Kansas City (44-91) at Chi White Sox (85-51)

The Chicago White Sox seek a sixth straight win when they try to maintain their home dominance of the Kansas City Royals in the opener of a three-game series.
The White Sox have won eight straight home games against the Royals, including all six this season. Chicago captured the first 10 meetings between the teams this season before Kansas City posted back-to-back home wins on July 26-27.
Chicago posted a 5-3 victory at Boston in a makeup game from a contest postponed due to rain on Aug. 14. The White Sox weren't excited about having to break up a 10-game homestand for the trip to Boston, but came away with an important win that stretched their lead over the Red Sox to five games for home-field advantage throughout the AL playoffs.
``I told my players, 'Don't just come here and play the game just to fill out the schedule,'' Chicago manager Ozzie Guillen said. ``It's a big game for us.''
Rookie Brandon McCarthy yielded three hits over seven scoreless innings while striking out seven on Monday. Paul Konerko homered and Juan Uribe also connected and had three hits.

''(The) bottom line is no one really wanted to play the game,'' Konerko said. ``It's the not the best thing to do in the middle of homestand to hop on a plane to Boston, but the fact is we had to play it and everyone showed up. And more than anybody today, our starting pitcher was phenomenal, and that's the story. He just set the tone, put up zeros and kicked everyone in gear.''
Chicago's Orlando Hernandez may be pitching for a spot in the postseason rotation. Hernandez, who has a 9-3 career mark in the playoffs, is 0-4 with a 5.63 ERA over his last five outings and fellow Cuban Jose Contreras is 4-1 with a 2.78 ERA over his last five starts.
It looks like it will come down to Contreras and Hernandez for the fourth starter in the playoffs behind Mark Buehrle, Freddy Garcia and Jon Garland. Hernandez was tagged for six runs and six hits over five innings in a 9-2 loss at Texas last Wednesday.
``I don't understand,'' Hernandez said. ``I had control of the game. I'm only human, but I made a lot of mistakes. They've got good hitters and every hit was off my mistakes.''
Hernandez is 3-1 with a 3.58 in eight career starts against Kansas City.
Kansas City slugger Mike Sweeney has missed the last seven games due to back problems and is listed as day to day. Sweeney has enjoyed tremendous success against Chicago this season, batting .412 (14-for-34) with 12 RBIs in nine games.
The Royals have dropped 15 of their last 17 road games and are 15-36 against Central division opponents.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/

