Guthrie, Orioles beat White Sox 4-3

[August 09, 2010]  BALTIMORE (AP) -- Jeremy Guthrie outpitched Mark Buehrle, and the surging Baltimore Orioles beat the Chicago White Sox 4-3 for their fifth win in six games under new manager Buck Showalter.

Felix Pie homered for the Orioles, who took the lead for good with a two-run sixth. Since Showalter made his debut in the dugout Tuesday, Baltimore has swept three games from the Los Angeles Angels and won two of three from the first-place White Sox.

The Orioles can capture their second straight series, and only their sixth of the season, with a victory over Chicago on Monday night.

Guthrie (6-11) allowed one run and six hits in eight innings. The right-hander worked out of several early jams, then settled down and retired 10 of the last 11 batters he faced.

Since Showalter took over, Orioles starters have gone at least six innings and registered a 1.94 ERA.

Alfredo Simon worked the ninth for his 17th save, despite giving up a two-run homer to Ramon Castro.

Buehrle (10-9) gave up four runs and 10 hits in seven innings. He was 7-2 with a 2.70 ERA in his previous 10 starts, and 5-3 with a 2.72 ERA in 14 career games against Baltimore.

Buehrle began the sixth inning by issuing his only walk, to Corey Patterson. Nick Markakis and Ty Wigginton followed with successive RBI doubles to make it 3-1.

Cesar Izturis doubled in the seventh and scored on a single by Brian Roberts.

Izturis earlier got his 1,000th career hit, a bloop to center in the second inning. He has 786 hits in the NL and 215 in the AL, including 178 with Baltimore.

The shortstop also made a sensational diving stop of an eight-inning grounder deep in the hole and threw out Alex Rios at first base.

Rios had two hits and drove in a run for the White Sox, who won nine of 11 before coming to Baltimore.

Chicago second baseman Gordon Beckham left the game with a strained groin. The injury was not believed to be serious.

Pie's third homer of the season made it 1-0 in the second, but the Orioles missed a chance to expand the lead when Jake Fox was thrown out by Beckham trying to score on an infield hit by Josh Bell.

Chicago stranded five runners over the first three innings, including four by Carlos Quentin. After being retired in order in the fourth, the White Sox finally broke through in the fifth on a two-out RBI single by Rios.

NOTES: Chicago catcher A.J. Pierzynski hopes to return Monday after twisting his left ankle Saturday night. He was scheduled to be off Sunday anyway. ... Baltimore is 19-16 in one-run games.

[Associated Press; By DAVID GINSBURG]

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