CHICAGO (AP) — After watching his bullpen blow a three-run lead in the ninth less than a week ago, White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen had no second thoughts about pulling Mark Buehrle from a dominant start.
Kurt Suzuki hit a go-ahead home run in the 10th
inning, and the Oakland Athletics capitalized on Juan Pierre's dropped fly ball
in the ninth to rally to a 2-1 victory over Chicago on Monday night.
The White Sox wasted Buehrle's strong performance
with their second ninth-inning implosion of the season. Buehrle was lifted
after eight scoreless innings and 99 pitches. He allowed only three baserunners
— none past first base.
"One thing I said, in spring training and I
say over and over, we got to take care of Buehrle. Buehrle did his job, he had
(99) pitches. Our bullpen, they get paid pretty good. I have confidence in the
bullpen. I will use them the best way I can because I think we have a good
bullpen. We have guys out there with good arms and that can pitch," said
Guillen.
Matt Thornton, who already had two blown saves in
two opportunities, came on and allowed a leadoff double to Andy LaRoche in the
ninth.
One out later, Daric Barton hit a deep fly that
Pierre dropped in the left-field corner, allowing pinch-runner Cliff Pennington
to easily score from second and tie the game 1-1. Pierre also had a dropped fly
in Friday's loss to the Rays, which helped Tampa Bay rally from three runs down
in the ninth to win.
"Juan Pierre is a great player. He's made two
mistakes behind me, I will never say anything bad about that guy, I want every
fly ball I get to go to him. He's dedicated to this game more than anyone in
baseball, I'll never say anything behind him or any of my teammates, they're
great players, they're gold glovers and All-Stars," said Thornton.
Suzuki put the A's ahead on a two-out solo shot off
Jesse Crain (0-1) in the 10th. His line drive barely got over the wall in left.
"It's a big thrill. Any time you can get a hit
when it really counts, it's an exciting time," said Suzuki.
Tyson Ross (1-0) pitched three scoreless innings in
his season debut and Brian Fuentes pitched a perfect 10th for his fourth save.
Pierre, who was greeted by loud boos, grounded out to end it.
The pitching matchup between lefties Buehrle and
Dallas Braden marked the 21st time in major-league history opposing starters
who have thrown a perfect game have faced each other.
Buehrle, who pitched a perfect game on July 23,
2009, against the Rays and a no-hitter April 18, 2007, against Texas, appeared
to have no-hit stuff again. He retired the first 10 batters before walking
Barton in the fourth. Buehrle quickly made up for it by getting Josh Willingham
to ground back to him to start an inning-ending double play.
"It was one of those games that everything was
working," said Buehrle. "Like I said, 33 starts, 11 of them you're
going to have good stuff, 11 you're going to be so-so and 11 of them are going
to be bad and today was one of the good ones."
Oakland didn't get its first hit until Suzuki led
off the sixth with a single. White Sox second baseman Gordon Beckham had a
chance to retire Suzuki, but he couldn't come up with a sliding catch in foul
territory.
Buehrle, who didn't give up his next hit until a
two-out single to Willingham in the seventh, struck out one and walked one in
his third start this season. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, it was the
ninth time Buehrle has taken a no-hitter into the sixth inning.
Buehrle finally got some help in the fifth on Brent
Lillibridge's first homer of the season. After retiring the first two batters,
Lillibridge tagged Braden's first pitch to the bleachers in left-center,
putting the White Sox ahead.
In his second start, Braden allowed one run on five
hits. He struck out seven and walked two. He didn't allow a hit until an
infield single by Alex Rios in the fourth inning.
"I don't know if you'd call it
pitch-for-pitch. You're just trying to match momentum. I've always said, if I'm
in the game, it's going to be quick," said Braden.
Paul Konerko, who was named co-AL player of the
week, extended his 11-game hitting streak with a single in the sixth inning.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.
(AP
Photo/Jim Prisching)