Royals ruin Schilling's return to starting role

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Curt Schilling could find only one serious negative about his first start in four months - the final score.
The veteran right-hander, who had been in Boston's bullpen most of the season, got cuffed around in his first start since April and the Kansas City Royals beat the Red Sox 7-4 on Thursday night, their fourth win in five games since a franchise-record 19-game losing streak.
"I didn't feel like I had super stuff and I didn't feel like I had bad stuff," Schilling said. "I felt normal."
Schilling (5-6) went five innings, giving up six runs and nine hits. Making his first start since losing to Tampa Bay on April 23, he walked one and had five strikeouts, including the last two batters he faced.
"In the fifth inning I thought I got more comfortable," he said. "I didn't throw my first split until the ninth hitter of the game, which is not something that happens to me a lot. I only think I threw three in the first four innings. A lot of that was confidence. I didn't feel real comfortable with it."
The six-time All-Star, who led the majors last year with 21 wins and then led the Red Sox to the World Series title, went on the disabled list on April 29 with a right ankle bruise after going 1-2 in three starts. He missed 69 games, then was 4-3 with nine saves in 11 opportunities while filling in for injured closer Keith Foulke. It was his first regular bullpen work since 1992.
He got the save in all three of the Red Sox' victories over the Royals in Boston on Aug. 2-4.
"We got some hits off him early," said Emil Brown, who had three hits, including a 422-foot solo homer off Jonathan Papelbon in the eighth. "I wouldn't say he was a hittable pitcher. He didn't look ordinary."
While going 4-6 on their 10-game road trip, the first-place Red Sox saw their lead over the New York Yankees in the AL East shrink from 4 1/2 games to 2 1/2.
"It's a loss," Schilling said. "I can't search for things and try to figure things out at the expense of this ballclub. Not now. Not in August. Not with a 2 1/2-game lead. Tonight was a night when I certainly had the stuff to win and just did not execute."
Denny Hocking and Paul Phillips, Kansas City's Nos. 8 and 9 hitters, had RBI singles to left in the second and Terrence Long followed with an RBI single to center for a 3-0 lead.
Mike Sweeney doubled leading off the second and eventually scored from third on a fielder's choice grounder by Mark Teahen.
In the fifth, Hocking scored from first on a close play at the plate on David DeJesus' double. DeJesus scored on Long's sacrifice fly to make it 6-2.
Hocking's one-out RBI single was the first run the Royals scored behind Jose Lima (5-12) in 24 2-3 innings, just short of the team record of 25 1-3 scoreless innings behind Kevin Appier. Lima went five-plus innings and was charged with three runs and five hits. He walked two and had one strikeout.
Mike MacDougal pitched the ninth for his 17th save.
Schilling began the season on the 15-day disabled list recovering from surgery to repair a detached tendon in his right ankle, a condition which caused blood to seep through his right sock while he pitched in the World Series and created one of the most compelling images of the year.
"I don't think we saw Schilling at his best tonight," Kansas City manager Buddy Bell said. "But we took advantage of it and that's what we have to do when a guy like that is not at the top of his game."
The Red Sox got two runs in the fourth on consecutive RBI doubles by Bill Mueller and Alex Cora with two outs.
After Manny Ramirez doubled leading off the sixth, Shawn Camp relieved Lima and gave up an RBI double to Jason Varitek on his first pitch. Cora's fielder's choice grounder made it 6-4.
The Royals, after the 19-game losing streak, have beaten Oakland and Boston twice each. It was their first home series win over the Red Sox since Aug. 1-3, 1997.
"If we play solid baseball, we can play with anybody," Long said. "We've got to play almost perfect baseball, which is tough to do every day."

Source: http://msn.foxsports.com/

Yankees 8, Royals 7

NEW YORK - The Yankees bounded out of their dugout, celebrating as if they had just won a postseason game. A ninth-inning error by the Kansas City Royals turned what should have been a distressing New York loss into a memorable comeback.
Reliever Jeremy Affeldt threw away a potential game-ending double play ball, giving the Yankees the opportunity they needed. New York then rallied for five runs on five clutch hits that followed the error, beating the Royals 8-7 Saturday.
"The bottom line is it's never over until the last out," said Derek Jeter, whose two-run single pulled New York within a run. "If you've done something before, you always think you can do it again."
New York, which remained tied with Oakland for the AL wild card lead, moved a season-high 16 games over .500. The Yankees, 61-37 following an 11-19 start, have come from behind in 32 of their wins.
"I think when we saw that window of opportunity on the double play, we felt we had a chance," said Alex Rodriguez, whose single ended the game.
Buddy Bell, who managed the Royals to a three-game sweep over the Yankees when he took over the club in May, was disgusted by the display.
"That was just poor - execution-wise, attitude-wise, location-wise and position-wise," he said. "It just wasn't very good. We've got to finish the game."
The Royals were ahead 7-3 when Affeldt came in to start the ninth. He walked Jason Giambi, then struck out Bernie Williams. Jorge Posada hit a bouncer back to the mound, and Affeldt turned to throw to second. But the throw was low and wide, and shortstop Angel Berroa dropped the ball.
Affeldt, who seemed to slip on the resin bag as he threw the ball, sat disconsolate in front of his locker after the game and made no excuse.
"The bottom line is I blew it," he said. "It was a routine double play. I can't look anybody in the eye right now. It was an embarrassment."
Matt Lawton, acquired from the Chicago Cubs earlier Saturday, then loaded the bases with a single and Tino Martinez, pinch hitting for Robinson Cano, singled to cut the deficit to 7-4.
Jeter followed with a two-run single past a diving Berroa, Hideki Matsui flied out, and Gary Sheffield tied the score with a two-out double. Rodriguez followed with the winning single for the Yankees, who had just four hits going into the ninth.
"It looked like they needed oxygen for the first eight innings," Yankees manager Joe Torre said. "And then they suddenly came to life."
Reliever Shawn Camp (1-3) gave up the hits by Jeter, Sheffield and Rodriguez to take the loss. Alan Embree (2-5) worked a scoreless inning in relief for the win.
Emergency Kansas City starter J.P. Howell allowed four hits in six-plus innings, and the Royals erased an early 3-0 deficit and appeared set to beat New York for the fourth time in five games this season. Mike Sweeney and Terrence Long drove in two runs apiece as Kansas City scored five times with two out in the fifth off Jaret Wright.
Wright had retired nine of his previous 10 batters when Berroa singled leading off the fifth. After Mark Teahen flied out, Paul Phillips beat out an infield hit and David DeJesus walked.
Denny Hocking popped out on the next pitch, but Sweeney hit a two-run double just past Rodriguez and down the third-base line. Long followed with a two-run single for a 4-3 lead as Sweeney slid home ahead of the throw from Lawton. Wright threw a wild pitch, allowing the fifth run to score.
Sweeney hit an RBI single in the sixth off Aaron Small, and Paul Phillips drove in another run with a two-out single in the eighth.
New York took a 2-0 lead in the first on Matsui's RBI double and Giambi's sacrifice fly, and Sheffield hit into a run-scoring double play in the third.
Notes: The crowd of 54,452 was the 37th sellout in 67 games at Yankee Stadium this season. ... Leadoff man DeJesus was on base four times with two singles and two walks. ... Wright threw 109 pitches in six innings, 69 for strikes. ... The Royals had three infield hits. ... Lawton's brother, Marcus, played for the Yankees in 1989. They are the sixth set of brothers to play for the Yankees, joining Felipe and Matty Alou, Joe and Phil Niekro, Al and Mark Leiter, Melido and Pascual Perez, and Billy and Bobby Shantz.

