Chicago, IL (Sports Network) – Brent Lillibridge and Paul Konerko each drove in a pair of runs and Freddy Garcia continued his success against the Angels in Chicago’s 5-2 victory.
Garcia (9-3) allowed just one unearned run on five hits and two walks, fanning six in as many innings. The veteran right-hander improved to 15-3 with a 2.45 earned-run average in 25 lifetime starts against the Halos.
The win gives the White Sox four straight overall, including the first three in this four-game set.
Joe Saunders (6-9) was saddled with the loss after surrendering five runs on 10 hits in 5 2/3 innings for the Angels, who have dropped five of six overall.
“He used a lot early in the game to squelch some rallies,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said of Saunders. “As the game went later those guys made some adjustments. Obviously they got some big hits in the sixth inning.”
Alexei Ramirez and Alex Rios each singled with two outs in the third and both came home when Konerko poked a double down the right-field line.
The Angels put their first two hitters on base in the fourth but failed to get a run across. They finally broke through in the fifth thanks to one of five Chicago errors.
Dayan Viciedo’s errant throw with two outs allowed Brandon Wood to reach first with two outs. Wood advanced to third on Erick Aybar’s base hit and scored via Howie Kendrick’s single to left.
That was as close as the visitors got, as the White Sox extended their 2-1 lead with three runs in the sixth. With two outs and runners on the corners, Viciedo sent a one-hopper to the left-field wall that plated Rios. Lillibridge followed with a two-run single to right.
Sergio Santos put the first two hitters on in the away eighth, and with one out, Torii Hunter grounded a ball to third that Omar Vizquel booted. Ramirez still had a chance to get a force out at second, but his errant throw allowed Aybar to score.
All-Star reliever Matt Thornton came in and got the final two outs of the inning, and Bobby Jenks hurled a 1-2-3 ninth to nail down his 19th save of the year.
“The pitching staff overcame those errors,” White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said. “That’s how you win games.”
The game was delayed two hours, twenty minutes due to rain…On Wednesday, the White Sox placed right-hander Jake Peavy on the 15-day disabled list with a detached latissimus dorsi muscle in his right posterior shoulder. The club recalled Jeffrey Marquez from Triple-A Charlotte to fill the roster spot…Saunders was 3-0 with a 1.53 ERA in previous starts at U.S. Cellular Field…LA went 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position.