White Sox hand Yankees' Chamberlain 1st major-league loss

[April 25, 2008]  CHICAGO (AP) -- Joe Crede hit a run-scoring single in the ninth inning to hand Joba Chamberlain his first major league loss and give the Chicago White Sox a 7-6 win over the New York Yankees Thursday night to avoid a three-game sweep.

Carlos Quentin doubled with one out off Chamberlain (1-1) and Crede lined a single to left-center to score him. Chamberlain, New York's hard-throwing 22-year-old right-hander, had given up just three runs -- two earned -- in 32 innings over 26 regular-season appearances since being called up last year. He gave up one earned run in 19 outings in 2007.

Bobby Jenks (1-0) got pinch-hitter Jorge Posada to ground into an inning-ending double play with two runners on in the top of the ninth to get the win in a game twice delayed by rain.

Trailing 6-3, the Yankees tied it when Melky Cabrera hit a two-out, two-run homer off Gavin Floyd in the sixth, and Morgan Ensberg delivered a two-out RBI single off Scott Linebrink in the seventh.

Ensberg started a third straight game in place of injured Yankees star Alex Rodrigez, who rejoined the team Thursday but again didn't play because of a strained right quadriceps. Rodriguez had been in Miami where his wife gave birth to their second child.

Floyd worked before and after a 51-minute rain delay in the third inning, allowing five hits and five runs in six innings.

Yankees starter Phil Hughes is still looking for his first win after five starts. New York took a 3-0 lead in the top of the third before the delay but decided not to bring back Hughes, their promising 21-year-old right-hander. Hughes allowed just one hit in his brief two-inning stint while throwing 23 pitches.

The White Sox scored five in the fourth off reliever Ross Ohlendorf. Orlando Cabrera reached on an infield single, Jim Thome walked, Paul Konerko had an RBI single, Jermaine Dye delivered a run-scoring single that skipped past Ensberg at third and A.J. Pierzynski added an RBI double over Bobby Abreu's head in right.

Quentin then grounded to Ensberg, whose throw to the plate couldn't get the sliding Dye as Chicago went up 4-3. Alexei Ramirez hit a ball down the right-field line that Abreu couldn't reach and the RBI double made it 5-3.

Facing LaTroy Hawkins in the fifth, Thome hit his 513th homer and moved into sole possession of 19th place on the career list, breaking a tie with Ernie Banks and Eddie Matthews. It gave Chicago a 6-3 lead.

Floyd had struggled with his control in the third, giving up a hit to Jason Giambi -- who was batting .135 -- and walking Cabrera and Johnny Damon to load the bases. Giambi made a great slide around Chicago catcher Pierzynski beating a strong throw from Dye, who caught Derek Jeter's line drive in right field.

Abreu, who had a go-ahead grand slam in Tuesday night's series opener, then doubled off the top of the left-field fence to drive in two, giving him 1,000 career RBIs.

In the sixth, Floyd gave up a two-out double to Giambi before Cabrera hit his fourth homer to cut Chicago's lead to 6-5.

Notes: The start of the game was also delayed 34 minutes by rain. ... New York Yankees' reliever Brian Bruney had his right foot in a boot Thursday, two days after twisting it covering first base on Tuesday night. The Yankees are considering placing the right-hander on the disabled list but will wait until doctors in New York review the results of an MRI before making a decision. ... Ramirez got a start at second base in place of Juan Uribe, who is hitting just .167. But when Uribe entered the game in the seventh, Ramirez went to center with Dye leaving the game with a strained left groin. Nick Swisher moved from center to right.

[Associated Press; By RICK GANO]

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