Garland helps Sox gain 2-game lead in wild card race
Sunday, August 20, 2006 The Rangers topped Detroit, 3-1 and the A's beat the Royals, 7-2. ASSOCIATED PRESS MINNEAPOLIS — Jon Garland pitched 7 2/3 strong innings, retiring 14 straight at one point, to help the Chicago White Sox beat the Minnesota Twins 4-1 on Saturday night. Rob Mackowiak homered for Chicago, which won for the seventh time in 10 games and increased its lead over the Twins in the wild card race to two games. Jon Garland (14-4) allowed five hits and one unearned run, while striking out five and walking just one. He won his major-league leading 10th game on the road. Bobby Jenks got the final three outs for his 35th save in 37 chances. Brad Radke (12-9) allowed three runs —one earned— and six hits in five innings, while striking out six and walking none. Chicago scored an unearned run with two outs in the first inning, on a misplayed pop up and a throwing error. Jim Thome hit a ball nearly to the top of the Metrodome that second-baseman Luis Castillo lost in the roof for a double. Paul Konerko followed with a grounder to shortstop Jason Bartlett, who bounced a throw past first base allowing Thome to score. The White Sox took advantage of another Twins error in the second. Joe Crede singled with one out, ending an 0-for-16 slide. He moved to second when Nick Punto mishandled Mackowiaks grounder for an error. After a fielders choice, Scott Podsednik blooped an RBI single into center to make it 2-0. Minnesota scored an unearned run in the third when Jason Tyner led off with a single and advanced on second-baseman Tagahito Iguchis throwing error. Jason Bartlett moved Tyner up with a groundout and Luis Castillo struck out looking, before Punto lined an RBI single to right to make it 2-1. But, the White Sox came right back with a run on Mackowiaks 417-foot shot off Radke in the fourth to make it 3-1. Thome led off the eighth inning with a double off Willie Eyre and scored two outs later from third base during a rundown at first. CHICAGOMINNESOTA abrhbiabrhbi Pdsdnk lf5011LCstillo 2b4010 BrAdrs cf0000Punto 3b4021 Iguchi 2b5010Mauer c3000 Thome dh4220Cddyer rf3000 Knerko 1b4010Mrneau 1b4000 Dye rf4000THnter cf4000 Przyns c4010Kubel dh3000 Crede 3b4110Tyner lf3120 Mckwk cf4121Bartlett ss3000 Uribe ss4000 Totals38492Totals31151 Chicago110100010—4 Minnesota001000000—1 E—Iguchi (7), Garland (3), Punto (9), Bartlett (8). DP—Chicago 1. LOB—Chicago 7, Minnesota 5. 2B—Thome 2 (21). HR—Mackowiak (4). IPHRERBBSO Chicago Garland W,14-47 2-351015 Thornton1-300000 Jenks S,35100000 Minnesota Radke L,12-9563106 Eyre321102 Guerrier110000 HBP—by Jenks (Cuddyer). Umpires—Home, Doug Eddings; First, Dana DeMuth; Second, Jim Joyce; Third, Paul Schrieber. T—2:32. A—46,215. Rangers 3, Tigers 1 DETROIT — Mark Teixeira homered and Robinson Tejeda returned from Triple-A to combine with four relievers on a five-hitter. The Rangers have taken the first two games of the three-game set against Detroit and won eight of their last 11 overall. Tejeda (2-3), who was recalled from Oklahoma City before the game, allowed one run on four hits in 6 2-3 innings. He was replaced by Rick Bauer with two out in the seventh after surrendering a double to Carlos Guillen. Bauer got out of the inning by getting Ivan Rodriguez on a grounder. The Tigers threatened in the eighth, putting two on with one out. Ron Mahay relieved Bauer and struck out pinch-hitter Brent Clevlen. Wes Littleton ended the inning by getting Craig Monroe on a grounder back to the mound. Akinori Otsuka worked the ninth for his 25th save. TEXASDETROIT abrhbiabrhbi Mathws cf3100Grndsn cf3000 MYong ss4000Clevlen cf1000 CaLee dh3001Monroe lf4111 Txeira 1b4121Casey 1b2000 DeRosa 3b4000DYong dh4000 Kinsler 2b3000CGillen ss4030 Laird c3000IRdrgz c4000 Cruz rf3000Thmes rf3010 Hrst Jr lf2100Inge 3b3000 Infante 2b2000 MOrdz ph1000 RSntgo 2b0000 Totals29322Totals31151 Texas000012000—3 Detroit000000100—1 E—Kinsler (14), Infante (3). DP—Texas 1. LOB—Texas 2, Detroit 6. 2B—CGuillen (32). HR—Teixeira (20), Monroe (20). SF—CaLee. IPHRERBBSO Texas Tejeda W,2-36 2-341113 Bauer2-300011 Mahay1-300001 Littleton1-300000 Otsuka S,25110012 Detroit Robertson L,11-9823123 Rodney100000 Umpires—Home, Jeff Kellogg; First, Jerry Meals; Second, Andy Fletcher; Third, Mike Reilly. T—2:25. A—41,643. Athletics 7, Royals 2 KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Barry Zito pitched eight strong innings for the surging Athletics. Zito (13-8) gave up two runs and eight hits while striking out seven and walking two. Oakland has won 13 of 16 and 18 of its last 23 in spite of being swept by the Royals in a doubleheader on Friday night. After getting only nine hits in the doubleheader, Oakland had 13 on Saturday night. OAKLANDKANSAS CITY abrhbiabrhbi Kendall c4021DJesus cf4000 Kotsay cf4111Grdzln 2b3120 Brdley rf5021MiSwy dh1010 Thmas dh5120EGrmn dh2100 EChavz 3b4000Teahen 3b4011 Payton lf4220Brown lf4011 Swisher 1b3110RSndrs rf4010 Crosby ss3112Shealy 1b4000 Ellis 2b4121Buck c4000 Blanco ss4020 Totals367136Totals34282 Oakland020000401—7 Kansas City002000000—2 E—MRedman (2). DP—Kansas City 3. LOB—Oakland 6, Kansas City 7. 2B—Kotsay (22), Thomas (7), Crosby (12), Brown (31), RSanders (23). HR—Ellis (9). S—Crosby. SF—Kendall. IPHRERBBSO Oakland Zito W,13-8882227 Gaudin100002 Kansas City MRedman L,7-8685213 JoPeralta2-300000 Sisco1 1-331101 Dohmann121111 MRedman pitched to 3 batters in the 7th. Umpires—Home, Lance Barksdale; First, Dale Scott; Second, Ron Kulpa; Third, Dan Iassogna. T—2:43. A—30,810. 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