One swing, one inning changes Floyd's fortune
Gavin Floyd was back on the trail Friday night.
The White Sox' blossoming starting pitcher already had flirted with 2 no-hitters at U.S. Cellular Field this season, and Floyd was buzzing through the Angels' batting order in pursuit of a third.
After striking out Garret Anderson to open the fifth inning, the gem was intact and Floyd had faced the minimum 13 hitters.
Torii Hunter changed the momentum -- and the outcome -- with one swing.
Connecting on a first-pitch fastball from Floyd, Hunter circled the bases with a 405-foot home run.
Floyd got Los Angeles' next hitter, Casey Kotchman, to pop out to first baseman Nick Swisher, but the right-hander proceeded to give up a walk, a single and another walk to load the bases.
After that, Floyd hit Maicer Izturis and Gary Matthews Jr. to force in runs, and just like that, the Sox' eight-game winning streak came to a screeching halt.
"I just got a little ahead of myself,'' Floyd said after the Sox lost to the Angels 3-1. "I started wanting to throw the ball instead of just letting things happen. I just lost it for a half-inning.
"It's unexplainable. I'd like to eliminate it, but sometimes it happens.''
After getting Vladimir Guerrero to ground out and end the fifth inning, Floyd got back in the groove and went on to pitch the second complete game of his career. The first came on May 11, 2006, when he pitched 5 innings for the Philadelphia Phillies in a rain-shortened game.
Against Los Angeles, Floyd allowed the 3 runs on 3 hits, 4 walks and 2 hit batters.
"He just lost control a little bit,'' said White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen. "But he bounced back and threw well. It was a good ballgame.''
Joe Saunders has been one of the better starters in baseball this season. The Angels' left-hander improved to 8-1 after holding the Sox to 1 run on 3 hits over 8½ innings.
"That guy is (8-1) for a reason,'' Guillen said. "That really surprised me. He went out there and threw an unbelievable game.''
The White Sox looked like they were going to jump on Saunders early, as Orlando Cabrera led off the first inning with a walk and A.J. Pierzynski followed with a bunt single.
Saunders retired Carlos Quentin, Jermaine Dye and Jim Thome to get out of the jam, and he breezed into the ninth inning.
Cabrera led off the ninth with a single and went to second on Pierzynski's groundout.
That brought all-star closer Francisco Rodriguez out of the Angels' bullpen, but the Sox continued to rally as Cabrera stole third base, Quentin walked and Dye singled to make it 3-1.
"We never give up,'' Thome said. "We had it, but we just didn't do it.''
Rodriguez struck out Thome, and after pinch runner DeWayne Wise stole a base to put runners on second and third, Joe Crede struck out to end the game.
"I thought we had a chance to do it,'' Guillen said. "We had a great feeling. But on the other end, we were facing a guy (Rodriguez) that leads the league in saves. He did his job.''
Angels 3, White Sox 1
On the mound: Gavin Floyd pitched a complete game but took the loss after allowing 3 runs on 3 hits, 3 walks and 2 hit batters.
On the bases: The Sox had a season-high 4 stolen bases, 2 by Orlando Cabrera.
At the plate: Orlando Cabrera was 2-for-3 with a walk. Jim Thome (0-for-4) is batting .203. The White Sox were 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position.
-- Scot Gregor