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Nine-run sixth fuels White Sox past Indians

Jul 17, 2007 - 4:15 AM CLEVELAND (Ticker) -- It was tough to tell the Chicago White Sox had just won the game.

The White Sox scored a season-high nine runs in the sixth inning and then watched as their bullpen nearly gave it away as Chicago defeated the Cleveland Indians, 11-10, on Monday.

Rookie Jerry Owens, Rob Mackowiak and Paul Konerko each had three RBI to lead Chicago's offensive attack.

Chicago, which entered the game with the fewest runs scored in the majors, continued its hot hitting in July. The White Sox have scored 83 runs in the month, second most in the majors, and have hit 22 home runs in July, most in the majors.

"We've been swinging pretty good," Konerko said. "It's going to be tough to make up the numbers, where we think we should be. But before the season ends, we'll be OK."

But that was the furthest thing on White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen's mind after the game.

"I talked to (General Manager Ken Williams) after the game told him, 'It felt like we lost."

The Chicago bullpen almost blew another game and since May 8, Chicago relievers have an ERA of 7.52.

"You see this for two months, you can't deal with it," Guillen said. "It's funny. I have never seen anything like this before."

After the game, the White Sox sent down reliever Nick Masset and Guillen hinted that more changes might be on the way.

"We have a couple of guys down (in the minors) that are ready to relieve," Guillen said.

The game looked like a replay from the White Sox first game after the All-Star break.

In that game, Chicago had a 9-1 lead entering the ninth before hanging on for a 9-7 victory. The White Sox then went onto lose the next three games.

"This is the type of game that can get you down for awhile," Guillen said. "It happened in Baltimore. We won the first game and then lost the next three."

Despite the 11-2 lead, the game was far from over, especially with the way the White Sox bullpen has been pitching as late.

Franklin Gutierrez hit a three-run homer off White Sox starter John Danks in the sixth to bring the Indians within 11-5.

Cleveland scored five runs in the eighth to get within one. Ryan Garko, Jason Michaels and Gutierrez each singled to start the inning. Josh Barfield brought a run home with an RBI groundout. A walk to Grady Sizemore loaded the bases and Juan Uribe booted Casey's Blake grounder to make the score 11-7.

Martinez then followed with a sacrifice fly to left and after a Boone Logan wild pitch, Indians slugger Travis Hafner hit a single to bring the Indians within one, at 11-10.

Cleveland would not be able to complete the comeback though as Dewon Day induced Jhonny Peralta to ground out to end the eighth and Bobby Jenks pitched a scoreless ninth to pick up his 25th save in 29 opportunities.

"I'm not bringing Bobby Jenks in the eighth anymore to bail those guys out," Guillen said. "I don't care if we lose. We have lost, what, 50 games? I rather lose 50 more games than use Bobby Jenks in the eighth."

A.J. Pierzynski, Jermaine Dye and Rob Mackowiak each had two hits in the sixth as the White Sox banged out nine hits and sent 14 batters to the plate as the White Sox built up their nine run advantage.

With the game tied at 2-2, Pierzynski started the rally with a double off Indians starter Cliff Lee to the gap in right-center. Dye followed with a single to center and Mackowiak hit a little squibber for an infield RBI base-hit.

Josh Fields advanced Dye and Mackowiak with a sacrifice bunt. Lee then intentionally walked Juan Uribe to load the bases for Owens. The move backfired as Owens singled to right, driving in two more runs and making it 5-2 and ending Lee's night.

"The breaks weren't going my way," Lee said. "I think they had five broken-bat hits and I think they had two in (the sixth). Dye had a broken-bat hit. They scored the run on the infield hit. Then they bunted the runners over and the intentional walk. Then there was the ground ball that just got past Garko. If that ball is two feet the other way, it's a double play. It seemed like every time they hit it, the ball had eyes."

Tadahito Iguchi greeted Cleveland reliever Fernando Cabrera with sacrifice fly to deep left field, scoring Uribe. Jim Thome kept the inning going with a double down the right field line and Paul Konerko cleared the bases with a three-run blast off of Cabrera to the left field bleachers for his 18th homer.

The White Sox, however, kept swinging the bats, as Pierzynski singled and Dye followed with a double. Mackowiak would bring them both home with a double to left to cap the scoring in the sixth.

Indians manager Eric Wedge was also less than pleased with the effort of his bullpen.

"It's imperative for us to stay close when we're behind," he said. "You know sooner or later, we'll give ourselves an opportunity to come back. It's important for everyone in the bullpen to contribute to keeping us in the game."

Danks (6-6) benefited from the offensive support. Denks, who hadn't pitched in 11 days, allowed five runs on eight hits in 5 2/3 innings.

"I felt like I could have gone seven or eight innings, but I ran into trouble in the sixth," Danks said Chicago grabbed an early lead against Lee.

The White Sox scored a run in the first on a Thome RBI single and a run in the second on an Owens RBI groundout.

It was the second consecutive rough start for Lee. Lee, who allowed five runs in four innings in his last start before the All-Star break, gave up seven runs on nine hits in 5 1/3 innings.

Martinez also homered for the Indians, as the loss spoiled the announcement of Wedge's contract extension earlier in the day.

"We did not win the ballgame, but that doesn't take anything away from our guys," Wedge said. "When you're down 11-2 and you come back, if you want something that defines character, that says it all."