Source: http://www.kentucky.com/

Yankees wake up in 9th, top Royals

NEW YORK - The Yankees bounded out of their dugout, celebrating as if they had just won a postseason game. A ninth-inning error by the Kansas City Royals turned what should have been a distressing New York loss into a memorable comeback.

Reliever Jeremy Affeldt threw away a potential game-ending double play ball, giving the Yankees the chance they needed. New York then rallied for five runs on five clutch hits that followed the error, beating the Royals 8-7 on Saturday.
"The bottom line is it's never over until the last out," said Derek Jeter, whose two-run single pulled New York within a run. "If you've done something before, you always think you can do it again."
New York, which remained tied with Oakland for the AL wild-card lead, moved a season-high 16 games over .500. The Yankees (61-37) have come from behind in 32 of their wins.
Buddy Bell, who managed the Royals to a three-game sweep over the Yankees when he took over the club in May, was disgusted by the display.
"That was just poor — execution-wise, attitude-wise, location-wise and position-wise," he said. "It just wasn't very good. We've got to finish the game."
The Royals were ahead 7-3 when Affeldt came in to start the ninth. He walked Jason Giambi, then struck out Bernie Williams. Jorge Posada hit a bouncer back to the mound, and Affeldt turned to throw to second. But the throw was low and wide, and shortstop Angel Berroa dropped the ball.

