AL CENTRAL White Sox rebound past Indians

Former Pirate Esteban Loaiza won his 19th game.
CHICAGO (AP) -- An early four-run lead got away from Esteban Loaiza.
Thanks to some late offense from his White Sox teammates, he still became the first 19-game winner in the major leagues.
"It's a big victory for us and especially for me after pitching seven innings and giving up five runs and two homers," Loaiza said Saturday after Chicago rallied to beat the Cleveland Indians 8-5. "We got runs at the end and ended up winning and that's what it's all about."
Chicago remains tied for the AL Central lead with Minnesota, which beat Texas 5-2.
Loaiza (19-6), who went to spring training with a minor league contract and then started the All-Star game, wasn't sharp, allowing five runs and eight hits in seven innings while striking out 10.
But his offense bailed him out after he couldn't hold a 4-0 lead.
Paul Konerko homered to tie it in the sixth and then hit a two-run, go-ahead single in the seventh.
"It's really nice. I've still got more starts, I've got 19 under my belt," said Loaiza, who is to go for No. 20 Thursday against the Twins. "There will be a lot of pressure, especially thinking about it now. But on game day, I'll just go out and throw strikes."
Chicago rallies
Konerko's 17th homer, on Rafael Betancourt's second pitch in the sixth inning, tied the game at 5. The White Sox then scored three times with two outs in the seventh.
Jack Cressend (2-1) gave up a single to Roberto Alomar, and Magglio Ordonez doubled with two outs. Danys Baez relieved, Konerko fouled a ball off a leg and hobbled around, then grounded a two-run single to left for a 7-5 lead.
"It was pretty painful. I don't know if I've ever fouled a ball off the back of my right knee," Konerko said. "It takes a special hitter to do that. It's pretty painful, but I'll get some ice on it and it won't slow me down."
Carl Everett's single and an RBI double by Joe Crede off Baez increased the lead to three runs.
Gordon gets save
Damaso Marte pitched a perfect eighth, striking out three, and Tom Gordon worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his 10th save in 15 chances.
Carlos Lee had an RBI single and Everett hit a three-run homer in the first off Jason Stanford to stake Loaiza to a 4-0 lead.
But homers by Jody Gerut and Josh Bard put the Indians ahead 5-4. Gerut hit a three-run shot, his 20th of the season, with two outs in the third. Bard hit another two-out homer, a two-run drive in the fourth, to give the Indians the lead.
"We hadn't seen Loaiza since I've been up. He has pitches that don't look like strikes leaving his hand, but end up being strikes," Gerut said. "That why he's been doing so well."
Notes
Toronto's Roy Halladay got his 19th win later Saturday.
Carlton Fisk joined many of his 1983 White Sox teammates in celebrating the 20th anniversary of their 99-win season and division title.
Fisk caught an opening pitch from LaMarr Hoyt, the AL Cy Young Award winner that season, as other members and officials stood around the mound.
The current White Sox wore retro uniforms from that season, a red-white-and-blue outfit with "SOX" across the front.
Gerut's 71 RBIs are the most by an Indians rookie since Julio Franco had 80 in 1983. He has five homers and 16 RBIs in his last 11 games. The former Stanford star is a native of Elmhurst, Ill., a Chicago suburb.
The Indians have lost five straight.
The last White Sox pitcher to win 20 games was from another of their division winners -- Jack McDowell in 1993.
CLEVELANDCHICAGO
abrhbiabrhbi
Crisp cf4000Grffnno 2b2100
BPhllps 2b4000RAlmr 2b2110
Gerut lf3113Lee lf5131
Blake 3b4010WHarrs cf0000
Brssrd 1b4120Thmas dh5000
AEscbr rf4000MOrdz rf3210
Hafner dh4010Knerko 1b4223
Bard c4222CEvrtt cf4123
Peralta ss3110Rwand cf0000
Crede 3b4021
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Dubach ph1000
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Totals34585Totals368128
Cleveland003200000--5
Chicago40000130x--8
LOB--Cleveland 5, Chicago 7. 2B--Peralta (7), MOrdonez (43), Crede 2 (24), Olivo (16). HR--Gerut (20), Bard (6), Konerko (17), CEverett (26). SB--Graffanino (7), Lee 2 (16). S--Crisp.
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Cleveland
Stanford554426
Betancourt111113
Cressend L,2-1 2-322201
DBaez1-331100
Boyd110001
Chicago
Loaiza W,19-67855210
Marte100003
Gordon S,10100000
Umpires--Home, Steve Rippley; First, Larry Vanover; Second, Jerry Meals; Third, Chris Guccione. T--2:49. A--24,796.