Escobar's Walkoff Single In 10th Gives White Sox 1-0 Win Over Brewers
CHICAGO (AP) -- Pinch-hitter Eduardo Escobar lined an RBI single in the 10th inning and the Chicago White made it an adventuresome afternoon, beating the Milwaukee Brewers 1-0 Sunday.
The win moved the White Sox past Cleveland into the AL Central lead. Chicago also announced it had acquired All-Star infielder Kevin Youkilis and cash from Boston in a trade for infielder Brent Lillibridge and right-handed pitcher Zach Stewart.
Alejandro De Aza opened the White Sox 10th with a double off Manny Parra (0-2). Adam Dunn walked with one out and Escobar, batting for Lillibridge, singled.
Brian Bruney (1-0) walked two and struck out a pair in one inning.
Starters Michael Fiers of the Brewers and Jose Quintana of the White Sox each pitched deep into the game.
Quintana allowed six hits in eight innings, walking none and striking out four. Fiers gave up five hits in 7 1-3 innings and was pulled in the eighth with runners at second and third.
Despite the lack of scoring, the Brewers and White Sox each had numerous opportunities.
Chicago executed an alert defensive play in the third when leadoff batter Norichika Aoki attempted to stretch a two-out double into a triple. Right-fielder Alex Rios fired the ball to second baseman Gordon Beckham who made a tight relay to third baseman Orlando Hudson for the tag.
Hudson and Beckham both reached base on singles in the bottom of the third, but first baseman Adam Dunn grounded to second to end the inning.
In the Brewers' fourth, Aramis Ramirez reached on a two-out double to left-center and outfielder Corey Hart just missed a two-run homer when he lined an 0-1 pitch toward the Milwaukee bullpen but White Sox right fielder Rios made a leaping catch at the wall.
Chicago threatened in the sixth when Beckham singled, stole second and reached third on a one-out Dunn fly to deep center. But Paul Konerko struck out swinging to end the inning.
Fiers was pulled in the eighth with White Sox runners at second and third with one out.
But right-handed reliever Francisco Rodriguez struck out Beckham, then escaped the inning as Dunn struck out swinging.
The Brewers had runners on first and second in the ninth but Addison Reed got a strikeout and pinch-runner Nyjer Morgan was caught trying to steal third base.
The White Sox loaded the bases in the bottom half but Jose Veras got Hudson to pop out.
Bruney walked two in the 10th but coaxed an infield popup by Carlos Gomez to end the inning.
Quintana's consecutive scoreless inning streak reached 16 and he's now faced 97 consecutive batters without issuing a walk, the longest active streak in baseball.
The White Sox ended 9-9 in interleague play while the Brewers closed at 6-12.
NOTES: The White Sox saluted the 40th anniversary of their 1972 AL West runner up team in a pregame ceremony. That team went 87-67 and Dick Allen, the AL 1972 Most Valuable Player, threw out the first pitch. ... It's been a frustrating run for manager Ron Roenicke and the Brewers, who haven't been above .500 since April. "Things just aren't clicking for us," he said. "Everything's just a little bit off" ... The White Sox still dominate the series with 10 wins in their last 12 games against the Brewers ... Chicago had lost four straight series this month before taking two of three from Milwaukee.
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