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First Posted: 9/7/2013
(AP) Matt Wieters hit a two-run single in the 10th inning to give the Baltimore Orioles a 4-3 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Saturday.
Pinch-hitter Henry Urrutia started the winning rally with a one-out infield single against closer Addison Reed (5-3). Pinch-runner Chris Dickerson then went all the way to third on Nick Markakis’ base hit.
Reed bounced back with a strikeout of Nate McLouth, but Markakis stole second and both runners scored when Wieters lined a single into right field.
It was the ninth consecutive loss for the White Sox, who grabbed a 3-2 lead on Conor Gillaspie’s pinch-hit homer against Tommy Hunter (4-3) in the top half of the inning.
Danny Valencia had three hits and Brian Roberts homered for the Orioles, who have won three straight. They began the day two games behind Tampa Bay for the final AL wild-card slot.
Baltimore was 1 for 17 with runners in scoring position before Wieters’ hit. The Orioles improved to 7-5 in extra-inning games while the White Sox fell to 9-14.
Dayan Viciedo also homered for last-place Chicago, and Paul Konerko had two hits.
After scoring in the third inning of Thursday’s series opener, Chicago went 18 innings without a run until Konerko singled in Alexei Ramirez in the fourth.
Viciedo connected in the fifth, giving the White Sox a 2-1 lead, but Roberts went deep in the bottom half, tying the game with Baltimore’s major league-leading 192nd homer.
Each team then had its chances to move in front, but couldn’t come up with a clutch hit.
Baltimore left Adam Jones at third with two outs in the seventh inning. The Orioles had runners on the corners in the eighth, but pinch-hitter Wieters struck out and Roberts grounded out.
Hector Santiago threw five solid innings for the White Sox, allowing two runs and seven hits. The left-hander is 1-3 with a 3.80 ERA in his last 13 starts.
Baltimore left-hander Wei-Yin Chen gave up two runs and six hits in six innings. He struck out eight and walked none.
The Orioles grabbed the lead when Chris Davis doubled into the gap in left-center in the first, driving in Manny Machado from first. The hit lifted Davis’ total to 124 RBIs, second-most in the majors behind Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera.
NOTES: White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper missed the game after a reoccurrence of diverticulitis led to him being hospitalized. Cooper also missed time in April due to the ailment. … Chicago lost three at Boston and three at Yankee Stadium before arriving in Baltimore. …Orioles starter Bud Norris (10-10, 4.01 ERA) opposes fellow RHP Andre Rienzo (1-1, 5.03 ERA) in Sunday’s series finale.
Associated Press