Podsednik hit leads White Sox past Dodgers

[June 26, 2009]  CHICAGO (AP) -- Scott Podsednik lined a two-out RBI single in front of diving center fielder Matt Kemp in the 13th inning to give the Chicago White Sox a 6-5 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday.

It was the second game-ending hit in two weeks for Podsednik, who was signed to a minor league contract in April after Colorado cut him, and it gave the White Sox consecutive home victories for the first time since May 22-23.

Podsednik's hit came against Jeff Weaver (4-2) with the bases loaded.

The Dodgers, whose 47-26 record is the best in baseball, lost their first road series in nearly two months.

Working in his third inning of relief, Weaver opened the 13th by giving up singles to Paul Konerko and A.J. Pierzynski. After intentionally walking Chris Getz, Weaver retired Josh Fields and DeWayne Wise on shallow flies.

Podsednik, a star for Chicago's 2005 championship team who was let go after an injury-filled '07 season, worked the count to 2-2 before his winning hit. He had snapped an 0-for-15 slump with a 12th-inning single.

Aaron Poreda (1-0), a top White Sox prospect who was making his fourth appearance after being called up from Double-A Birmingham, worked a perfect 13th. Fellow relievers Scott Linebrink, Matt Thornton, Bobby Jenks and Octavio Dotel combined for five scoreless innings.

Two RBIs each by Orlando Hudson and Mark Loretta staked Chad Billingsley to a 4-0 fifth-inning lead as the Dodgers ace attempted to become the NL's first 10-game winner.

But Konerko led off the fifth with a homer, Wise added an RBI triple and Pierzynski put Chicago ahead with a three-run homer in the sixth. Billingsley, who gave up a season-high five earned runs in six innings, had allowed only three homers in his first 15 starts.

The Dodgers made it 5-all in the seventh when Russell Martin reached on shortstop Alexei Ramirez's throwing error, went to third on Hudson's third single of the game and scored on Casey Blake's grounder.

White Sox starter Clayton Richards lasted only 4 1-3 innings, allowing four runs on six hits and hitting three batters.

NOTES: Konerko has homered in three straight games and has a 10-game hitting streak. ... Billingsley has pitched at least six innings in 15 of his 16 starts. ... Kemp went 0 for 6 with four strikeouts. ... The White Sox wore throwback uniforms to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1959 team, which won the AL pennant before losing to the Dodgers in the World Series.

[Associated Press]

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