Sox beat Jays in Guillen's last game as manager

[September 27, 2011]  CHICAGO (AP) -- Ozzie Guillen's last game with the Chicago White Sox was quite the nailbiter.

Sergio Santos struck out Adam Lind with the bases loaded to preserve a 4-3 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday night in Guillen's final game as White Sox manager.

Rookie Dylan Axelrod threw six shutout innings to earn his first major league win and Tyler Flowers hit a three-run homer for Chicago.

Guillen met with White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf earlier in the day. Before the game, Guillen said he repeated his request for a contract extension and expected Reinsdorf to take a couple of days to make a decision about his future.

The club then announced right after the victory that Guillen had been released from his contract per his request.

"I know they're not going to forget me," Guillen said. "They can't. They walk through the ballpark and my picture is there. I hope they don't take it down."

Lost amid the frenzy surrounding Guillen's surprising departure was Axelrod, who allowed three hits and struck out six. By the time the media was allowed into the clubhouse, Axelrod (1-0) had already departed.

Santos got the last three outs to become the eighth White Sox pitcher to record 30 saves. It also was his first save since Sept. 6.

David Cooper hit a two-run double to get Toronto within one before Santos walked Eric Thames and Jose Bautista to load the bases. But Santos then struck out Lind on his 44th pitch to end the game.

"We came back and battled off Santos at the end, but Axelrod early just kept us off balance and didn't give us anything," Blue Jays bench coach Don Wakamatsu said.

"What a huge hit by Cooper coming off the bench. (Santos) is a tough closer. To come up and hit a double and get us within a run. It was a disappointing loss but a good comeback at the end."

Wakamatsu ran the club with manager John Farrell away to attend to a family matter. He is expected to manage on Tuesday.

Flowers made a rare start at first base and hit his fourth homer with two on in the second. Dayan Viciedo roped an RBI double in the seventh and A.J. Pierzynski added two singles for Chicago.

Toronto's Dustin McGowan (0-2) allowed three runs and four hits in four innings, leaving after 73 pitches. McGowan has been limited to a strict pitch count as he works his way back from two shoulder surgeries.

"I think the one thing we've seen since he's come back to start is he gets stronger as his outing goes along," Wakamatsu said. "I think today was a similar case where he felt around with his mechanics a little early. It's the first time he's pitched in cold weather in three years."

Lind drove in Toronto's first run with a groundout in the eighth. Mike McCoy stole two bases for the Blue Jays, and Mark Teahen reached base three times in his first game against his former club.

The White Sox won for just the seventh time in their last 28 games against the Blue Jays. Toronto needs to win the last two games of the series to finish the season with a winning record for the fifth time in six years.

Axelrod pitched out of jam in the fifth, getting McCoy on a foul popup and striking out Thames with runners on second and third.

White Sox slugger Adam Dunn went 0 for 2 with two walks and two strikeouts, dropping his average to .160 with 174 strikeouts. Dunn needs nine plate appearances in the final two games to finish with the worst qualifying batting average in big league history, surpassing Rob Deer's .179 mark in 1991.

Dunn is 1 for 16 with 10 strikeouts against Toronto this season.

NOTES: In the last series of the season, the Blue Jays are making their only trip to Chicago in the 2011 season. Chicago and Toronto haven't played each other since May 29 and hadn't met in Chicago since May 9, 2010. ... Colby Rasmus (flu-like symptoms) and Adam Lind (birth of his child) both returned the Toronto lineup. ... Bautista went 0 for 3 with three walks after leaving Sunday's game early because of a knee injury. Bautista leads the Yankees' Curtis Granderson by two home runs in his bid to become the first player to lead the big leagues in homers in consecutive seasons since Mark McGwire in 1998 and 1999. ... The Blue Jays will send Henderson Alvarez to the mound on Tuesday to face Mark Buehrle, who could be making his last start for the White Sox. Buehrle will be a free agent after the season.

[Associated Press]

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