Carmona Leads Indians Over White Sox
CHICAGO (AP) -- Fausto Carmona allowed four hits over 8 1-3 innings and the Cleveland Indians beat the Chicago White Sox 4-1 on Wednesday night.
The win kept Chicago from passing the Indians and moving into second place in the AL Central.
White Sox starter Mark Buehrle (10-6) allowed a season-high 12 hits and had his streak of consecutive starts allowing three runs or less snapped at 18 games. Buehrle allowed four runs in 7 1-3 innings.
Shin-Soo Choo had three hits and drove in a run for the Indians, while Carlos Santana singled, doubled and scored a run.
Alexei Ramirez homered for the White Sox. Chicago's Gordon Beckham grounded out with two runners on to end the game.
The Indians moved within two games of first-place Detroit, which lost 6-5 to Minnesota. Chicago remained 3 1/2 games behind the Tigers.
The Indians won for just the second time in nine games against the White Sox this season.
Carmona allowed 18 earned runs over eight innings in two earlier starts against Chicago this season. He had won all seven of his career starts against the White Sox coming into this year.
Carmona's outing was a godsend for Cleveland, which had eight relievers throw 8 2-3 innings in Tuesday's 8-7, 14-inning loss.
Carmona retired 11 straight hitters until Adam Dunn singled to left against an exaggerated shift with one out in the seventh. He was pulled after walking Carlos Quentin with one out in the ninth and matched his season high with 118 pitches.
Chris Perez got the last two outs for the Indians.
Beckham walked after Dunn's hit to give Chicago two baserunners for just the second time in the game. Carmona got Brent Morel to hit into an inning-ending double play.
Buehrle allowed at least one runner in each of the first five innings, but Cleveland bounced into two double plays and left six on base.
The Indians got the lead in the sixth when Santana doubled and scored on Kosuke Fukudome's single to center.
The Indians upped the lead to three runs and snapped Buehrle's streak with a two-run seventh. Choo stroked an RBI single and Asdrubal Cabrera drove in a run with a sacrifice fly.
Buehrle's streak tied Frank Smith's 1909 franchise record.
The Indians scored the game's first run in the second when Jason Donald doubled and scored on Jack Hannahan's single.
The White Sox tied it in the second on Ramirez's leadoff homer.
NOTES: The White Sox have vacillated between a five- and six-man rotation for most of the season, but manager Ozzie Guillen said rookie starter Zach Stewart will pitch out of the bullpen for the next few days, leaving the team with five starters for the time being. Guillen said he's unsure when Stewart will start again. Indians rookie 2B Jason Kipnis missed his third straight game because of soreness in his right side. Manager Manny Acta said Kipnis took "heavy batting practice" on Wednesday and will return to the lineup Thursday. The Indians and White Sox play the series finale on Thursday. Cleveland's Justin Masterson has a 1.99 ERA over his last 11 appearances, while Chicago's Phil Humber is 0-4 with a 7.52 ERA over his last five starts. Chicago 1B Paul Konerko had a 12-game hitting streak snapped. Stewart made his first career relief appearance after five starts and struck out a career-best five in 1 2-3 innings.
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