Dye, White Sox fend off Angels

Sep 15, 2007, 3:54 GMT

Chicago, IL - Jermaine Dye finished 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI and a run scored as Chicago held on to beat Los Angeles, 5-3, in the first installment of three at U.S. Cellular Field.

Paul Konerko was 2-for-3 and scored twice for the White Sox, who have won two in a row after a three-game slide. Jerry Owens and Josh Fields collected a hit and a run scored each, while Juan Uribe knocked in one.

Jim Thome, who came into the contest with 499 career home runs, finished 0-for-4 with two strikeouts. He was the lone Sox player in the starting lineup not to reach base.

'My adrenaline was going, but Colon made some good pitches,' Thome admitted. 'I was so focused and locked in I didn't see all the flashbulbs I was told were going off. Hopefully, I'll get this over with tomorrow.'

Jose Contreras (9-16) yielded 11 hits and three runs over 7 1/3 innings, winning for the third time in his last four starts. Bobby Jenks pitched a scoreless ninth to earn his 38th save.

Angels hurler Bartolo Colon (6-7) was charged with eight hits and five runs -- three earned -- over 4 2/3 innings, striking out four and walking two in his first start since July 23. He is 0-5 in his last seven outings and turned in a poor start after missing almost seven weeks with right elbow troubles.

Garret Anderson had three hits and scored twice for the AL West-leading Angels, who have dropped two straight and four of six. Howie Kendrick and Maicer Izturis added two hits and an RBI each and Kendry Morales added a run- scoring single.

Trailing 1-0, the Sox pulled away for good with a four-run third inning.

Chicago put two men on with one out on a walk to Owens and Fields' bunt single. Thome grounded out, but Konerko walked and Dye's broken-bat single brought in two runs. Izturis uncorked a bad throw to first on A.J. Pierzynski's grounder, and after Konerko scored from third, Dye came around from second to make it 4-1 on Casey Kotchman's wild throw to the plate.

'[Izturis] has been playing terrific defense,' said Angels manager Mike Scioscia. 'It's just one that got away. He yanked it into the dirt and Casey couldn't get the short hop on it and bad things happened after that.'

Konerko doubled to start the fifth and scored on Uribe's two-out RBI single to push the Sox lead to 5-1.

Anderson singled with one out in the sixth, then moved up a base on Kotchman's infield hit. Kendrick followed with a single to plate Anderson which brought the Angels within 5-2.

It was 5-3 in the eighth as Anderson singled with one out and scored on pinch-hitter Morales' two-out double to the wall in left, but Jenks retired the side in order in the ninth to seal the victory.

'It was great, we haven't felt that way in a while,' said Sox manager Ozzie Guillen on the fans' positive reactions during the game. 'It's a great feeling when you see your own fans enthusiastic and into the game.'

The Angels picked up a run in the first. Vladimir Guerrero walked with two outs, went to second on Anderson's single and scored on an Izturis base hit.

In the second, Konerko singled and Dye doubled to start the frame, but Colon retired the next three batters in order to keep Chicago scoreless.

Game Notes

Chicago leads the season series, 4-3...The Sox wore their home whites with green pinstripes, numbers and names in honor of the club's Halfway to St. Patrick's Day promotion...Guerrero was the DH for the Angels for the fourth straight game due to an inflamed right triceps...LA outhit Chicago, 12-9.

© 2007 The Sports Network

Game Notes

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