Recap: Chicago WSox vs. Cleveland
Sports Network | September 28, 2008
Chicago, IL (Sports Network) - Mark Buehrle was solid on the hill and Paul Konerko had a home run to keep Chicago's playoff hopes alive with a 5-1 victory over Cleveland.
Minnesota beat Kansas City on Sunday, 6-0, meaning the White Sox are one-half game behind the Twins for the division lead. Chicago will play a makeup game with Detroit on Monday to help crown the AL Central champions.
Should a tiebreaker between Chicago and Minnesota be necessary, it will be played in Chicago on Tuesday.
Buehrle (15-12) lasted seven innings and gave up a run on nine hits with six strikeouts and one walk to get the win.
Jermaine Dye had a pair of RBI for the White Sox, who saw their five-game skid become history.
Bryan Bullington (0-2), who was named as a last-minute replacement for likely AL Cy Young Award winner Cliff Lee, who was scratched with a stiff neck, took the loss after getting tagged for three runs -- one earned -- on five hits in five frames.
Jhonny Peralta's solo homer accounted for all the offense for Cleveland, which finished the season at 81-81 for third place in the AL Central. Franklin Gutierrez went 2-for-3 in defeat.
The Tribe took a 1-0 lead in the second inning as Peralta led off with a blast over the fence in right field.
The Pale Hose answered in the home half. Konerko knotted it up as he pulled a ball down the line in left that just stayed inside of the foul pole for a solo shot.
Ken Griffey, Jr. followed with a double and Alexei Ramirez drew a walk before AJ Pierzynski loaded the bases with a single. Juan Uribe reached on a fielding error by Jamey Carroll, which allowed Griffey to score, and Orlando Cabrera's sac fly made it 3-1.
Uribe had a one-out single in the seventh and moved to third as Cabrera followed with a single. Dewayne Wise grounded out to make it second and third, and Dye's single scored both runners to give the ChiSox a 5-1 cushion they did not surrender.
Had it won today, Cleveland would have picked up its first three-game sweep in Chicago since turning the trick from May 17-19, 1999...Buehrle was pitching on three days' rest...Chicago won 11 of its 18 matchups with Cleveland this season.
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