Source: http://www.chron.com/

Giambi has 7-RBI day against Royals

NEW YORK (AP) - Jason Giambi was the American League Player of the Month when he batted .355 with 24 RBIs in July. In August, he found himself locked in slumps of 0-for-21 and 4-for-38.
Same guy, same swing, different results.
The good Giambi made an appearance Sunday with two home runs and a single, driving in seven runs in the New York Yankees' 10-3 victory over Kansas City. The spurt pushed Giambi past two personal milestones - 1,500 hits and 1,000 RBIs.
That was news to him, delivered by manager Joe Torre.
"I really didn't know (about the milestones)," Giambi said. "Actually, Joe's the one who congratulated me. I said 'For what? I know I haven't had a hit for a while."'
When Giambi hit the first homer, Torre wasn't surprised to see the second.
"Normally, power hitters hit them in bunches," the manager said. "His swing is compact at this point in time. I look forward to tomorrow to see where he hits it."
Giambi said his left elbow, diagnosed with tendinitis, felt better.
"I feel like I've got my bat speed back," he said.
Giambi's first homer in the third inning was a three-run shot. He followed that with a two-run homer in the fifth and a two-run single in the sixth. Bernie Williams drove in the other three Yankee runs with a pair of singles.
Both of Giambi's homers came against Zack Greinke (3-16), who lost for the fifth straight time. His 16 losses are the most for any pitcher in the majors.
"Sometimes, I think I do decent, but it will just find a way to happen," Greinke said. "Even if I pitch about as I good as I have pitched, they'll find a way, some way to score runs and win the game when I'm pitching.
"Today I didn't really give us a chance. They've got some great hitters and early on they were hitting my pitches pretty much, but later in the game I was messing up."
Manager Buddy Bell said it was not one of Greinke's better starts.
"His location really wasn't very good and it's a tough lineup," Bell said. "Especially when they're swinging the bats like they are, it's tough to deal with, and when you don't have your best stuff you're going to struggle a little bit."
Giambi's two homers gave him 23 for the season. It was his sixth multihomer game of the season and the 29th of his career.
Al Leiter (4-3) earned his third straight win, limiting the Royals to two hits in six innings. He struck out six, walked three and threw 112 pitches after reaching 75 after three innings.
"I look at this as a second life," Leiter said. "Every game feels like an event. Every pitch matters. I need that. It elevates your aggressiveness."
The Yankees jumped in front in the first inning when they loaded the bases on walks to Hideki Matsui and Giambi sandwiched around a single by Gary Sheffield. Williams then bounced a two-out, two-strike single into right field, scoring Matsui and Sheffield.
The Royals picked up a run in the third but could have had more after Denny Hocking opened with a walk and Joe McEwing doubled. After David DeJesus' run-scoring groundout, Leiter walked Chip Ambres and Mike Sweeney to load the bases.
Leiter recovered to get Emil Brown and Terrence Long, ending the inning. He then retired nine of the next 10 batters.
Sweeney hit his 19th homer, a two-run shot in the eighth.
Notes
Attendance was 54,951, the 38th sellout in 68 home dates for the Yankees. ... Williams' three RBIs gave him 20 in the last 16 games. ... Leiter struck out the side in the second inning. ... Greinke's last win was July 19 at Cleveland. ... Derek Jeter had three hits. ... Robinson Cano made a baserunning blunder in the second when he walked off second base, thinking he had been called out on an attempted force play, and then was thrown out to complete an odd double play.

