Sat, Apr 23, 2005 page19

• American League

  • AP
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  The Chicago White Sox are playing so well, they're convinced someone is going to come through with a big play every day.

  It was Scott Podsednik's turn Thursday.

  Podsednik hit a go-ahead, two-run single in the seventh inning, and the White Sox beat the Detroit Tigers 4-3 for their fourth straight win.

  

  Juan Uribe, top, of the Chicago White Sox leaps to avoid Carlos Guillen of the Detroit Tigers as he turns a double play during the eigth inning at Comerica Park in Detroit, Michigan on Thursday. Chicago won the game 4-3.

  PHOTO: AFP

  "Every game, somebody's a hero," Chicago manager Ozzie Guillen said. "We're not the type of team that is going to lean on one guy, and if he doesn't hit, we are done. Everybody is doing their job."

  Chicago's 12-4 record matches the 1935 team White Sox for the franchise best after 16 games. The White Sox have won the first two games of all six series this season.

  "We're going to go though a stretch where we hit a bump in the road and not do as well as we can," Mark Buehrle said. "That's what is going to tell if we are a good team or a bad team."

  With Chicago trailing 3-1 in the sixth, Paul Konerko hit a bad-hop, run-scoring single over shortstop Carlos Guillen's glove.

  "How can you account for something like that?" Tigers manager Alan Trammell asked. "The ball just hit a pothole or spike mark and bounced over his head."

  A.J. Pierzynski and Joe Crede singled in the seventh, then moved up on Juan Uribe's sacrifice bunt. Trammell chose to play the percentages, pulling anobviously frustrated Jeremy Bonderman for left-hander Jamie Walker.

  "I definitely didn't want to come out," Bonderman said. "I felt fine."

  Podsednik then grounded a single just past second baseman Omar Infante.

  "I was just looking for Pod to put the ball in play in that situation," Ozzie Guillen said. "He had a good at-bat. We struggle at times, but we get big hits."

  Detroit put its first two runners on in the eighth against Dustin Hermanson, but Ivan Rodriguez flied out and Dmitri Young grounded into his second inning-ending double play of the day.

  "I stunk today," Young said. "I was pathetic."

  Mark Buehrle (3-1) gave up three runs and six hits in seven innings with four strikeouts.

  "I had to battle," he said. "I wasn't as sharp as I would have liked, but the offense scored when we needed them and the bullpen came in to hold for the win."

  Shingo Takatsu followed Hermanson and completed the seven-hitter for his fifth save. Takatsu, who entered with a 12.27 ERA, retired the side in order.

  "I'm just glad I was able to finish out the game," he said through an interpreter. "I can tell how Ozzie feels about me, so it makes me that much more satisfied when I go out there and finish the game. I could tell how happy he was."

  Bonderman (2-2) allowed four runs and seven hits in 6 1-3 innings.

  "I pitched a decent game, but I gave up a couple hits in the last inning and it went the other way," he said. "That's tough to swallow."

  Detroit outfielder Magglio Ordonez missed his ninth straight game with a suspected hernia. Tests are trying to determine the exact injury.

  National League

  Chris Carpenter pitched a seven-hitter, and Scott Rolen homered, doubled and had three RBIs, helping the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Chicago Cubs 4-0 on Thursday.

  Larry Walker and Rolen homered in the eighth inning to back Carpenter (3-1), who struck out six and walked one in his sixth career shutout, his first since Sept. 4, 2001, against the New York Yankees.

  "It's all about pitching," Carpenter said. "Hitting is hard. If you make good pitches that aren't elevated in the zone and keep people off-balance, you're going to have success."

  Chicago learned before the game that shortstop Nomar Garciaparra would be out for two to three months because of a torn groin.

  Ryan Dempster (1-3) allowed one run and four hits in six innings.

  Braves 2, Nationals 1

  At Washington, shortstop Cristian Guzman made a two-run throwing error on Raul Mondesi's wet bases-loaded grounder off Chad Cordero (2-1) with two outs in the ninth. It was the first loss of the season for Washington's bullpen, which entered leading the major leagues with a 5-0 record.

  Chris Reitsma (1-0) pitched a perfect eighth, and Dan Kolb finished up for his fifth save, with the help of Andruw Jones' diving catch of pinch-hitter Carlos Baerga's liner to center.

  The comeback prevented John Smoltz from taking another tough loss and dropping to 0-4 in his return to starting. He allowed five hits in seven innings, including Jose Guillen's RBI single in the fourth.

  Phillies 6, Rockies 3

  At Philadelphia, Jim Thome ended his season-long home-run drought that extended for 53 at-bats, and Todd Pratt also hit a two-run homer.

  Jon Lieber (4-0) gave up three runs and nine hits in eight innings, and Billy Wagner pitched a perfect ninth for his third save, completing a game that took just 2 hours, 15 minutes.
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