Rangers 7, Sox 4: Bombs Away

Everything was smooth sailing for Jake Peavy and the Sox, until the Rangers got homer happy.  Peavy didn't allow a hit through the first three innings, but then proceeded to give up three homers as the Rangers defeated the Sox 7-4.  Coupled with the Tigers win over the Indians, the Sox are now 5 games back in the Central.

The Sox got things going early with a Juan Pierre single to lead off the game.  After a stolen base and a Paul Konerko walk, Carlos Quentin ripped a double to give the Sox an early 1-0 lead.  Alexei Ramirez followed with a single to score Konerko and Ramirez moved to second on the throw putting men on 2nd and 3rd with one out.  Unfortunately, Alex Rios grounded out to the mound and Tyler Flowers struck out, leaving the runners stranded.

In the 2nd, Brent Morel led off with a triple to left center and scored on a Pierre safety squeeze to make it a 3-0 game.  

In the 4th though, the Rangers bats woke up.  After two quick outs, Michael Young singled to left.  Nelson Cruz then brought him in with a double.  After a walk to Mike Napoli and a mound visit from Don Cooper, Mitch Moreland put the Rangers ahead with a 3 run bomb to center field.  

The Sox would tie the game back up in the 5th as Gordon Beckham led off with a walk.  Pierre laid down a sacrifice, which Yorvit Torrealba jumped on and fired to second.  The throw would have beat Beckham, but Elvis Andrus missed the ball putting runners at 1st and 3rd and nobody out.  Brent Lillibridge would bring home Beckham with a sac fly to right, and after a wild pitch and a walk the Sox had men on 1st and 2nd and only one out.  Again though, the lack of clutch hitting showed its ugly face as Quentin flew out and Ramirez popped out to end the frame. 

The game wouldn't be tied for long as Josh Hamilton deposited a homer deep into the right field stands to make it 5-4.  After Young and Cruz both flew out, Mike Napoli slapped a single, which brought up Moreland.  Ozzie Guillen left Peavy in to face him, and Moreland burned the Jakemeister again with a 2 run shot to right to make the game 7-4.

The Sox would only get one baserunner the rest of the evening, as Yoshinori Tateyama, Mike Adams and Neftali Feliz closed the game out for the Ranger victory.

* Josh Kinney, who just was called up today when Philip Humber went on the D.L., pitched the last 3 innings and didn't give up a run in his White Sox debut.

* Tyler Flowers had a rough night as he went 0-4 with 4 K's.

* Alexei Ramirez got thrown out arguing a called third strike in the 8th inning.

* Tomorrow evening, the Sox look to snap their 3 game losing streak as John Danks squares off against Alexi Ogando at 6:10 P.M.

WP: Tateyama (2-0)

LP: Peavy (5-6)

S: Feliz (25)

HR: Moreland 2 (16), Hamilton (16)

Record: 61-63 | G.B. 5 | Box