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Buehrle outduels Lester as White Sox top Red Sox

Aug 9, 2008 - 5:34 AM By Gene Chamberlain PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

CHICAGO (Ticker) -- Mark Buehrle let go of the bad memory of his last start, but the Chicago White Sox didn't let go of the memory of last season's games against the Boston Red Sox at U.S. Cellular Field.

Buehrle rebounded from his worst outing of the year to allow just a run in seven-plus innings Friday as the White Sox started a four-game series against the Boston Red Sox with a 5-3 victory.

"Playing the world champs, to go out there and get the first win, that's huge to get some confidence," Buehrle said.

Orlando Cabrera and A.J. Pierzynski drove in key runs off Jon Lester and Carlos Quentin hit his American League-leading 31st home run as the White Sox ended a seven-game losing streak against the Red Sox dating back to last year.

Last season, the Red Sox outscored the White Sox, 75-17, in winning seven of the eight games played.

"It was nice to win, considering how badly they kicked our (rears) in this park last year - I think we got outscored like 80-4 in four games," Pierzynski exaggerated.

Boston could not touch Buehrle (9-10), who had given up eight runs and 14 hits in sweltering heat last Saturday at Kansas City. The lefthander matched his season high with eight strikeouts and walked two while allowing just four hits.

"You're going to have your bad starts," Buehrle said of his previous outing. "That's one of those games that if you go out there and try to give up 14 hits, that's pretty hard to do. Obviously, the weather was bad with how hot it was.

"Obviously, anytime you have a bad outing, you want to get back out there and kind of redeem yourself, but it wasn't weighing on me like it has at times before."

Buehrle left in the eighth after allowing a leadoff single by Jason Varitek with Chicago leading by four.

"When he's on his game, that's a guy we've got to come with," White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said of Buehrle. "Most of the time, you feel you kind of know what you're going to get. It makes you feel comfortable every time he takes the ball."

Righthander Octavio Dotel came on and got Coco Crisp to fly out to center but walked J. D. Drew before allowing Dustin Pedroia's 10th home run of the season that trimmed the deficit to 4-3.

Bobby Jenks faced the tying run in the ninth but secured his 23rd save by getting pinch hitter Sean Casey on a grounder to shortstop for the final out.

"It was a great day at the ballpark," Guillen said. "I think that's as close as you can get to the playoffs. That's two pretty good ballclubs. That's what it's all about. It's fun to go out and play games like that.

"I've been in different situations. Being in games like that, it's exciting for the fans, for the players, and it brings you up to the next level when you play games like this."

Chicago's fourth run proved critical, even if it came by accident.

Pierzynski, who had driven in the game's first run in the third with a sacrifice fly, hit what looked to be a two-out double to right but got hung up between first and second base for the inning's final out. But not before Cabrera, who had walked, came around to score for a 4-0 lead.

"A lot of people think it was a good play. I think A.J. was not hustling on the play," Guillen said. "He hit the ball and was (looking like he) pretty much thought it was out of play (for a homer).

"A bad play turned around to be a great play. I bet you anybody in the stands knew about it though. He thought he hit a home run and he got caught in a real bad rundown, and it's a good thing it worked out for us."

Pierzynski said he did not necessarily believe it was a home run but lost track of the ball and thought it caromed away from right fielder Drew, which explained why he slowed down.

"When I hit it and Drew caught it (on the bounce), I didn't know where the ball went," Pierzynski said. "I thought it kicked away from him. I thought, 'Oh (no), I'm out, so let's try to make something positive here. Hopefully, we can get the run to score.'"

Quentin's home run was a shot to left leading off the eighth against reliever Manny Delcarmen. It provided Jenks with a two-run cushion going into the ninth.

But Cabrera delivered a crucial blow in the fifth, hitting a two-run double that gave the White Sox a 3-0 bulge.

Lester (10-4) had won seven straight decisions heading into this contest but left after yielding four runs, six hits and three walks in seven innings.

"I thought I threw the ball a lot better than the linescore said," Lester said. "I just really got outpitched. There's nothing more to say. I executed the pitches I wanted to execute. The big hit was Cabrera's. It was a good pitch to hit, and he's a good hitter and he goes down the (right field) line with it. Nothing you can do about it."