Arlington, TX (Sports Network) – Mark Kotsay’s two-run double with two outs in the ninth inning gave the Chicago White Sox a 5-3 win over the Texas Rangers in the opener of a three-game series.
A game that was delayed nearly 2 1/2 hours by rain at the start was won thanks to Kotsay’s only hit of the night. Alex Rios had three hits and drove in two runs, while Juan Pierre also had three hits and scored twice. Alexei Ramirez went 3-for-5 for Chicago, which logged its 13th win in 16 games.
Josh Hamilton, who had his hitting streak snapped at 23 games Thursday, homered in the sixth inning off Freddy Garcia, but the Rangers suffered back- to-back losses for the first time since June 6-7. Vladimir Guerrero had a two- run triple.
Bengie Molina, who was acquired by Texas in a trade with San Francisco earlier this week, went 1-for-4 in his first game in a Rangers uniform. Texas lost for just the fourth time in its last 18 games. Garcia allowed six hits and three runs over six innings. J.J. Putz (5-2) got the victory and Matt Thornton secured his fourth save of the year. Colby Lewis permitted eight hits and three runs over the first six-plus innings for Texas. Neftali Feliz (1-2) suffered the loss. After Hamilton led off the bottom of the sixth with his 19th homer of the year, a shot to right, the White Sox scored twice the next inning to forge a 3-3 tie. Gordon Beckham and Pierre singled to start the inning. Alexi Ogando was signaled from the bullpen. Omar Vizquel flied out, but Rios followed with an RBI single and Paul Konerko evened the game with a sacrifice fly. Elvis Andrus was picked off at second in the bottom of the seventh and the White Sox wasted an opportunity with men at the corners in the eighth. In the ninth, Rios legged out an infield hit and Carlos Quentin was hit by a pitch with two outs. Kotsay lined a ball to left-center field. Hamilton dove for the ball, which short-hopped, allowing pinch-runner Brent Lillibridge and Quentin to cross the plate. Pierre scored on a Rios groundout in the top of the third, but Guerrero's triple past a diving Rios in left-center gave the hosts the lead in the bottom of the frame.