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Podsednik single in 9th lifts Chisox over Tigers

Jun 12, 2009 - 1:15 AM By ANDREW SELIGMAN AP Sports Writer

CHICAGO(AP) -- Brian Anderson parked himself on that nice black leather recliner in the center of the clubhouse. Not a bad place to spend a long rain delay.

Manager Ozzie Guillen took a nap.

Even so, these are far from relaxing times for the White Sox.

Scott Podsednik hit an RBI single off Joel Zumaya with the bases loaded in the ninth inning, giving Chicago a 4-3 win over the Detroit Tigers on a rainy Thursday.

The start of the game was delayed nearly three hours by showers. The Tigers almost made it an even longer day when Curtis Granderson hit a tying, two-run homer off closer Bobby Jenks with two outs in the top of the ninth.

But the White Sox took advantage of Zumaya's throwing error - he slipped and threw wildly on a bunt - and loaded the bases with no outs. Podsednik singled past a diving second baseman Placido Polanco to win it.

It was a dramatic finish to a poor homestand for the White Sox, who won only four of 12. They nearly wasted a superb start by Gavin Floyd, not to mention solo home runs by Jim Thome and A.J. Pierzynski.

"Really bad," Guillen said, referring to the homestand.

That could just as easily describe how Zumaya felt.

"I just lost it for a team that battled their tails off today," he said. "So if you expect a smile on my face, there's not a big smile on it right now. Slipping on the grass like that, throwing the ball away, just really upsets people. Not making your pitches where they want them to. It really ticks me off."

Leading 3-1 and with Jenks (1-2) going for his 14th save in 15 chances, the White Sox appeared to be in good shape. Ryan Raburn led off with a single and stole second before Jenks struck out Clete Thomas and retired Miguel Cabrera on a fly ball. Granderson then drove the first pitch over the right-field wall for his 14th homer, tying it at 3.

Anderson led off the bottom half with a single against Zumaya (3-1). Chris Getz bunted and Zumaya made a wild throw to first, sending Anderson to third. After Getz stole second, Josh Fields walked on a full count to bring up Podsednik.

"When push came to shove, we tied it up but we didn't execute a fundamental play that we work on all spring," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. "A simple bunt play, get an out. We didn't get it. In fairness, a little slippery and he kind of slipped a little bit. That's the story."

The White Sox simply let out a sigh of relief.

"Had that gone the other way, it definitely would not have been as fun a bus ride," Anderson said.

Thome gave the White Sox a 2-0 lead by leading off the second with his 553rd homer and hitting a bases-loaded infield single in the third against Edwin Jackson.

After Ramon Santiago homered off Floyd in the top of the eighth, Pierzynski made it 3-1 with a solo shot off Nate Robertson in the bottom half.

The Tigers never mounted a serious threat against Floyd, who allowed one run in eight innings, until Santiago homered. Pinch-hitter Marcus Thames then singled, but Josh Anderson grounded into an inning-ending double play.

Jackson simply struggled after going 5-1 in his previous six starts.

Second in the AL with a 2.16 ERA entering the game, he allowed two runs and five hits while walking four over five innings, matching his shortest outing.

Floyd, meanwhile, continues to pitch well after struggling through the first seven weeks. He is 2-1 in his last five starts and has pitched at least into the seventh in each one.

"His command is very good," Guillen said. "He got big strikeouts. He's not getting behind too many hitters."

Notes: White Sox slugger Paul Konerko was out of the lineup because of a nagging thumb injury that could cost him a few games. Konerko, who has a loose ligament in his right thumb, left Wednesday's game after seven innings when the condition flared up. He was to get an injection and expected to be back Saturday "at the latest," although he wouldn't rule out playing Friday in Milwaukee. ... The Tigers sent Thomas to Triple-A Toledo and purchased the contract of utility player Don Kelly.