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Gavin Floyd pitches White Sox past Boston 5-1

Sep 6, 2009 - 12:10 AM By RICK GANO AP Sports Writer

CHICAGO(AP) -- Gavin Floyd had taken no-hit bids deep into games before, so he knew what to expect.

He had another one going Saturday - a perfect game, in fact - against one of the best teams in the AL, the Boston Red Sox. After retiring his first 17 batters, Floyd gave up a two-out single in the sixth inning to Nick Green.

"You're aware of it, but in the sixth inning there is still a lot of game to go. You just try to focus on the pitches and let things happen," Floyd said. "If it happens, it happens. If not, you just put it behind you."

That's what Floyd did after Green's single. He finished by allowing only three hits and a run in eight strong innings with a career-high 11 strikeouts, leading the Chicago White Sox to a 5-1 victory over the Red Sox.

"Coaches and managers always worry when you are throwing a no-hitter and all of a sudden someone gets a hit. A lot of people go down after that," Chicago manager Ozzie Guillen said. "The next guy was out and this guy (Floyd) was cruising."

After Green's clean single to center, fans gave Floyd a standing ovation. Once he retired the side, teammate Mark Buehrle, who pitched a perfect game against the Rays in July, went up and gave him a hug in the dugout.

"He joked around before like, `You need to learn now to finish them.' And I just started laughing," Floyd said.

Floyd (11-9), who had no walks, lost his shutout in the eighth when Jason Bay led off with his 31st homer to make it 4-1.

"He carved us up. Slider, cutter, fastball. He had everything. The time of the day when it's hard to see and the way he pitched, he overwhelmed us," Boston manager Terry Francona said.

Chicago scored three times in the first off Tim Wakefield (11-4) and went on to its fourth straight victory. Mark Kotsay homered for the second consecutive day against his former team and Paul Konerko added a solo shot in the eighth to finish with three RBIs.

Boston maintained its two-game lead in the wild-card standings because Texas lost 5-4 at Baltimore.

The 6-foot-5 Floyd was sharp, mixing his pitches and speeds, and he had his strikeout pitch working. He fanned eight in the first six innings and struck out David Ortiz three times.

Victor Martinez had Boston's other hit off Floyd, a one-out double in the seventh.

Floyd made serious no-hit bids twice last season. He took a no-hitter into the eighth against the Tigers and another into the ninth against the Twins before giving up hits

"He's a big guy and he's got some deception to him," Bay said. "He's been real tough, keeping guys off balance."

The White Sox, who had 20 hits in a 12-2 win Friday night, picked it right back up in the first inning against Wakefield with three hits and three runs.

Scott Podsednik singled, pinch-hitter Jayson Nix walked and after a sacrifice, Konerko hit a two-run single. After another walk, Chris Getz's RBI single made it 3-0.

Wakefield was making his first start since Aug. 26 because of a sore back and the veteran knuckleballer allowed six hits and four runs in six innings. He'd won his previous five decisions and the loss was his first since May 29.

Kotsay, designated for assignment by the Red Sox on July 24 and traded to the White Sox four days later, hit his third homer of the season in the sixth to give Floyd a four-run cushion. Konerko lined his 25th homer off the left-field foul pole against Hideki Okajima in the eighth.

One out later, Getz got an infield single when he hit a grounder to Kevin Youkilis at first and then beat Wakefield to the bag. A trainer and Francona came to the mound to check on the 43-year-old Wakefield, who remained in the game.

"I'm not feeling 100 percent right now, but hopefully this thing will get even better," Wakefield said.

NOTES: White Sox rookie Gordon Beckham left after the top of the first with what was announced as a stiff back. But Beckham said it was actually his right side that was bothering him after a batting practice swing. He said it mostly hurt when he was running. Chicago's first-round pick in the 2008 amateur draft has started 65 straight games at third base and appeared in 81 consecutive games overall. He said he won't play Sunday and could miss another day. "I can't imagine it would take more than a couple of days," he said. "I hate coming out of games. ... It's one of those things you don't like to do, but I'd rather miss a couple of games here than miss the rest of the season." ... Nix batted for Beckham in the first.