Kinsler hits leadoff homer; Texas beats White Sox

[May 04, 2009]  ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) -- Ian Kinsler hit a record-tying leadoff home run and Matt Harrison pitched five scoreless innings to win his second consecutive start for the Texas Rangers in a 5-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Sunday night.

Kinsler's second leadoff homer in three games was the eighth of his career, already matching the Texas record early in the All-Star second baseman's fourth season.

Harrison (2-2) escaped a bases-loaded jam in the fifth by retiring Carlos Quentin on a flyout with his 100th pitch.

John Danks (2-2), Texas' first-round draft pick in 2003, went 5 1-3 innings and gave up 10 hits for the first time in his 64 career starts -- all for the White Sox since being traded. It was the second straight game in which he allowed five runs.

Kinsler led off with his ninth homer of the season, a 411-foot shot to left-center that was his third leadoff homer this year. He added a sacrifice fly in the sixth, an inning after he had an infield single and scored on Michael Young's single.

The only other Rangers with eight career leadoff homers are Young, Mike Hargrove and Oddibe McDowell. Kinsler played his 395th career game, his 173rd leading off.

Elvis Andrus, the Rangers' 20-year-old rookie shortstop, already had two hits and a stolen base before his sacrifice bunt in the fifth pushed Kinsler into scoring position. Andrus was hitting second after being in the No. 9 spot his first 18 starts.

Chicago had runners on in every inning against Harrison, but he kept working out of trouble. Two of his three strikeouts ended innings.

Quentin's flyball capped a nine-pitch at-bat that first baseman Chris Davis tried to end a few pitches earlier when he fell into the front row of the new luxury seats chasing a foul ball. Davis, who jumped back onto the field unhurt, would have certainly had room to make the play before those seats were added this season.

Danks is 1-2 in three career starts against Texas, all of those coming at Rangers Ballpark for the ninth overall pick of the 2003 draft. The Texas native was the Rangers' top pitching prospect when he was traded to the White Sox in December 2006 for Brandon McCarthy, who beat Chicago on Saturday night.

Notes: White Sox OF Jermaine Dye was out of the lineup after being hit on the top of the left hand with a pitch Saturday night. X-rays were negative and manager Ozzie Guillen said Dye could play Monday at Kansas City. ... Chicago 3B Josh Fields was hit on his left hand in the first inning, but stayed in the game. ... Andrus had a nifty defensive play to start the sixth, going to his right to field Paul Konerko's grounder several steps into the outfield, then twisting and easily throwing the batter out. ... Hall of Fame receiver Michael Irvin, a three-time Super Bowl champion with the Dallas Cowboys, threw out the first pitch. It was wide, bouncing in the batter's box.

[Associated Press; By STEPHEN HAWKINS]

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