Gavin Floyd’s arm, Carlos Quentin’s bat lift White Sox to 2nd 3-1 win and sweep of Red Sox
By Howard Ulman, APSaturday, September 4, 2010
Floyd helps Chicago sweep Boston with 2nd 3-1 win
BOSTON — Gavin Floyd allowed five hits in six innings, Carlos Quentin hit a double and triple and the Chicago White Sox swept their day-night doubleheader against the Boston Red Sox with their second 3-1 win on Saturday.
Floyd (10-11) allowed Boston’s only run of the second game on a single in the fifth inning by Marco Scutaro, who also drove in Boston’s only run of the opener. John Lackey (12-9) gave up just one run on two hits through six innings then was hurt by a throwing error by center fielder Ryan Kalish in a two-run seventh when Chicago went ahead 3-1.
Bobby Jenks got the save in both games, giving him 27 in 31 opportunities.
The White Sox extended their winning streak to five games and gained a half-game in the AL Central. They trail division leader Minnesota, which beat the Texas Rangers 12-4, by 3½ games.
Manny Ramirez, in his first games against his former team since joining Chicago on waivers Tuesday, went 2 for 4 in the first game and 1 for 4 with two strikeouts and a soft lined single to right in his last at bat in the second.
In the nightcap, Quentin led off the third inning with a triple before Ramon Castro struck out. Gordon Beckham grounded to first baseman Victor Martinez, who threw to catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia in plenty of time to get Quentin at home. But Quentin charged into Saltalamacchia without sliding, jolting the ball loose.
Then in the fourth with runners at first and second and two outs, Lackey hit Quentin with a pitch. Home plate umpire James Hoye warned both benches and managers Ozzie Guillen of Chicago and Terry Francona of Boston came out to talk with him. Lackey struck out Castro to end the inning then went to Quentin at first base, talked to him and patted him on the leg.
Boston tied it 1-1 in the fifth when the first three batters reached base on a walk to Kalish, a single by Bill Hall and the RBI single by Scutaro.
Lackey retired seven consecutive batters before running into trouble in the seventh. Mark Teahen started the inning with a single before Quentin doubled to deep left-center. Kalish ran the ball down then fired back to the infield. But it sailed halfway up the first-base line, forcing Saltalamacchia to run it down and allowing Teahen to score the go-ahead run.
Castro’s sacrifice fly then made it 3-1.
The Red Sox threatened in the eighth with runners at first and second and two outs, but Jenks came in and retired pinch hitter Darnell McDonald on a fly ball to center.
Notes: Paul Konerko’s 14-game hitting streak ended in the second game. … Kalish made seven putouts, three on fly balls by Konerko. … Lackey gave up one earned run after allowing five or more total runs in four of his previous six starts. He’s now 11-4 in night games. … Floyd allowed two runs or less for the 15th time in his last 17 starts but won for just the second time in five outings.
Tags: Boston, Chicago, Illinois, Massachusetts, North America, Professional Baseball, United States