Teahen hits inside-the-park homer as KC rallies

[July 11, 2008]  KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Mark Teahen's inside-the-park home run capped a four-run rally in the eighth inning Thursday night and powered the Kansas City Royals to a 4-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox, avoiding a three-game sweep.

Mike Aviles and Jose Guillen hit RBI doubles to give the Royals a 2-1 lead, after Mark Buehrle had shut them out on four hits over the first seven innings.

Teahen, who also had an inside-the-parker earlier this year, then smashed Boone Logan's pitch deep into center field. Guillen scored and as Teahen neared third base, second baseman Alexei Ramirez hesitated a moment before throwing the ball toward the plate.

So Teahen kept coming, sliding around A.J. Pierzynski's sweeping tag.

Octavio Dotel had struck out the side on 10 pitches in the ninth inning of Chicago's come-from-behind, 7-6 victory the night before, but faltered in this one.

The winner was reliever Ron Mahay (5-0), who pitched one inning and struck out two. Joakim Soria, the Royals' only All-Star, pitched the ninth for his 24th save in 26 opportunities.

Buehrle gave up a leadoff single to John Buck in the eighth and David DeJesus hit a hot grounder to shortstop Orlando Cabrera, who tossed to Ramirez for the force out.

But when Ramirez threw to first for the double play, Paul Konerko dropped the ball after a wide throw and DeJesus was safe. Official scorer Del Black initially said the play was not ruled an error because a double play cannot be assumed, then changed the call to an error on Konerko.

Aviles then doubled home the tying run, bringing Dotel out of the bullpen. Guillen mashed a double off the wall in straightaway center before Teahen came to the plate.

Buehrle (6-8) gave up only six hits in 7 1-3 innings and had a season-high eight strikeouts while losing to the Royals for the first time in five decisions.

Jermaine Dye broke an 0-for-13 slide with a towering home run off Royals starter Zack Greinke in the fourth.

Greinke allowed only six hits before departing after seven innings. The right-hander walked only one and struck out eight. He allowed only two other runners to get as far as second, including Dye's double in the sixth.

Dye, who learned a couple of hours before the game that he'd finished second to Tampa Bay's Evan Longoria in fan balloting for the final AL All-Star spot, was 0-for-11 in the three-game series until he clubbed Greinke's 1-0 pitch 434 feet with one out in the fourth.

The ball cleared the water display behind left field, a rarity in Kauffman Stadium.

[Associated Press; By DOUG TUCKER]

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