• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Buehrle, White Sox stop Halladay, Blue Jays

Sep 11, 2008 - 4:46 AM By Gene Chamberlain PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

CHICAGO (Ticker) -- Faced with the loss of key power hitters in their lineup, the Chicago White Sox turned to slapping the ball around U.S. Cellular Field on Wednesday against Roy Halladay and the Toronto Blue Jays.

Mark Buehrle outpitched Halladay and A.J. Pierzynski collected two hits and three RBI as the White Sox held on for a 6-5 triumph over the Blue Jays.

Chicago snapped Toronto's 10-game winning streak despite a ninth-inning scare created by closer Bobby Jenks.

"We've got two guys down who are big-time home run hitters, so we've got to pick up the slack," White Sox outfielder Brian Anderson said, referring to Carlos Quentin and Paul Konerko. "Some of the guys do it in different ways. Whatever we can do until those guys get back is a plus."

In addition to Quentin (wrist) and Konerko (knee), Chicago third baseman Joe Crede sat out with a bad back. The White Sox also kept Ken Griffey Jr. out of the lineup in an attempt to emphasize speed, and the move worked as they stole two bases and scored a run on a squeeze play by Jerry Owens.

"The only thing about it is, you can have a lot of speed, but if they don't get on base, you can't do anything about it," White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said. "We got people on base in key situations. They got good at-bats. They executed well. That gets you going.

"Like I say, if we're not going to have the guys in the lineup who hit home runs, we're going to try to do something different."

The six runs were the most Chicago has scored in a victory without hitting a home run since it notched eight on May 21, 2007 against Oakland.

Buehrle (13-11) allowed one run and seven hits in 7 1/3 innings. The lefthander walked two and struck out six and Octavio Dotel got the final two outs in the eighth before Jenks entered.

Toronto rallied for three runs as Lyle Overbay and Marco Scutaro delivered RBI hits and Jose Bautista plated a run with a groundout. With two outs and the tying run at third, Jenks nearly threw a wild pitch before striking out the red-hot Alex Rios on a check swing.

"They'd won 10 games in a row, so to win this game was huge against their ace," Pierzynski said. "To not win the game the way Mark pitched would have been a crime."

The victory kept the White Sox (81-64) in first place in the American League Central, one game ahead of the Minnesota Twins (80-65).

Halladay (18-10) entered with five victories in his last five starts and a 2.64 ERA, second-best in the American League. But the White Sox jumped on him in the first inning for two runs on RBI singles by Jim Thome and Pierzynski.

Chicago rallied for three in the sixth to push the lead to 5-0. After Thome led off with a single and advanced to third on Alexei Ramirez's double, Pierzynski plated both runners with a two-base hit.

Three batters later, Owens put down a perfect bunt on a high curveball, allowing Pierzynski to score easily.

"The last pitch I expected to see was a curveball, and thankfully, I was able to stay with it," Owens said.

Halladay matched a season high by allowing five runs. He had not given up more than four since July 19 in a 6-4 loss to Tampa Bay.

"Anytime you're going up against a guy like that, who won the Cy Young (Award) - and he's got a chance this year, you've got to go out there and be on your A game and not give up too many runs," Buehrle said. "When you go up there against a guy like that, you're not going to come back. If you go out and get those two runs early, it's a nice cushion. I didn't think he'd give up five."

Halladay yielded nine hits and one walk while striking out eight in six innings.

"It's tough to give up that many runs and rally back within a run," Halladay said. "You know how important every single one of those are."

Buehrle, who had gone 13 1/3 consecutive frames without allowing an earned run, walked Bautista with one out in the eighth and was replaced by Dotel. Rios greeted the righthanded reliever by belting his 14th home run of the year to get Toronto within 5-2.

Anderson's two-out RBI single off Brian Tallet in the bottom of the eighth proved crucial, expanding Chicago's advantage to 6-2.

"That's why you play it nine innings," Buehrle said. "Some teams make it interesting."