Pierzynski goes 5-for-5 as White Sox outlast Orioles

BALTIMORE (AP) -- The game lasted nearly four hours and was pure agony for the Chicago White Sox -- until the final out.

Since style points don't mean anything in the standings, the White Sox took great delight in their unsightly 13-11 win over the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday.

"Any win is a good win. We gave up 11 but scored 13 to win," said A.J. Pierzynski, who went 5-for-5 with four RBI. "Right now we just need to win games. We don't care if it's 25-24 or 1-0. It doesn't matter."

Elias Says

Pierzynski A.J. Pierzynski went 5-for-5 with four RBI in the White Sox's win over Baltimore. Ivan Rodriguez (5-for-5, 5 RBI on April 5) is the only other catcher to have such a game in the major leagues this season. From 2002 to 2005, only two catchers went 5-for-5 with at least four RBI in a game, both did it in 2004: Cleveland's Victor Martinez (5-for-5, 7 RBI) and Atlanta's Johnny Estrada (5-for-5, 5 RBI). • For more Elias Says, click here

The teams combined for 37 hits, 12 walks and an error. Ten pitchers participated, and only once did the side go down in order.

"It was hot, humid and it just seemed like whoever we ran out there and they ran out there couldn't seem to get that third out," Pierzynski said. "I don't know how many guys got on base today, but it had to be about 50 because there were a ton of hits, a ton of runners, a ton of walks, a ton of [stuff] going on."

White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen summed it up by saying, "Real bad game when you score 13 runs and you have your closer in the ninth. Not a good sign. Good thing we won it, though."

Tadahito Iguchi homered to cap a seven-run third inning, but the White Sox nearly blew leads of 8-3 and 11-4.

Bobby Jenks, the sixth Chicago pitcher, got three outs for his 28th save. Melvin Mora walked and scored when Jay Gibbons grounded into a double play, but Jenks got Jeff Conine on a groundout to end it.

"We could have laid down umpteen times, but we kept coming back and coming back to put ourselves in position in the ninth inning to tie it," Baltimore manager Sam Perlozzo said.

Miguel Tejada hit his 19th homer, had four hits and drove in three runs for the Orioles, who outhit Chicago 19-18 but stranded 12 runners.

Pierzynski's five hits were a career high. He couldn't recall doing it in the minor leagues, either.

"Getting five hits in a game is nice. Obviously I've never done it before, but the biggest thing is when I got them," he said. "I got them with runners on base to drive in runs and give us a chance to win the game."

Chicago's Jermaine Dye contributed a single, double and his 27th home run.

Jon Garland (11-3) allowed six runs and 11 hits in five-plus innings, but benefited from a rare offensive outburst by his teammates to win his seventh straight decision. It was the most runs for the White Sox since July 4, when they beat Baltimore 13-0.

"I give him a lot of credit because he's got some cold, has been sick the past few days," Guillen said.

Chicago trailed 3-1 before sending 10 batters to the plate in the third inning against James Johnson, making his major league debut.

Pierzynski hit a run-scoring single, Joe Crede followed with a sacrifice fly, Juan Uribe delivered an RBI single and Brian Anderson doubled in a run before Iguchi hit a three-run homer.

Johnson (0-1), called up from Double-A Bowie before the game, gave up eight runs, nine hits and three walks in three innings. He was sent back to Bowie afterward.

"I was just here to try and help us out, and I didn't do that good of a job," he said. "I'm just going to take it as a learning experience and know what I need to work on to get back here."

After Conine hit an RBI double in the bottom of the third to make it 8-4, Russ Ortiz replaced Johnson and promptly yielded successive homers to Dye and Pierzynski.

An RBI single by Pierzynski made it 11-4 in the sixth. Garland exited in the bottom half after allowing the first two batters to reach, and Brandon McCarthy gave up a run-scoring grounder to Brian Roberts, an RBI single to Mora and a two-run homer to Tejada that made it 11-8.

The Orioles then loaded the bases before Ramon Hernandez hit a drive to center that Anderson caught on the warning track.

Baltimore's Nick Markakis scored on a wild pitch in the seventh, but Crede hit an RBI single in the eighth to restore the three-run cushion. Markakis doubled in a run in the Orioles' half, his fourth hit of the game.

Iguchi hit an RBI single in the ninth to make it 13-10.

Game notes
Chicago played without 1B Paul Konerko, who bruised his left shin Friday night. He could be ready Sunday. ... The Orioles activated Gibbons from the 15-day disabled list and designated OF Luis Terrero for assignment. Gibbons went 1-for-4 with two walks as the DH.