CHICAGO — Paul Konerko put just enough muscle behind his eighth-inning fly to bring home the decisive run.
Carlos Quentin doubled twice and scored the go-ahead run on Konerko’s sacrifice to give the White Sox a 3-2 win over the Texas Rangers on Saturday night.
Texas starter Kevin Millwood gave up a leadoff single to Chris Getz in the eighth and hit Quentin on a 1-2 pitch. Dye chased Millwood (3-3) with a single to load the bases with no outs.
One out later, Konerko lifted one to center off Texas reliever Darren O’Day. Quentin tagging from third, dove into the plate ahead of Marlon Byrd’s accurate throw.
“It was a dogfight, against a guy like that. It always is against a sidewinder. It’s never a comfortable at-bat and I hadn’t seen a slider the whole at-bat either so I was trying not to think,” Konerko said. “It wasn’t like I hit it deep to the track, Carlos got a good jump off third and went hard in at the plate which also helped.”
White Sox reliever Scott Linebrink (1-1) pitched a scoreless eighth inning and Bobby Jenks pitched a perfect ninth for his seventh save in seven opportunities.
Jenks also threw behind Rangers star Ian Kinsler. In five games this season, the Rangers have hit six White Sox batters. Chicago has hit one Texas batter.
“I wanted to go in and send a message and I think that message was sent. Our guys have been hit a lot this series, definitely in a one-run game didn’t want to put anyone on base. Just wanted to send a message and say hey we can play that game, too,” Jenks said.
Home plate umpire Lance Barksdale warned both teams.
“It definitely looked like it was on purpose. that’s part of the game. Things like that happen. Who knows. It was a weird situation for that to happen in. but it’s kind of one of those things we’ll wait and see what happens down the road,” David Murphy said.
White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said he would never have a pitcher throw at a batter in that situation.
“He’s (Barksdale) got a point. I don’t think he liked what he saw,” said Guillen. “If that guys score than I think I should be the worst manager in the game.
“I’m not that crazy.”
Chicago starter John Danks had a career-high 10 strikeouts and allowed one run on four hits with one walk.
Omar Vizquel started in place of the injured Michael Young (back) at third base for Texas. It was the first time that Vizquel, an 11-time Gold Glove winner at shortstop, had started at a position other than short.
Danks pitched six impressive innings and left with a 2-1 lead, but Matt Thornton surrendered the lead in the seventh. With two outs, Jarrod Saltalamacchia singled and Elvis Andrus drew a walk, then Kinsler blooped an RBI single to tie the game at two.
Danks allowed one run on four hits with one walk.
With the scored tied at one in the sixth, Millwood was tagged for back-to-back doubles by Quentin and Dye to make it 2-1.
Millwood allowed seven hits and three runs in seven innings.
“I felt fine. I didn’t think I had the best stuff in the world but it was good enough to compete, just wasn’t good enough to win,” Millwood said.
Quentin’s RBI double off the left-center fence to score Getz from first in the third and make it 1-0.
After allowing a leadoff double to Nelson Cruz in the fifth inning, Danks struck out the next two batters, but he gave up an RBI single to Andrus.<
Notes: White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said he is leaning toward starting Clayton Richard on Wednesday in place of Jose Contreras who was demoted to the bullpen. … Thome snapped an 0-for-15 streak with a double in the fourth. … Before the game, Rangers recalled INF Joaquin Arias from Triple-A Oklahoma City and optioned OF Greg Golson to Oklahoma City. … White Sox struggling SS Alexei Ramirez was back in the lineup after being bench by Guillen the last two games.
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