After losing for the fifth time in six home games Sunday, White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen is actually excited to hit the road.
CHICAGO (AP) — After losing for the fifth time in six home games Sunday, White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen is actually excited to hit the road.
Dan Haren pitched into the seventh inning for his fourth win of the season, Maicer Izturis had three hits and the Los Angeles Angels beat Chicago 4-2 to complete a three-game sweep.
"We’re struggling right now," Guillen said. "Hopefully when we go to Tampa, New York and Detroit we start swinging the bat like we can so we can try to help the pitching staff."
Haren (4-0) joined teammate Jered Weaver as the only four-game winners. The right-hander allowed two runs on seven hits over 6 1-3 innings, striking out six and not allowing a walk.
After initially struggling in the ninth, rookie closer Jordan Walden got Juan Pierre to pop out to left with the bases loaded for his third save in as many opportunities.
"In most of the (losses) we were one shot away from winning it, but we didn’t," Guillen said. "That happens when you struggle."
Mark Trumbo added a solo shot in the fourth inning off White Sox starter Mark Buehrle (1-1), as Chicago lost its fourth straight game. The White Sox opened their 10-game homestand winning four of the first six, and three of their losses were blown saves by the bullpen.
Buehrle admitted that he needs to pitch better.
"I felt great, just made a couple mistakes and they made me pay," he said. "Going up against guys like that, you have to be better and have your A-game."
Haren retired nine straight White Sox batters until allowing a double to Carlos Quentin in the seventh inning. After an infield hit by Alex Rios, Haren gave up back-to-back run-scoring singles to A.J. Pierzynski and Alexei Ramirez.
Haren had pitched 19 scoreless innings until giving up the two RBI singles.
"They are a terrific team over there," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "Last year we came in here and won a couple games early and they just took off and went crazy and played great baseball. They will turn things around. They will be tough."
Adam Dunn went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts. He has just two hits in 19 at-bats with 11 strikeouts since returning from having his appendix removed.
"I don’t feel bad. I feel fine, I just stink," Dunn said. "We’re not in any panic mode. We know what we’re capable of doing."
Dunn certainly isn’t the only one in a funk. Gordon Beckham is 2 for 22 in the last six games. Paul Konerko is 3 for his last 21.
"It seems like we were all hot at one time and now we’re all slumping at the same time," Dunn said. "We have to get back on track."
Hisanori Takahashi and Francisco Rodriguez each got one out in the seventh inning and Fernando Rodney pitched a scoreless eighth before turning the game over to Walden.
He gave up a leadoff double to Quentin and walked Rios in the ninth. Pierzynksi moved the runners over on a sacrifice bunt, but Walden rebounded by striking out Ramirez. After issuing a walk to Omar Vizquel, Walden got Pierre to pop out to end the game.
The Angels struck first when Izturis lined Buehrle’s fourth pitch of the game down the line in left for a double. Howard Kendrick followed with a hard grounder back at Buehrle, who kicked the ball and misdirected it from Ramirez at shortstop into the outfield for a single. Bobby Abreu struck out before Torri Hunter drove in Izturis on a sacrifice fly.
Izturis doubled again in the third and scored on Abreu’s double to make it 2-0.
Trumbo’s homer in the fourth made it 3-0, and Vernon Wells hit a liner off the outfield wall in the sixth. He went to third on the triple and eventually scored on Alberto Callaspo’s single.
Scioscia questioned whether Wells’ drive was a home run. The umpires reviewed the video and determined the original call was correct.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.
(AP Photo/Paul Beaty)
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