one as the Sox scored two runs without a hit in the 7th to now lead, 6-1.
SOX SCORE THREE IN THE 6TH
Sox 4 O's 1......end of six
Chicago scored two more after Konerko's homer and lead it, 4-1, after six innings.
With runners on second and third and one out, and with the infield in, Brian Anderson hit one toward short. Fahey fielded it moving to his right, threw off the run, threw wildly and two runs scored on the error.
QUICK HOOK ???
Paul Konerko hit another solo homer, this one in the 6th to give Chicago a 2-1 lead. Dave Trembley has taken Guthrie out of the game after Pierznski followed the homer with a single. He's pitched well today, gotten little run support as usual and will leave this game trailing. That's a pretty quick hook and 5 innings is Guthrie's shortest outing this year.
Matt Albers comes on in the 6th.
GUTHRIE NEEDS SOME HELP
O's 1 CWS 1......middle of 5th
Guthrie did a great job, getting out of a bases loaded, one out jam in the 4th. His own throwing error helped create the mess. But doesn't it seem the O's hardly score any runs for him ? And doesn't it seem everyone can hit Jose Contreras except the O's ?
Here are some Contreras stats thru 4 1-2 innings today:
Contreras this year vs. O's: 12ip, 7h, 2er
Contreras vs. everyone else: 18 ip, 12er, 23 hits
B-ROB COMES THRU
O's 1 CWS 1......middle of third
Brian Roberts homers to right in the third to tie this game, 1-1. His third homer of the season and 2nd on this road trip. Roberts now has a seven-game batting streak during which he is 8-25 with 5 rbi.
Contreras did shut down the O's on April 16, but in his other three starts this year he has allowed 12 er over 17.1 ip.
GOING DEEP
Sox 1 O's 0......end of second
Paul Konerko took a 3-2 Guthrie fastball over the wall in left center, for a 1-0 Sox lead. He began today just 2-16 this year vs. O's pitching. It's Chicago's 31st homer of the season, that leads the AL.
MILLAR OUT OF LINEUP
Huff starting today for Millar at first base. Interesting to sit Millar today, since he is 9-21 lifetime with two homers vs. Contreras, a pitching the O's didn't hit the first time they saw him this year. Of course, Millar is only 3-21 on this road trip.
WE ARE UNDERWAY
The O's and Sox are underway in game three of this series. Both are in first place beginning today. It's Jose Contreras vs. Jeremy Guthrie. Check back here often today for updates during this game.
PREGAME NEWS & NOTES
The Birds comeback bid last night fell short. Baltimore rallied from three runs down to tie the game, 5-5, in the seventh. The Orioles have nine comeback wins this season.
The Sox, who have been in first place every day since April 15th, are 13-10 after Saturday's two games. They are 2-2 this season vs. the O's.
MOUND MATCHUP
Jeremy Guthrie has pitched pretty well this year, but he has no wins to show for it. Today, Guthrie (0-2 4.18) makes his 6th start of 2008 and second vs. the Sox.
In 32.1 ip this season, Guthrie has fanned 9 and walked 15.
On April 17 vs. the White Sox, he allowed four runs on six hits in six innings. His career mark vs. Chicago is 1-0 5.54. He has made two starts and two relief outings vs. Chicago and in 13 career innings has given up four homers to the Sox.
Since giving up 5er over 5.1 ip opening day, Guthrie has pitched to an ERA of 3.33 over his past four starts.
His ERA is 4.91 in his three home starts and 3.21 in two on the road.
Righty Jose Contreras (1-2 4.68) will make his second start of the season vs. the O's. He got the win on April 16 in Baltimore, allowing just one run on four hits over seven innings.
In his last start, Tuesday vs. New York, he allowed four runs over 6.1ip.
Last year, he was 9-17 with an ERA of 5.79 in 30 starts. The 17 losses was the most by a Sox pitcher since Richard Dotson lost 17 in 1986.
O'S HITTERS ON THE CURRENT ROAD TRIP
Luis Hernandez 2-9
Ramon Hernandez 3-16, 2 rbi
Aubrey Huff 5-20, HR
Adam Jones 6-19, 3 rbi
Nick Markakis 4-16, HR
Kevin Millar 3-21
Melvin Mora 7-21, 2 rbi
Jay Payton 3-9, HR
Brian Roberts 6-21, HR, 4 rbi
Luke Scott 2-13
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