Source: http://msn.foxsports.com/

Royals 1, Twins 0

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The Kansas City Royals found an opponent to play as bad as them.
Emil Brown singled home Denny Hocking with one out in the ninth to lead Kansas City to a 1-0 victory Wednesday over the Minnesota Twins, who set a team record by getting 13 hits in a shutout.
It was also the most hits the Royals allowed without giving up a run.
"That's something we do - 13 hits and not score," Kansas City outfielder Terrence Long said.
The Twins' previous record for hits in a shutout was 12 in a 1-0 loss to the California Angels in 1975. The Royals shut out opponents on 10 hits four times.
Minnesota had runners at second and third with one out in the ninth but pinch runner Brent Abernathy was thrown out at third after Mike MacDougal's pitch to Michael Ryan sailed to the backstop. Abernathy started to come home, then changed his mind and tried to get back to third but catcher Paul Phillips' throw beat him.
"If he knew it was going to bounce right back to the catcher, he'd have a crystal ball," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "They threw a ball away and it still worked out for them today."
Ryan then took a called third strike. It was the second straight game every Twins starter hit safely.
"When you have 13 hits and you've got no runs, there's not many explanations for it," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "We were all over the basepaths. They even throw a wild pitch and it bounces right back to the catcher.
"I've seen some of the things they've had to endure and I'm sure they feel they finally got a good break, and they did."
Hocking singled off Matt Guerrier (0-3) leading off the ninth, and reached second when third baseman Terry Tiffee misplayed a grounder by Chip Ambres. Terry Mulholland relieved and struck out Matt Stairs, before Brown grounded a single just inside the bag at third.
MacDougal (3-4) pitched the ninth for the win, and the Royals, who had a 19-game losing streak earlier this month, ended a five-game skid.
"This one's tough," said outfielder Jacque Jones, who was involved in three double plays. "I take a lot of blame."
The Twins' play was reminiscent of the way the Royals have stumbled around all season while compiling a major league-worst 43-88 record. Their five wins in August were one better than the team-record low for any month.
"I've been here three months and I've seen just about everything I needed to see," said Royals manager Buddy Bell.
Royals starter Mike Wood gave up eight hits and two walks in six innings but kept the Twins scoreless with the help of double plays in the first, second and fourth.
With runners at first and second and one out in the fourth, Tiffee grounded to first baseman Joe McEwing. He threw to second for the force out there, but the throw back to first to get Tiffee was late. Jones, who had singled leading off the inning, tried to score from second but was cut thrown out at home by Wood, who had covered first.
"You've got a pitcher covering first base. They throw high - everything's perfect," said Gardenhire. "Their pitcher was aware. Wood did a great job there. Most pitchers would catch the ball and start arguing with the umpire. He was very aware. He turned around looked home. He did a great job on that play."
Wood turned the play after getting a late start off the mound.
"I realized (Tiffe) was going to be safe so I just came off, got it and threw home," he said. "I used to be a shortstop, so I know what's going on when it's going on. I had it in my mind it might happen. I saw him go and (Phillips) made a great tag. I thought, 'Whew! Got out of that one.'"
The Twins also had two runners on base with one out in the first and second innings but Jones and Mike Redmond each rolled into double plays. Jones also bounced into a double play in the eighth.
Notes: 1B Mike Sweeney missed his third straight game with pain in his lower back. Bell said it is not believed as serious as the upper back pain which has sidelined Sweeney for long periods before. ... Twins 2B Nick Punto made an outstanding play in the first, diving to his right to stop Long's hard-hit grounder and then throwing him out from his knees. ... Ryan's single in the seventh stretched his hitting streak to a career-high seven games.

Source: http://www.kentucky.com/

Young hopes to remain hot, as Rangers battle Royals

Chris Young will try to win his fourth straight decision tonight when he takes the mound for the Rangers. Young is 3-0 with a 1.80 earned run average in his last five outings. He pitched well last Sunday against the Minnesota Twins, but wound up with a no decision. Young allowed just three hits over seven shutout innings in a game that Texas won, 2-1. This will be the first-ever appearance against the Royals for the 26-year-old Young. The Royals will counter with young righthander Zack Greinke, who will try to avoid his 17th loss of the season. Greinke is winless (0-5) with an 8.29 ERA in his last seven starts. He was pounded by the New York Yankees in 10-3 loss last Sunday, allowing seven runs and 10 hits in just 4 2/3 innings. The 21-year old has three career starts against Texas and is 1-2 with a 6.46 ERA. In Thursday's opener, Rod Barajas smacked two home runs and ended with four RBI to lead the Rangers past the Royals, 5-4. Alfonso Soriano went 3-for-4 with a run scored for the Rangers, who have won five of their last six contests. Barajas' first homer of the game was his 15th of the year, giving the Rangers a major league record nine players with at least 15 home runs in a season. Kenny Rogers (12-7) earned the victory for Texas, allowing four runs -- three earned -- in seven-plus innings. It was the first win since July 16 at Oakland for Rogers, who was 0-3 in his previous six starts. Joe McEwing, Terrence Long, Angel Berroa and Matt Diaz each had two hits and an RBI for the Royals, who lost for the sixth time in seven games. J.P. Howell (1-5) was dealt the loss after yielding four runs in six innings. He struck out seven batters and walked two in the setback. The Rangers, who took five of nine from the Royals last season, hold a commanding 6-1 advantage over Kansas City in 2005.

