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White Sox rally past Athletics

Apr 12, 2007 - 12:11 AM OAKLAND, California (Ticker) -- The Chicago White Sox luck against the Oakland Athletics may be changing.

Paul Konerko's two-run double in the top of the ninth inning highlighted a three-run outburst as the White Sox rallied for 6-3 victory over the Athletics.

The White Sox took two-of-three games from the Athletics, marking the first time Chicago has won a series in Oakland since August 2000. The White Sox have won just six of their last 30 games in Oakland.

"We're going to get rings," Konerko said, jokingly. "It seems like all these years that we haven't played well here and this is the earliest we've ever played here, so maybe there's something to that, I don't know. We'll take two out of three here though considering the way things have gone for us the past few years."

With Chicago trailing, 3-1, in the bottom of the eighth, Jermaine Dye hit a two-out, two-run home run off Oakland reliever Justin Duchscherer to tie the score.

"Sooner or later hopefully I would get a couple hits," said Dye, who had just two hits this season entering the game. "Today was a big day for me. I helped the team win with a big hit. The bats were shut down for a while, but we battled and gave ourselves a chance."

"(The home run pitch) was a cutter up," Duchscherer said. "I had been trouble getting the ball down today. If I may a pitch down and away it's tough for Jermaine to get it, but I left it over and he smoked it."

Huston Street (1-1) started the top of the ninth for Oakland. After recording the first out, he allowed a single to Juan Uribe and walks to A.J. Pierzynski and Scott Podsednik, loading the bases. Darin Erstad plated Uribe with a sacrifice fly to shallow left and following an intentional walk to Jim Thome, Konerko doubled off the left field wall.

"That was an easy game to give up on and throw away," Konerko said. "Jermaine got the big hit to tie it up. They had the advantage with Street in there at the end, but sometimes guys are not dialed in yet at the beginning of the year. I'm sure he'll get a much different guy next time out."

Bobby Jenks pitched a perfect ninth inning for his second save of the season. David Aardsma (1-0) pitched a scoreless eighth inning to get the win.

Chicago starter Mark Buehrle lasted a bit longer in his second start of the season. After allowing the Athletics to score three runs on three hits in the first inning, the lefthander settled in and allowed just one hit over the next six innings.

"To go out there and go more than one inning was pretty nice," Buehrle said. "I have to figure out some way to stop giving up runs in that first inning though."

In his season debut against Cleveland on April 5, Buehrle was forced to leave the game after just 1 1/3 innings, when he was hit in the left forearm by Ryan Garko's line drive.

"(Buehrle) was awesome," White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said. "The only ball that was hit hard was Piazza's in the first. Everything else was the Buehrle we've seen in the past. If he continues to pitch like that, he's going to have another great year."

Joe Kennedy, who spent all last season pitching in relief, started for the Athletics and allowed one run, five hits and three walks while striking out three in five innings.

"If you tell us before the game that we're going to have a three-run lead with 'Duke' and Street, I'll take it every time," Kennedy said. "Those guys have been money for us the last two years. I know it's one of those games we'll bounce back from though, and it will be 'Duke' and Street the next time around."

Mike Piazza had a two-run double and Eric Chavez drove in a run for Oakland.