White Sox Avoid Sweep, Tigers Still Ahead by 5.5 Games in The AL Central
Mark Buehrle won his 11th game as the White Sox avoided a sweep on Sunday with a 6-1 Victory over the Minnesota Twins. The victory keeps the Sox within a half a game of Minnesota and only 5.5 back of division leader Detroit.
Buehrle won for the second time in two months, A.J. Pierzynski and Joe Crede hit consecutive home runs and the White Sox won 6-1 Sunday to cut the Twins’ lead in the AL wild-card race to a half-game.
Pierzynski and Crede connected in the fifth as Chicago turned a one-run edge into a 5-1 lead, and the White Sox went on to avoid a three-game sweep.
Buehrle (11-11) left to a standing ovation after allowing back-to-back singles by Luis Castillo and Nick Punto with one out in the eighth.
"It was louder than it was during the World Series," Buehrle said.
Mike MacDougal relieved and Mike Redmond grounded into an inning-ending double play.
Buehrle — 2-7 in his last 11 starts — allowed one run and nine hits, struck out six and did not walk a batter.
Carlos Silva (8-12) continued to be bothered by the long ball, allowing three homers after giving up five in a loss to Baltimore. He lasted six innings, giving up six runs and 11 hits.
Pierzynski, who was hit by a pitch earlier in the game, followed Paul Konerko’s two-out single with a two-run shot to right for his 12th homer. Crede then lined his 28th.
Juan Uribe hit his 16th leading off the White Sox sixth.
Silva watched video afterward and noticed only one hanging pitch — the changeup that Pierzynski knocked out.
"I don’t feel that I’ve been throwing the ball bad," he said.
Scott Podsednik had three hits and Konerko, Crede and Brian Anderson each had two.
The Twins received three hits from Castillo but little else. Still, this was a good series for Minnesota.