Source: http://www.wtev.com/

Rangers shoot for sweep of Royals

Volquez made an unsuccessful major league debut on Tuesday, giving up six hits and five runs over 4 2/3 innings in a loss to the White Sox. The 22-year-old, who replaced C.J. Wilson on the roster, struck out three and walked two in losing effort. Volquez went 1-5 with a 4.14 ERA in 10 starts at Double-A Frisco before being called up. Kansas City will have lefthander Jimmy Gobble on the mound. Gobble will be making his first start of the season for the Royals after appearing in 22 games out of the bullpen. The southpaw was stretched out a bit on Tuesday, as he allowed four hits and a run over three innings in relief of Jose Lima. Gobble started 24 of his 25 appearances for the Royals in 2004, going 9-8 with a 5.35 ERA. Gobble has been terrific against the Rangers in the career, going 3-0 with a 2.89 ERA. The Rangers have won four straight, including the first three in this series. On Saturday, Texas posted a 5-3 win over the Royals, giving it its first four- game win streak since June 29-July 2. The Rangers haven't won five straight since taking nine in a row from May 20-31. Juan Dominguez pitched 7 1/3 strong innings to lead the Rangers on Saturday. Dominguez (3-3) was brilliant on the mound as he permitted just one run on two hits to earn the win. Dominguez, who took a no-hitter into the seventh inning, struck out two and walked four to win his third straight start. Adrian Gonzalez and David Dellucci each hit solo homers for the Rangers in the contest. Hank Blalock went 3-for-5 in the game, while Gonzalez and Mark Teixeira added two hits apiece. Kansas City starter D.J. Carrasco (5-8) was the loser after being charged with five runs on 10 hits over seven innings. Carrasco, who is 0-4 over his past seven starts, walked three and fanned one. Mark Teahen drove in a run and scored once for the Royals, who have lost eight of their last nine contests. Emil Brown posted two hits in the defeat. This is the ninth time in franchise history that the Royals have dropped 90 or more games. The Rangers, who took five of nine from the Royals last season, hold a commanding 8-1 advantage over Kansas City in 2005.

Source: http://www.wtev.com/

Royals rout Rangers, 17-8

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Ever watched a "contestant" wriggle around in a tub full of leeches or try to keep down a plate full of cow organs on Fear Factor? If so, you know that "reality TV" can be one long display of the grotesque.
Those who tuned into the Rangers' 17-8 loss to Kansas City on Sunday got a similar dose of the occasional ugliness of reality TV.
After an encouraging run of success by rookie pitchers, the Rangers' return to reality was inevitable. And the reality is this:
Relying on rookie pitchers makes for unpredictable footing.

Rookies can dominate one day and not find the strike zone the next. They usually struggle to grasp the differences between dom- inating minor league hitters and competing against major leaguers.
A day after Juan Dominguez flirted with a no-hitter, Edison Volquez, who was making his second big league start, looked overmatched against the lowest-scoring team in the AL. The Royals ended up blowing away their season high in runs, which was 12.
Volquez lasted two innings plus six batters into the third. All six of those batters reached base. Before that, he allowed a three-run homer to Angel Berroa, who hadn't had an extra-base hit in 22 games.
"It's happened to Dominguez, [Kameron] Loe, [C.J.] Wilson," manager Buck Showalter said. "It's happened to every young pitcher. This is a tough job. But the only way to learn is to go through the hard part. It's not something you want to see happen, but you stay the course and hope they learn."
Volquez, 22, pitched 4 2/3 innings against Chicago on Tuesday and very nearly made it out of the game in fine fashion. Showalter said he expects Volquez will pitch again this season but isn't sure if it will be next weekend against Oakland or if he will wait a while because of an upcoming off day.
After a 1-2-3 inning, Volquez retired just three of the next 12 hitters. In the second, he allowed a leadoff double to Matt Stairs and walked Mark Teahen with one out. Berroa followed with his homer.
Things got worse in the third. Volquez allowed singles to the first two hitters, then walked two to force in a run. His next two pitches were lined for two-run doubles.
Volquez said he may have been fanning his glove too far out.
"I actually feel more comfortable than after my first start," he said. "I had a little problem with my glove, and they got my pitches. I don't feel good about the way I pitched, but I don't feel bad. I just know I have to make adjustments."
And that is the reality.
Briefly: RHPs Thomas Diamond and Tim Crabtree were sent to Triple-A Oklahoma to help the RedHawks in the Pacific Coast League playoffs. Oklahoma began play Sunday leading its division by 1 ½ games with two to play. Crabtree could join the list of Oklahoma callups after the RedHawks' season, possibly as late as Sept. 18. ... LHP C.J. Wilson and INF Marshall McDougall will be recalled from Double-A Frisco today. Mc- Dougall received a cortisone injection for tendinitis in his left wrist while not on the big league roster.

