For most of this season the pitching staff of the White Sox has bailed them out of many games that the offense didn’t show up. Monday night the offense bailed out the pitching as the Sox came back to beat the Orioles 7-6.
The Sox got their scoring off to a quick start scoring four runs in the second inning. A.J. Pierzynski started the scoring with a solo homer, followed by an RBI single by Adam Dunn, and a two-run homer by Gordon Beckham. The Orioles would come back with two runs in the third and one in the fourth to pull to within one at 4-3. The Sox would add one in the sixth to extend the lead to 5-3. Things looked bleak for the Sox when Baltimore took the lead in the seventh on a three-run homer by J.J. Hardy. The Sox would rebound though and score two in the eighth and hold on for the 7-6 victory.
John Danks didn’t have his best stuff on Monday evening. Danks went six and a third innings and allowed five runs, four earned, on seven hits. The Sox lefty didn’t figure in on the decision. Jesse Crain earned the victory to improve to 6-3 on the season. Sergio Santos struck out the side in the ninth to earn his 23rd save of the season.
Jeremy Guthrie pitched ok for the Orioles with the exception of the second inning. Guthrie went seven innings and allowed five runs, four earned, on eight hits. Jim Johnson took the loss for the Orioles to drop his record to 5-4 on the season.
The two teams will meet in game two of the series Tuesday in Baltimore.