Jones RBI single in 10th caps comeback, gives Orioles 6-5 win over White Sox
By DAVID GINSBURG | Associated Press | Apr 17, 08 9:41 PM CDT in
Sports
Adam Jones singled in the game-winning run in the 10th inning, capping a late comeback that gave the Baltimore Orioles a 6-5 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Thursday night.
Baltimore trailed 5-2 in the eighth before rallying to split the two-game series.
Kevin Millar led off the 10th with a walk from Boone Logan (1-1) and advanced on a walk to Luke Scott. After Aubrey Huff hit a fly to left, Jones hit a liner inside the left-field line that scored Millar without a throw.
Nick Markakis homered for the Orioles, whose only lead in the series came when Millar crossed the plate. George Sherrill (1-0) pitched the 10th to earn his first AL win.
Carlos Quentin hit two homers and Joe Crede also connected for Chicago, now 9-1 when leading after eight innings. Half the runs yielded by the White Sox were unearned.
Baltimore trailed 5-3 in the ninth when closer Bobby Jenks entered, looking to go 7-for-7 in save situations. After Brian Roberts hit a two-out RBI double, Melvin Mora grounded a 3-2 pitch up the middle to tie it.
Of Jenks' 13 career blown saves, three have come at Camden Yards.
After the Orioles drew even with two unearned runs in the sixth, Quentin and Crede connected on successive pitches from Jeremy Guthrie to put Chicago up 4-2. Quentin's homer ended a 3-for-25 skid, and Crede's drive upped his RBI total to 18.
Quentin added a solo shot off Dennis Sarfate in the eighth. It was the second two-homer game of his career; the other came last May for Arizona against Colorado.
Chicago starter Gavin Floyd, who went to high school in Baltimore, pitched six innings of two-hit ball in a memorable homecoming. He struck out four, walked two and lowered his ERA to 1.40.
In his last start, the right-hander held Detroit hitless through 7 1-3 innings. In this one, Floyd retired the first 12 batters before Millar bounced a single off the glove of Crede at third base.
That was Baltimore's lone hit until Markakis homered with two outs in the sixth. Both runs were unearned, because the inning began with Luis Hernandez reaching on an error by first baseman Paul Konerko.
The Orioles' third run was also unearned. After the 100-game errorless streak of White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski ended with an errant throw in the eighth, Scott hit an RBI double.
Pierzynski also went 0-for-5, snapping his bat over his knee after a foul out in the 10th.
Notes:@ Chicago's Jim Thome drew two walks, moving past Willie Mays into 18th on the career list with 1,465. ... The White Sox have outhomered the opposition 22-5. ... Markakis has reached safely in 15 of 16 games. ... Orlando Cabrera stole second in the seventh, Chicago's first steal since opening day.
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