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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) -- The Chicago White Sox let one slip
away.
John Flaherty hit a three-run homer with one out in the bottom
of the ninth inning to lead the Tampa Bay Devil Rays to a 5-3 win
over the White Sox on Sunday.
|  | | Tampa Bay's John Flaherty kept the White Sox from sweeping a three-game series Sunday, belting this three-run shot in the ninth off Bob Howry for a 5-3 win. |
"I was probably as focused on that at-bat as I've ever been in
my career," Flaherty said. "He made some great pitches to me that
whole at-bat and I was just trying to battle. It seemed like my
confidence level was rising as the at-bat went and I finally got a
good pitch to hit."
With one out in the ninth, Kelly Wunsch walked Jose Guillen.
After pinch-runner Jason Tyner stole second on a pitch-out, Bob
Howry (2-3) walked pinch-hitter Miguel Cairo.
Flaherty, who also had an RBI single in the seventh, worked the
count full in a 12-pitch at-bat. He then hit his seventh homer of
the season for the game-winner.
"It was a fastball, I tried to throw it away," said Howry, who
blew his sixth save opportunity in 11 chances. "It started out
there, but it just ran back over right down and in where he likes
it. You try and locate a pitch somewhere that he can't hit it hard.
I definitely didn't do that because he hit it pretty well."
Manager Jerry Manuel said Keith Foulke, who has 21 saves in 25
opportunities, was not available after saving the first two games
of the series.
Albie Lopez (10-8) gave up three runs and five hits in his
second consecutive complete game and fourth of the season.
"I was just throwing strikes ... that's it," Lopez said.
"That's basically what I've been doing all year."
Lopez is just the second Tampa Bay pitcher -- joining Rolando
Arrojo with 14 wins in 1998 -- to reach double-digit victories in a
season. Lopez is 8-4 since joining the rotation on May 28.
"You can't pitch any better than he's pitched since he's been
starting," Devil Rays manager Larry Rothschild said.
Tampa Bay's ninth walk-off victory -- and fourth during a 13-game
homestand -- prevented the AL Central-leading White Sox from
sweeping the three-game series.
"We obviously feel that we could have had another ballgame,"
Manuel said.
Chicago starter Jon Garland gave up two runs and seven hits in
seven innings. In his previous two outings, the rookie right-hander
was touched for 10 runs and 17 hits in 9 2/3 innings.
"A great outing, exactly what we needed," White Sox catcher
Mark Johnson said. "We just didn't take advantage of it."
There has been speculation Garland might have lost his spot in
the rotation without a strong outing.
"It's not my decision," Garland said. "I just want to go out
and have a good game. I got ahead of guys and was able to throw
strikes when I wanted to."
Frank Thomas, who started the day tied for the AL home run lead,
put the White Sox up 2-0 with a fourth-inning solo homer. Magglio
Ordonez, who went 6-for-12 with six RBI in the series, had a
run-scoring double in the sixth.
Gerald Williams hit a solo homer for Tampa Bay, which concluded
a franchise-longest homestand at 7-6. It's the first the Devil Rays
have won more than six games on a homestand.
Jeff Abbott opened the Chicago third inning with a ground-rule
double that landed and remained on top of the left-field wall
padding. He later scored on Ray Durham's grounder.
Garland retired nine straight before Williams started the bottom
of the fourth with a solo homer that made it 2-1. The homer was
Williams' career-best 18th.
Game notes
Umpire Rick Reed, who admitted blowing a balk call on Devil
Rays closer Roberto Hernandez in the tenth inning of Saturday's 5-4
White Sox victory, was booed when introduced. ... Thomas has six
homers in the last nine games and tied Joe Adcock for 66th place
all-time with 336 homers. ... Manuel said RHP Cal Eldred (right
elbow) could start throwing off a mound during the next White Sox
homestand that begins Friday. ... Tampa Bay RF Jose Guillen doubled
in the fourth to extend his hitting streak at a career-best 10
games. ... Durham (Devil Rays) manager Bill Evers won his 1,000
minor league game Saturday.
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ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
Chi. White Sox Clubhouse
Tampa Bay Clubhouse
Last-place bias? Devil Rays wonder after blown call
RECAPS
Tampa Bay 5
Chi. White Sox 3
Kansas City 10
Baltimore 5
Toronto 13
Minnesota 3
Detroit 5
Oakland 3
Cleveland 10
Seattle 4
NY Yankees 4
Anaheim 1
Boston 4
Texas 2
Los Angeles 7
Atlanta 2
NY Mets 2
San Francisco 0
Colorado 5
Montreal 3
Houston 14
Philadelphia 7
Arizona 7
Pittsburgh 6
St. Louis 6
Milwaukee 4
San Diego 7
Florida 3
Cincinnati 3
Chicago Cubs 0
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