White Sox 'split' with Baltimore, increase lead

BALTIMORE - It didn't take long for the White Sox to get back on schedule.

After starting an hour early at Camden Yards on Monday as the "home" team and falling 4-3 in 14 innings in a game that was suspended on April 28, the Sox went right back to work and came away with a 4-3 victory of their own over the Orioles.

"After we lost the first game, it gets you down," White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen. "But they came back and played great baseball."

It wasn't an easy victory - the Sox built a 2-0 lead only to fall behind 3-2 - but nothing is handed to teams locked up in a close playoff race this time of the year.

"The first game was kind of a weird deal," Jim Thome said. "Unfortunately, we didn't pull it out, but you have to give credit to (Baltimore). They battled, but we battled, too."

Trailing 3-2 in the fifth inning, the White Sox tied the score when emerging superstar Alexei Ramirez doubled with one out, moved to third on A.J. Pierzynski's groundout and scored on Orioles starter Chris Waters' balk.

Carlos Quentin was at the plate for the balk, and he seemed to distract Waters by stepping out of the box.

"He balked," Baltimore manager Dave Trembley said. "You don't react to the hitter. You have the ball in your hand."

Thome had the bat in his hands in the sixth inning, and it was perfect timing for the Sox. After striking out the first two times against Waters, Thome hit a 435-foot home run to center field off the left-hander that decided the outcome.

"Every time Jimmy's at the plate, he's in scoring position," Guillen said. "Every time he hits a home run, he helps us. This guy is a future Hall of Famer."

Thome has 535 career home runs, which moves him out of a tie with Jimmie Foxx and into solo possession of 15th place on baseball's all-time list.

"You know what, any time you can hit one that puts your team ahead - it's big," Thome said. "Any time you can get a win it's big, especially at this point of the year."

Thome was again in awe after passing Foxx, another one of baseball's great sluggers.

"Very special, very special," Thome said. "Any time you either tie or move ahead of one of the greats that played the game, it's very humbling."

Making his fifth start of the season for the White Sox, Clayton Richard earned his second straight win by pitching 6 innings, allowing 3 runs on 6 hits.

"When you go out for a start, you're trying to leave your team in a position to win," said Richard, who credited third baseman Joe Crede and the rest of the Sox' defense. "That's what happened today. And every time you go out there, you gain another level of confidence."

In his first full game since July 21, Crede made several standout defensive plays. The best came in the eighth inning, when he snared a rocket line drive off the bat of Ramon Hernandez with one on and one out.

"He played a very good defensive third base," Trembley said.

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