Nix homers twice, White Sox beat Angels 4-2

[May 27, 2009]  ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) -- Jayson Nix homered twice, Bartolo Colon carried a shutout into the seventh inning against his former team and the Chicago White Sox beat the Los Angeles Angels 4-2 on Tuesday night.

Nix, who had been 0 for 7 on Chicago's road trip, hit solo shots in the fifth and seventh for his first career multihomer game. Scott Linebrink earned his first save of the season for Chicago, which beat the Angels for the second consecutive night.

Both of Nix's homers to left field came off starter Joe Saunders (6-3), who gave up three runs in 6 2-3 innings.

Bobby Abreu and Torii Hunter homered for the Angels. Abreu's seventh-inning drive over the 400-foot sign in center was his first homer of the season. Hunter's shot to left-center in the ninth brought the Angels within two.

Jermaine Dye drove in pinch-runner Chris Getz with an RBI single in the ninth for Chicago.

Colon (3-4) worked six scoreless innings before giving up Abreu's leadoff homer in the seventh. He lasted 6 2-3 innings, his longest outing since he pitched seven innings in a win over Seattle on April 28.

The 2005 AL Cy Young Award winner with the Angels, Colon had not gone past five innings in his four previous starts.

The right-hander struck out three, gave up four hits and had four easy innings against the Angels, picking up outs on outstanding fielding plays by Nix at second base, Alexei Ramirez at shortstop and left fielder Scott Podsednik -- who turned Kendry Morales' fly ball into a double play with a strong throw to third when Hunter tried to advance in the second.

The Angels tried to rally, but came up short. They had two runners on against Matt Thornton in the eighth, but stranded both when Abreu grounded out.

Chone Figgins extended his hitting streak to 14 games for the Angels, matching a career high.

After the game, the Angels placed reliever Scot Shields on the 15-day disabled list because of patella tendinitis in his left knee. Shields is off to the worst start of his career with a 6.62 ERA.

Shields relieved Saunders in the seventh and faced two batters, walking Ramirez and retiring Jermaine Dye on a grounder to first base. The right-hander had to cover the bag on the play, and he was subsequently lifted by manager Mike Scioscia.

Vladimir Guerrero got his first hit since returning from the disabled list when he chopped a ball up the middle in the fourth. Guerrero, who missed 35 games because of a torn pectoral muscle in his chest, was 0 for 4 in his first game back Monday.

Saunders, who had won four of his last five, pitched four solid innings before giving up Nix's first home run in fifth. He got out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth after Paul Konerko's RBI single, but Nix connected again in the seventh to make it 3-0.

Notes: White Sox OF Carlos Quentin is being sent back to Chicago for tests on his left foot Wednesday. He was injured in the first inning Monday when running to first on an RBI double. ... Chicago manager Ozzie Guillen returned from Caracas, Venezuela, where he attended his father-in-law's funeral.

[Associated Press; By SOLANGE REYNER]

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