Source: http://www.dallasnews.com/

Tigers swept out of Windy City

CHICAGO -- Jon Garland finally earned his elusive 17th victory. Now he says his next goal isn't reaching 20 wins, it's helping the Chicago White Sox make a final push to the playoffs.
"It's still a grind," Garland said Sunday after getting win No. 17 on his fifth try. "We still have to play Cleveland a few more times. As long as we continue to play the way we've played the last few days, everything will be fine."
Garland threw a four-hitter and Paul Konerko homered, sending Chicago to a 2-0 victory over the Detroit Tigers and a sweep of their four-game series.
After going 12-16 in August, the White Sox are 4-0 in September.
"When one person starts it off, it all seems to roll from there," Garland said after Chicago outscored Detroit 29-6 in the series.
After losing three straight decisions, Garland (17-8) pitched his third complete game of the season -- all shutouts. Winning for the first time since Aug. 7, he got two stellar defensive plays to keep the Tigers from scoring.
Garland, who started the season 8-0, walked one and struck out seven, including Chris Shelton with a runner at third to end the eighth right after manager Ozzie Guillen came to the mound and asked if he was OK.
"I was kind of worried about him leaving the ball around the plate and giving up a home run, and all of a sudden he'd lose everything he built for the whole game. He said he was fine and I believe my pitchers," Guillen said
Garland outpitched Jeremy Bonderman (14-12), who lost his third consecutive start despite allowing five hits in his fourth complete game this season and the sixth of his career. He struck out six and walked one.
"That's the way it goes, man," Bonderman said. "What are you going to do? Can't sit here and cry about it."
Konerko's 33rd homer gave the White Sox a 2-0 lead in the fourth, right after two key defensive plays turned the Tigers away.
After center fielder Aaron Rowand made a nice, running catch of Shelton's long drive, Magglio Ordonez and Carlos Pena hit two-out singles in the fourth. But with runners at first and third, third baseman Pablo Ozuna made a diving stop of Craig Monroe's hard shot down the line before getting to his feet and throwing him out.
"I probably wouldn't have been out there in the ninth if it wasn't for Pablo in that fourth inning. If he doesn't make that play, I probably wouldn't have been in the game," Garland said.
Tigers manager Alan Trammell agreed.
"It was a big play. Who knows what might have happened after that?" Trammell said. "If he doesn't make that play, we could have arguably scored two runs."
If Ozuna's play was a rally stopper, one Bonderman didn't make in the first helped the White Sox score their first run.
Scott Podsednik led off with a single, moved up on Bonderman's wild pitch and scored when Tadahito Iguchi hit a single that deflected off Bonderman's glove and was redirected past second baseman Placido Polanco.
"I touched quite a bit of it, it hit my glove pretty good," Bonderman said. "It was just reaction."
Monroe then saved a run with a great, over-the-shoulder catch of Konerko's drive to the warning track in center.
The victory gave the White Sox a 9 1/2 -game lead over second-place Cleveland in the AL Central. Not enough for Guillen to relax completely. Not just yet.
"We have to get there. We feel better coming here getting a little lead," Guillen said. "We have to worry about ourselves. The way we're playing right now, I feel pretty good about this team."
Notes
It was Garland's fourth career shutout and fifth complete game. ... The White Sox play a makeup game at Fenway Park on Monday before returning home to finish their homestand Tuesday through Sunday against the Royals and Angels. Chicago will leave all its starting pitchers behind for the makeup game. Rookie Brandon McCarthy will get the start. ... Detroit has lost nine of 11 overall and finished 2-7 on a tough road trip to Boston, Cleveland and Chicago. ... Garland is 9-4 in his career against the Tigers, including 3-0 this season. Two of his three shutouts this year are against Detroit. ... Tigers C Ivan Rodriguez, 1-for-15 in his career against Garland entering the game, didn't start but pinch-hit in the eighth and flied out

Source: http://www.detnews.com/