Danks, bullpen lead White Sox past Dodgers 2-0

[June 27, 2008]  LOS ANGELES (AP) -- John Danks pitched six sharp innings and combined with four relievers for a five-hitter, leading the Chicago White Sox to a 2-0 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday.

Danks (5-4) won for the first time since May 29 after getting a no-decision in each of his previous four starts. The 23-year-old left-hander allowed four hits and issued a season-high four walks as the White Sox won the rubber game of the interleague series.

Danks allowed fewer than three earned runs for the 13th time in 16 starts despite pitching with runners on base in every inning. He lowered his road ERA to a major league-best 1.48, compared to 5.23 last season.

Bobby Jenks pitched a perfect ninth inning for his 17th save in 20 attempts.

Clayton Kershaw (0-2) gave up two runs, six hits and four walks in four-plus innings, leaving the 20-year-old left-hander winless in seven big league starts since his promotion from Double-A Jacksonville on May 24.

Kershaw, the seventh overall pick in the 2006 draft, is winless in 16 professional starts dating to Aug. 20, 2007, with Jacksonville. He has allowed 16 earned runs, 33 hits and 22 walks in 33 innings with Los Angeles.

Brian Falkenborg, who was promoted from Triple-A Las Vegas on Wednesday when Scott Proctor went on the disabled list, made his first appearance with the Dodgers since May 28, 2004, after manager Joe Torre pulled Kershaw in the fifth with two on and none out. Falkenborg turned Joe Crede's comebacker into an inning-ending 1-2-3 double play after loading the bases with an intentional walk to Nick Swisher.

Chicago catcher Toby Hall dropped a foul pop in the first inning by leadoff hitter Juan Pierre, who took advantage of his second chance with a single. Pierre stole second, then third on the front end of a double steal with Matt Kemp with one out, but James Loney lined out and Andy LaRoche flied out.

Pierre was stranded at third again in the third inning, thanks to a slick fielding play by second baseman Alexei Ramirez. He fielded Loney's slow grounder on the run and shoveled the ball backward to shortstop Orlando Cabrera with his glove -- all in the same motion -- to start an inning-ending double play.

Dodgers catcher Russell Martin, making his fourth start at third base, made a nice barehanded pickup of Swisher's bunt in the second inning and threw him out after a leadoff walk to Jermaine Dye.

One out later, Ramirez drove in the game's first run with a broken-bat single. Carlos Quentin added an RBI single in the third.

The Dodgers stranded another runner at third in the third when Danks snared Danny Ardoin's line drive and doubled Angel Berroa off first base.

Notes: The White Sox bullpen, which has had the fewest innings pitched in the AL in each of the previous four seasons, again trails the pack this year with 204 2-3. But they lead the league in ERA. ... Chicago committed six errors in the three-game series. ... Crede was back at 3B for the White Sox after missing two games with stiffness in his lower back. ... Martin has committed one error in 14 total chances at 3B, where he played his first season of pro ball before the Dodgers converted him into a catcher. ... The White Sox resume their crosstown rivalry with the Cubs on Friday night. The Sox were outscored 22-11 last weekend during the Cubs' three-game sweep at Wrigley Field.

[Associated Press; By HANK KURZ Jr.]

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