Wise hit gives White Sox win 3-2 over Yankees

[July 31, 2009]  CHICAGO (AP) -- DeWayne Wise hit a game-ending RBI single in the ninth inning to give the Chicago White Sox a 3-2 victory over the New York Yankees on Thursday night.

Nick Swisher tied it in the top half with a solo shot to left after the Yankees fell behind 2-1 in the seventh thanks to some shoddy defense. With the Red Sox's victory, New York's lead in the AL East dropped to 2 1/2 games.

After a miserable 1-6 road trip, the White Sox also got an RBI double by Gordon Beckham in the third inning as Chicago won for just the second time in eight games.

Jim Thome singled with one out in the ninth off Yankees reliever Phil Hughes (4-3), who had not given up a run in his last 16 appearances.

Paul Konerko followed with a single, advancing pinch-runner Scott Podsednik. Yankees reliever Phil Coke entered and retired A.J. Pierzynski.

Wise, who came in as a late defensive replacement, followed with a liner to center that scored Podsednik easily from second and ended Hughes' scoreless streak at 25 1-3 innings.

After striking out the first two batters in the ninth inning, White Sox reliever Matt Thornton (5-2) was tagged by former White Sox switch-hitter Swisher to tie it at 2. It was Swisher's 17th of the season. Swisher was traded in the offseason to New York after he fueded with White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen over playing time late last season.

White Sox starter Gavin Floyd, used a late-breaking curveball to fool Yankee batters. Seven of his 10 strikeouts came on a called strike 3 and he only allowed one run on four hits and one walk.

Floyd pitched 7 2-3 innings allowing one run on four hits.

The Yankees wasted a strong effort by Andy Pettitte, who was hurt by two errors -- one by the pitcher -- in the seventh.

Thome hit a slow bouncer down the first basepath leading off and Pettitte tried fielding the ball, but slipped on the grass as he touched the ball in fair territory with his mitt and then rolled out of his reach allowing Thome to reach on the error.

One out later, Pierzynski hit a hard grounder to third baseman Alex Rodriguez. The ball deflected off Rodriguez's mitt as he was moving to his left and went into the outfield grass. The play was originally scored as an error, but was changed minutes later to a hit.

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With runners on first and second and one out, Hughes relieved and got Carlos Quentin to hit a bouncer to third, a potential double-play ball. But Pierzynski barreled into second knocking second baseman Robinson Cano off-balance, resulting in an errant throw to first base. Thome scored on the bad throw to give the White Sox a 2-1 lead.

Pettitte allowed two runs, one earned on five hits and did not allow a walk.

The White Sox took the lead in the third on Beckham's RBI double, and the Yankees tied it on Johnny Damon's run-scoring single in the sixth.

NOTES: Despite very little rain, the game started after a 64-minute rain delay. Forecasts called for a storm, which never ensued. ... A day after getting intentionally hit by a pitch from Rays starter Matt Garza, Teixeira brushed off any controversy. "That's part of the game," Teixeira said. ... White Sox SS Alexei Ramirez missed the game with a sprained right ankle. Ramirez injured his ankle in Wednesday's loss at Minnesota. White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen doesn't expect Ramirez to play Friday and Saturday. ... One week after Mark Buehrle's perfect game, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn declared Thursday Mark Buehrle day. ...Thome was back in the lineup after missing three straight games with back tightness.

[Associated Press]

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