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Clutch hit from Bourjos lifts Angels over ChiSox

Aug 24, 2011 - 5:35 AM Anaheim, CA (Sports Network) - Peter Bourjos singled through a drawn-in infield to plate Erick Aybar in the ninth inning, giving the Angels their fifth straight win, a 5-4 decision over the Chicago White Sox.

Paul Konerko's 2,000th career hit -- a single to right field off Ervin Santana -- knocked in Alejandro De Aza with the game-tying run in the eighth, but Jason Frasor couldn't extend the game to extra innings.

The win pulls the Angels within 3 1/2 games of AL West-leading Texas, while the White Sox's fourth loss in six games dropped them 6 1/2 games behind the AL Central-leading Tigers.

Howie Kendrick homered and tripled for the Angels, but grounded out against Frasor (3-3) to strand runners on the corners in the eighth.

After Jordan Walden (4-3) hurled a 1-2-3 ninth, Frasor stayed on in the bottom half and gave up consecutive one-out singles to Aybar and pinch-hitter Alberto Callaspo, who advanced to second when the throw from the outfield went to third.

Maicer Izturis was given a free pass to load the bases for Bourjos, and the .378 hitter since the All-Star break delivered a sharp single to left to bring Aybar in without a play at the plate.

"I was trying to put the ball in play and hit it hard," Bourjos said. "I'm seeing the ball well and not swinging at bad pitches. I'm having a lot of fun right now."

Torii Hunter's single to left in the first inning scored Bourjos, who reached earlier in the frame on a Juan Pierre error.

Kendrick led off the second by taking an 0-2 pitch over the wall in center, but run-scoring hits from Gordon Beckham and De Aza in the third tied things.

Hunter knocked in Izturis with a single in the third, and Kendrick tripled and scored on Aybar's sacrifice fly for a 4-2 advantage. The four runs, three of which were earned, came against Mark Buehrle, who was charged with seven hits and one walk in a six-inning start.

"Everything was up in the bullpen [session] and it carried right into the game. Every ball they hit, they hit pretty good. [It was] one of the worst nights I've had," Buehrle said.

Pierre slapped an opposite-field single to left to bring in Brent Morel in the fifth, and kept the Sox within a run by starting a relay in the sixth that nabbed Kendrick trying to score from first on a Vernon Wells double.

Game Notes

Kendrick has a career-high 11 home runs. He hit 10 in each of the previous two seasons...Santana pitched into the eighth for the seventh straight start. The right-hander yielded four runs on nine hits over eight frames...The White Sox had won eight of their previous nine road games...Jered Weaver, who signed a five-year contract extension with the Angels on Tuesday worth a reported $85 million, will pitch Wednesday's finale of the two-game set opposite Zach Stewart.