Vazquez pitches White Sox over Tigers 5-3
(AP)Updated: 2007-07-25 14:14
CHICAGO _ Javier Vazquez won his fifth straight decision and Paul Konerko hit a go-ahead homer off Jeremy Bonderman to lead the Chicago White Sox over the Detroit Tigers 5-3 in the opener of a day-night doubleheader on Tuesday.
Vazquez (8-5) allowed four hits in eight innings, including homers to Curtis Granderson and Ivan Rodriguez. He struck out eight and walked one, improving to 5-0 in his last seven starts.
Bobby Jenks pitched the ninth for his 27th save in 32 chances, helping the White Sox stop a four-game losing streak.
Bonderman (10-2) gave up five runs and eight hits in seven innings.
With the score 3-3 in the sixth, Jim Thome singled and Konerko hit a liner over the fence in left for his 22nd homer. Josh Fields also homered for the White Sox. Red Sox 1, Indians 0=
At Cleveland, rookie Daisuke Matsuzaka pitched seven shutout innings to outduel C.C. Sabathia, denying Cleveland's ace his 14th win, as Boston won its fifth straight.
Matsuzaka (12-7), tagged for a season-high 12 hits in his first start against Cleveland on May 30, gave up four hits before turning it over to the majors' best bullpen.
The Japanese right-hander improved to 5-2 in his past eight starts.
With his dizzying array of pitches, Matsuzaka was only slightly better than Sabathia (13-5), who gave up five singles, struck out seven and didn't allow a walk in seven strong innings. The left-hander was trying to become the majors' first 14-game winner, but didn't get any offensive support from the scuffling Indians, now 10-10 in July.
Matsuzaka was pulled after 98 pitches, giving way to Hideki Okajima, who worked a perfect eighth. Jonathan Papelbon pitched a perfect ninth for his 23rd save in 24 tries as the Red Sox reached the 100-game plateau at a major league-best 61-39. Rangers 2, Mariners 1, 1st game=
At Arlington, Texas, John Rheinecker didn't allow an earned run in seven innings and Marlon Byrd drove in a run with his third triple in four games for Texas.
Rheinecker (1-0), making only his second start this season, limited Seattle to six hits. The only walk the left-hander allowed was to Jose Lopez, the second batter of the game who scored on a groundout after an error.
Sammy Sosa had a two-out double in the fourth and tied the game on the triple by Byrd, who is hitting .358 with six triples in 52 games since being recalled from Oklahoma on May 26.
The Rangers went ahead 2-1 in the fifth after a two-out double by Travis Metcalf, who came home on Michael Young's single.
Ryan Feierabend (1-4) gave up two runs and six hits over five innings. Blue Jays 7, Twins 0=
At Toronto, Vernon Wells drove in four runs, Dustin McGowan won consecutive starts for the first time since early June and Toronto matched its longest winning streak of the season at four.
Wells homered in the fourth off Scott Baker (4-4), his 14th of the season but first since July 6, and added a two-run double in the eighth against Pat Neshek.
McGowan (7-5) allowed four hits in 7 1-3 innings, struck out five and walked
three. Casey Janssen and Brandon League finished the six-hitter, the eighth
shutout against Minesota this year. Minnesota has lost three straight, and
hasn't scored in 12 consecutive innings.
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