Quentin helps White Sox rally to beat Indians 8-7

[June 07, 2010]  CHICAGO (AP) -- Carlos Quentin hit a go-ahead two-run single in the seventh inning to lead the Chicago White Sox to a 8-7 comeback victory over the Cleveland Indians on Sunday.

Paul Konerko hit a two-run homer, his 17th of the season, and Alex Rios was 2 for 3 with three runs scored for the White Sox, who improved to 2-4 on a nine-game homestand.

J.J. Putz (1-2) struck out two in a scoreless seventh to get the win, and Bobby Jenks pitched a perfect ninth for his ninth save in 10 chances.

Lou Marson hit a three-run homer and Austin Kearns had three hits for the Indians.

After winning the first two games of the series, the Indians failed to complete their first three-game road sweep over the White Sox in 11 years.

With an early 6-2 lead, Indians starter Jake Westbrook was on his way to his first decision in nine starts against the White Sox, but he couldn't hold the lead. Westbrook gave up a double to Rios in the fourth inning, and Rios' later scored on Quentin's single.

Alexei Ramirez and Gordon Beckham hit back-to-back singles off Westbrook in the fifth. Ramirez scored on Omar Vizquel's sacrifice fly, and Rios followed with a RBI single. After a walk to Konerko, Mark Kotsay followed with a RBI single to tie it 6-6.

Juan Pierre led off the seventh with a single off Indians reliever Tony Sipp (0-2). Sipp was lifted after a sacrifice bunt by Vizquel. Indians reliever Jensen Lewis came in and walked Rios and Konerko to load the bases. Indians manager Manny Acta brought in left-hander Rafael Perez, who got Kotsay to fly out to shallow center field. Then with two outs, Quentin hit Perez's 0-2 pitch up the middle to score Pierre and Rios and give the White Sox an 8-6 lead.

The White Sox won for only the fourth time in 12 games against the Indians this season.

White Sox reliever Matt Thornton allowed a double off the left-field wall to Kearns in the eighth and Jhonny Peralta drove him in on a single.

Westbrook pitched 4 2-3 innings and gave up six runs on seven hits.

For the second straight outing White Sox starter Mark Buehrle didn't have it. With one out in the first inning, Buehrle allowed a single to Shin-Soo Choo, a double to Kearns and a two-run single to Peralta. Shelley Duncan followed with a double to right-center to score Peralta from first.

After getting the first two outs in the third inning, Buehrle walked Luis Valbuena and allowed a single to Matt LaPorta. Marson then broke out of an 0 for 18 slump with a three-run shot to make it 6-2. It was his first home run since Sept. 28, 2008, with Philadelphia.

Buehrle allowed six runs over three innings on eight hits. He left the game after throwing 95 pitches. Since last season's perfect game against Tampa Bay, the left-hander has given up five or more runs in 12 of 25 outings.

In his last start against Texas on Tuesday, Buehrle allowed six runs and a season-worst 12 hits in Tuesday's 9-6 defeat to Texas.

Tony Pena pitches three inning of scoreless relief for Chicago.

NOTES: Acta, an avid follower John Wooden, said there has been no greater influence in his coaching career than the UCLA legend. "Be patient, work hard, and control your emotions. I'm a big believer in that," Acta said. "Everything I do is following his lead on how to lead people and how to try to get guys to approach a team-first mentality." ... Indians 2B Mark Grudzielanek left the game with tightness in the right hamstring. ... Cleveland's last three-game sweep of the White Sox in Chicago came on May 15-17, 1999.

[Associated Press]

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