Garcia Single Lifts White Sox Over Angels 3-2
CHICAGO (AP) — Leury Garcia drove in the winning run with a pinch-hit single off Michael Morin in the ninth inning to lift the Chicago White Sox to a 3-2 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday night.
The White Sox shook off a doubleheader sweep and finally took out the Angels after dropping their first five games this season and seven straight overall to them.
Alejandro De Aza, who entered earlier as a runner for Paul Konerko, started the winning rally with a one-out single in the ninth off Morin (2-2). Conor Gillaspie followed with a broken-bat single past a diving Albert Pujols at first base to put runners on the corners.
The Angels then brought in Kole Calhoun to replace right fielder Collin Cowgill and serve as the second baseman as part of a five-man infield. Garcia, batting for Moises Sierra, lined a 2-1 pitch to left to drive in De Aza.
That made a winner of Zach Putnam (3-1), who worked 1 1-3 scoreless innings.
Chicago's Alexei Ramirez drove in the first two runs with a bases-loaded single off Tyler Skaggs in the fourth.
It stayed that way until the seventh, when David Freese hit a solo homer. Josh Hamilton tied it at 2 with two outs in the eighth when he chased John Danks with his fifth homer.
That drive came right after Albert Pujols hit a fly to the warning track in center.
The White Sox left Danks in even though Hamilton came into the game with a .438 average against him, and he pulled a pitch out to right.
The home runs spoiled an otherwise outstanding performance by Danks, who tied a career high with 10 strikeouts while giving up seven hits and one walk in 7 2-3 innings.
Skaggs wasn't bad, either, after missing nearly a month with a strained right hamstring.
He also gave up two runs in 7 2-3 innings, scattering just five hits. He got a big assist in the first when Hamilton made a leaping catch in left to rob Gordon Beckham of a solo homer, but other than a shaky fourth, he didn't run into much trouble.
Morin came in for Skaggs and walked Beckham. Jose Abreu then singled, extending his hitting streak to 17 games, before Dayan Viciedo flied out to end the eighth.
NOTES: The Angels' Mike Trout was the AL Player of the Month for June after batting .361 with seven homers. ... Abreu became the first White Sox player to be selected AL Rookie of the Month twice, taking the honor for June after hitting .313 with 10 homers and 22 RBIs. The Cuban slugger came in to Wednesday's game tied for the major league lead in home runs (26). He is a strong candidate for the All-Star game and the home run derby. "Right now, I'm not even thinking about that," he said through an interpreter. Abreu was also the AL Player and Rookie of the Month for April. ... The White Sox have a day off before opening a three-game series against Seattle on Friday, with LHP Chris Sale (7-1, 2.30 ERA) Roenis Elias (7-6, 3.96). ... RHP Matt Shoemaker (5-2, 4.50) starts Thursday for the Angels against Houston, while LHP Brett Oberholtzer (2-6, 4.40) pitches for the Astros.
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