Andino Stars As O's Beat White Sox
CHICAGO (AP) -- Robert Andino homered and reliever Mike Gonzalez doused a no-out bases-loaded situation as the Baltimore Orioles sent the reeling Chicago White Sox to their 14th loss in 17 games with a 6-2 victory Saturday night.
Leading 2-1, the Orioles tacked on four runs in the eighth, an inning featuring a passed ball and error on Chicago catcher A.J.
Pierzynski and a two-run single by Vladimir Guerrero.
White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen missed the game, completing his two-game suspension for tweeting comments about an umpire after he was ejected three nights earlier in New York. Bench coach Joey Cora ran the team for the second straight game.
Guillen had been tossed Wednesday night for arguing with plate umpire Todd Tichenor in the first inning of Chicago's game against the New York Yankees. He then went on Twitter to say the ejection was pathetic.
With or without their manager, the White Sox can't win and finished April 10-18 -- the most losses in April in franchise
history. They've dropped four straight.
Baltimore's Chris Tillman (1-2), who had to skip his previously scheduled start because of a sore groin, had a 2-0 lead and was pitching well into the sixth when he gave up singles to Alexei Ramirez and Carlos Quentin and walked Paul Konerko to load the bases with no outs.
Manager Buck Showalter went to the bullpen for southpaw Gonzalez, who struck out Adam Dunn looking. Alex Rios then hit a fly ball to medium center field and Adam Jones made a strong throw to the plate that appeared to be in time to get Ramirez, but Orioles' catcher Jake Fox couldn't hold the throw, making it 2-1.
Gonzalez then fanned Pierzynski to end the threat.
Chicago's Phil Humber (2-3), who took a no-hitter into the seventh inning in his previous start against the Yankees, had another solid outing, giving up three hits and two runs in seven innings.
Andino led off the third with his first homer of the season -- and seventh in parts of seven major league seasons -- to put Baltimore up 2-0. The Orioles took an early lead when Brian Roberts doubled to lead off the game, went to third on a fly ball and scored on Humber's wild pitch, a low delivery that eluded Pierzynski.
Andino also snuffed out a Chicago rally in the fourth when the White Sox had first and second and no outs. He made a diving stop on Rios' grounder behind the bag and started a double play with a nice flip to Roberts.
Andino singled in the eighth off Matt Thornton and stole second.
When Roberts struck out, the ball got by Pierzynski, who retrieved it and threw low to Dunn at first. Dunn caught the one-hop throw but his relay to the plate was too late to get Andino, who scored all the way from second.
Nick Markakis followed with a single and Derrek Lee walked to load the bases before Guerrero delivered a two-run single past third. Luke Scott's sacrifice fly made it 6-1 and Thornton was booed as he left the mound.
Rios hit his first homer of the season in the ninth to make it 6-2.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
