American League Game Summary - Baltimore at Chicago
(Thursday, April 19th)
Final Score: Baltimore 5, Chicago 3
Chicago, IL (Sports Network) - Adam Jones hit a two-run homer and finished
with three RBI on Thursday and the Orioles downed the White Sox, 5-3, in the
finale of a four-game series.
Jason Hammel (2-0) gave up two runs on six hits and three walks over six
innings and tied a career-high with 10 strikeouts in the win. Jim Johnson
struck out Alex Rios with two down and the bases loaded in the ninth for his
sixth save of the season.
J.J. Hardy and Nick Johnson added an RBI apiece for Baltimore, which has won
five of its last seven, including three games in this series.
Gavin Floyd (1-2) took the loss, allowing five runs on six hits and three
walks over six innings. Rios, Adam Dunn and Alexei Ramirez each knocked
in a run for the White Sox, who struck out 16 times and have dropped four of
their last five games.
"They are a very aggressive team so they are going to swing at bad stuff if
you get ahead in the count," said Hammel.
The Orioles went on top for good in the fifth. Hardy's sac fly scored Robert
Andino, who led off with a triple. Later in the inning, with Endy Chavez
aboard, Jones lifted a two-out homer to left for a 5-2 Baltimore lead.
Pedro Strop allowed Ramirez's one-out RBI groundout in the eighth before
striking out Dayan Viciedo and Tyler Flowers to strand Rios at second.
Jim Johnson retired the first two batters he faced in the ninth before walking
A.J. Pierzynski, allowing a single to Dunn and hitting Paul Konerko to load
the bases. He then fanned Rios with a 1-2 curveball to end the game.
Baltimore scored twice in the first to take an early advantage. Chavez
led off with a walk, took second on a base hit by Nick Markakis and scored on
a double to right-center by Jones. Markakis then scored on Nick Johnson's
groundout.
The White Sox loaded the bases in the bottom of the inning with two outs on a
walk, a base hit and a strikeout wild pitch, but Ramirez bounced out to short.
They tied it in the third. Alejandro De Aza led off with a double and scored
on Dunn's two-bagger. Konerko moved Dunn to third with a base hit before
Rios placed a run-scoring single through the right side. Ramirez
followed with a one-out walk to load the bases, but Viciedo and Flowers again
went down on strikes to end the inning.
"It's like you're getting close and it's just not happening. They are still
grinding it out even though they are down and eventually they will push
through," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said of his team.
Game Notes
Jones leads Baltimore with five home runs...The Orioles have 21 home runs on
the season...The White Sox concluded a seven-game homestand (3-4) and begin a
six-game road trip Friday at Seattle.
04/20 02:46:32 ET

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