Pierzynski's single in 9th lifts White Sox

[June 15, 2009]  MILWAUKEE (AP) -- A.J. Pierzynski singled with two outs in the ninth inning off previously perfect Trevor Hoffman and starter Mark Buehrle hit his first career home run to lift the Chicago White Sox to a 5-4 win over the Milwaukee Brewers.

Corey Hart homered twice and Casey McGehee added another solo shot for the Brewers, who've lost six of seven. Milwaukee went 1-5 on its homestand.

Hoffman (0-1) came in with a string of 18 straight scoreless innings. But Pierzynski singled through the right side to score pinch-runner Clayton Richard with the go-ahead run.

After getting the first out, Hoffman got in trouble by walking pinch-hitter Jim Thome, who was pulled for Richard, a starting pitcher. Scott Podsednik hit a soft single through the infield and Alexei Ramirez flied out to bring up Pierzynski.

Reliever Matt Thornton (4-1) got two outs in the eighth. Bobby Jenks notched his 14th save in 16 chances after working around a one-out single by pinch-hitter Frank Catalanotto.

It's been a good start to a short, nine-game road trip for the White Sox, who took two of three at Miller Park. They'll drive 90 miles back to Chicago for an off-day on Monday before a three-game set opens at Wrigley Field against the Cubs on Tuesday.

Gordon Beckham, who had his first two career RBIs on Saturday in a 7-1 win, drove in two more in the fourth inning off Braden Looper when he doubled in the corner to give the White Sox a 3-2 lead. Chicago's top draft pick last year advanced to third on Buehrle's groundout and scored on a two-out single by Podsednik that made it 4-2.

But Hart, mired in a 2-for-23 slump until Wednesday, hit a leadoff homer in the fourth and tied it with a solo shot in the sixth.

McGehee hit his first career home run in the third to give Milwaukee a 2-1 lead after he'd scored the Brewers' first run in the first inning off Prince Fielder's two-out single.

Buehrle was done after six innings, allowing four runs on seven hits and a walk, but not before his big hit.

Buehrle, who came in with three singles and 20 strikeouts in 36 career at-bats, drove a full-count fastball into the White Sox bullpen in right field in the third inning. It was the first homer by a White Sox pitcher since Jon Garland did it against Cincinnati on June 18, 2006.

Notes: With a day off on Monday, White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen says RHP Jose Contreras will stay on regular rest. The White Sox will push back the left-handed Richard until the Reds' series next weekend. ... With Brewers LHP Manny Parra's demotion to Triple-A Nashville, manager Ken Macha says they don't have a plan yet for who might start on June 27, the next time they'll need a fifth starter.

[Associated Press; By COLIN FLY]

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.