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Dodgers squeak past ChiSox

Jun 16, 2012 - 6:11 AM Los Angeles, CA (Sports Network) - James Loney scored the deciding run on a wild pitch in the eighth inning to lift the Los Angeles Dodgers over the Chicago White Sox, 7-6, in the opener of a three-game interleague series.

Elian Herrera had two hits, a career-high three RBI and a run scored for the Dodgers, who won for the fourth time in six games.

"My approach is the pitcher has to get me out," said Herrera. "I'm just looking for one pitch each at-bat and try to make good contact."

Ronald Belisario (2-0) earned the win despite allowing the tying run to score in the top of the eighth before Kenley Jansen tossed a perfect ninth for his 11th save of the year.

Matt Thornton (2-4) allowed the deciding run to cross the plate for Chicago, which dropped its third straight.

Alex Rios homered twice while Adam Dunn also went deep in a losing effort.

Neither starter was very effective as Chris Sale allowed five runs on seven hits and four walks over 5 2/3 innings for Chicago and Clayton Kershaw was touched for five runs -- four earned -- on eight hits and two walks over six full frames for the Dodgers.

Chicago entered the eighth inning trailing 6-5, but Rios led off the frame with a blast into the bleachers in left field off Belisario.

The tie didn't last long as Loney hit a one-out single in the home eighth, moved to second on a Dee Gordon walk, advanced to third on Herrera's groundout to short and crossed the plate on Thornton's fastball into the dirt that skipped past catcher A.J. Pierzynski for the game-deciding run.

Jansen then struck out two in a 1-2-3 ninth inning, including catching Gordon Beckham looking at a called third strike on the inside corner to end the game.

"It's always ugly when you lose it like that," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "You get five against Kershaw you feel pretty good about it, but they battled just as hard against [Sale]."

Chicago jumped out to an early two-run advantage in the first inning when Dunn followed Beckham's one-out single with a blast over the right-field wall.

But Gordon led off the bottom of the frame with a walk and rounded the bases on Herrera's double into the left-center field gap to make it a 2-1 game.

The White Sox added to their lead in the third when Dunn worked a two-out walk, advanced to second on a wild pitch and crossed the plate on Paul Konerko's base hit to right.

Alexei Ramirez then reached on an infield single in the fourth, moved to second on Kershaw's second wild pitch of the game and was able to score on Gordon's throwing error on an Orlando Hudson bouncer to short.

Rios' shot over the left-field wall in the fifth gave Chicago a 5-1 lead.

But Jerry Hairston Jr. worked a leadoff walk in the sixth and A.J. Ellis followed with a single before Juan Uribe pulled a double into left, scoring Hairston.

After Ivan De Jesus' pinch-hit single brought home Ellis, Gordon popped a bunt towards first base that Beckham caught with his bare hand after the ball deflected off the tip of Konerko's glove for the second out of the inning.

Jesse Crain then replaced Sale on the mound and Herrera greeted the reliever with a double into the right-field corner that brought home Uribe and De Jesus.

Juan Rivera's base hit through the right side of the infield plated Herrera and gave the Dodgers their first lead of the game, 6-5.

Game Notes

Sale has not taken a loss in his last six starts...Chicago leads the all-time series between the teams, 11-5...The Dodgers went 4-for-16 with runners in scoring position and left eight men on base...Chicago went 2-for-5 with runners in scoring position and stranded five.