Konerko, Buehrle lead White Sox over Orioles 6-2

[May 03, 2011]  CHICAGO (AP) -- Paul Konerko homered twice and Mark Buehrle pitched 6 2-3 scoreless innings to lead the Chicago White Sox to a 6-2 win over the Baltimore Orioles on Monday night.

Konerko hit a two-run home run and a solo shot for the White Sox, who ended a five-game skid with only their fourth win in 19 games. Chicago also avoided a four-game sweep by Baltimore.

Juan Pierre had an RBI single along with a diving catch and Alex Rios added a solo homer to help the White Sox end a seven-game home skid with their first win at U.S. Cellular Field since April 12.

Buehrle (2-3) scattered eight hits, walked four and struck out four to win for the first time since Opening Day.

Orioles starter Jeremy Guthrie (1-4) allowed four runs on five hits in seven innings. He struck out four and walked two, remaining winless since Opening Day.

White Sox reliever Chris Sale hit Nick Markakis in the ninth with two outs and gave up a two-run homer to Derrek Lee. Markakis left the game after getting hit on the hand. Sale was lifted for Sergio Santos after giving up a single to Vladimir Guerrero and a walk to Luke Scott. Santos struck out Adam Jones for his third save in as many opportunities.

Rios drew a leadoff walk in the third off Guthrie. He stole second with two outs and scored on Pierre's bloop single to center.

After allowing a leadoff double to Adam Jones in the fourth, Buehrle caught Mark Reynolds looking and got Matt Wieters to ground out. With runners on first and third, Buehrle was helped by Pierre, who made a diving catch on the warning-track to rob Brian Roberts of an extra base bit and save two runs.

With two outs in the fourth, Konerko launched his seventh homer of the season to give the White Sox a 2-0 lead.

Dunn walked to load the bases with one out in the sixth. Konerko followed with a fly ball to the warning track in left that Scott snagged with a sliding catch. Gordon Beckham tagged up at third and raced home to give the White Sox a 3-0 lead.

Rios tagged Guthrie in the seventh for his second homer of the season. In the eighth, Konerko hit a two-run homer off Josh Rupe to make it 6-0. It was Konerko's second multi-homer game of the season and 29th in his career.

White Sox reliever Jesse Crain struck out three in 1 1-3 innings.

NOTES: Baltimore SS J.J. Hardy, on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left oblique, took 30 swings, ran bases and reported no problems. ... The temperature at first pitch was 42 degrees.

[Associated Press]

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.