Buehrle gets 1st win since perfect game

[September 08, 2009]  CHICAGO (AP) -- Mark Buehrle won for the first time since pitching a perfect game on July 23, ending his eight-start drought by leading the Chicago White Sox over the Boston Red Sox 5-1 Monday.

Carlos Quentin homered as Chicago took three of four from the AL wild-card leaders.

Buehrle (12-7) outpitched Josh Beckett (14-6), scattering eight hits over seven-plus innings. The White Sox lefty had been 0-4 with a 5.44 ERA since his gem against Tampa Bay.

Buehrle gave up a first-inning run and then pitched his way out of several jams. Leading 3-1, he gave up a leadoff single to Victor Martinez in the eighth and was replaced by Tony Pena, who struck out Jason Bay and Mike Lowell.

Quentin's two-out, two-run homer in the bottom half off reliever Hideki Okajima put the White Sox up four.

Beckett, who hasn't won since Aug. 12, gave up three runs and six hits over seven innings. He retired his final 10 batters and was able to keep the ball in the park, something he'd failed to do in his five previous outings when he surrendered 14 homers.

Mark Kotsay continued to hurt his former team, hitting a two-run single in the third for a 3-1 lead. Kotsay, designated for assignment by the Red Sox on July 24 and traded to Chicago for Brian Anderson four days later, had homered in the first two games of the series and finished with six RBIs in the four-game set.

Beckett hit Jayson Nix with a pitch to start the third and Scott Podsednik followed with his second single of the game. A sacrifice moved the runners up and A.J. Pierzynski hit an RBI grounder that tied it at 1.

Jermaine Dye walked and moved up on a wild pitch, putting runners at second and third before Kotsay dropped a soft single into center.

Kotsay tried to score from first on Quentin's double into the left-field corner but was thrown out at the plate on a relay from shortstop Alex Gonzalez.

The Red Sox loaded the bases with two outs in the fifth on two singles and a walk, but Buehrle got Martinez on a flyout. Boston had first and second with one out in the sixth before Buehrle struck out Rocco Baldelli and Jason Varitek.

Jacoby Ellsbury singled to lead off the game, stole second, moved up on a grounder and scored on Kevin Youkilis' single.

NOTES: White Sox rookie third baseman Gordon Beckham missed his second straight game with a sore side. He could return for Tuesday night's game against Oakland. ... Boston's Dustin Pedroia was in a 2-for-24 slump when he doubled with two outs in the third.

[Associated Press; By RICK GANO]

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