Arlington, TX (Sports Network) – Carlos Quentin had his first career three home run game, knocking in five to lead Chicago past Texas, 8-6, and take the middle portion of a three-game series.
The game was delayed 2:58 by inclement weather between the top and bottom of the fourth inning.
Tony Pena (1-1) earned the win despite allowing two runs on three hits in one full inning of relief. It was Chicago’s sixth win in the last eight games.
Brett Tomko (0-1) suffered the loss by allowing two runs on three hits and two walks in two innings of work as the Rangers had their two-game win streak halted.
Jake Peavy allowed two runs on five hits and a walk in three innings for Chicago, and Derek Holland allowed four runs on four hits and a walk in four innings for Texas.
Quentin hit a solo shot in the first to give Chicago a quick one-run lead.
The lead didn’t last long, as Ian Kinsler worked a walk to lead off the bottom half of the inning — Peavy’s first allowed walk of the year — moved to second on a groundout by Elvis Andrus and came home on a Josh Hamilton single to knot the game at one.
Brent Morel was hit by a pitch to lead off the third and Juan Pierre followed with a bunt single. Two-batters later, Quentin hit his second homer in as many at-bats to give Chicago a 4-1 lead.
Texas answered back in the bottom half of the inning with a sacrifice fly by Michael Young to score Andrus.
The Rangers tied the game at four in the fifth inning on an RBI double by Andrus and a sacrifice fly by Young.
The back-and-forth continued when Adam Dunn led off the sixth with a bomb into the upper deck in right field. Morel then knocked in Alex Rios four batters later to put the White Sox up by two.
Texas made it a one-run game in the bottom of the sixth on a base-hit by Mitch Moreland that plated Yorvit Torrealba.
Chicago increased their lead to two again in the seventh when Rios hit a two- out double that brought home Paul Konerko and made the score 7-5.
Texas put men on the corners with no outs in the eighth and Andrus grounded into a run-scoring double-play that put the Rangers within a run again. Hamilton then hit an infield single before Sergio Santos entered the game for the White Sox.
Hamilton stole second and also swiped third during a walk by Young, but Adrian Beltre lined out to right to end the inning.
Quentin went deep for a third time in the ninth to give him his first career three home run game.
Santos came back to pitch the ninth and threw a 1-2-3 inning to end the game and earn the four-out save, his seventh of the season.
Game Notes
With his seventh steal of the season, Pierre tied Herman Long for 29th all- time with 534…Both teams combined to use 13 pitchers…Quentin is the first White Sox player to hit three home runs in a game since Konerko did it on July 7, 2009.