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  Saturday, May 20 4:05pm ET
Baldwin picks up eighth straight win
 
  RECAP | BOX SCORE | GAME LOG

TORONTO (AP) -- James Baldwin is proving he's much more than a second-half pitcher.

Baldwin pitched a complete-game seven-hitter for his eighth straight victory as the Chicago White Sox beat the Toronto Blue Jays 6-2 Saturday.

Baldwin (7-0) went 8-4 with a 3.56 ERA in the second half of last season after starting 4-9 with a 6.62 ERA. In 1998, Baldwin went 10-3 in the second half after going 3-3 with a 7.24 ERA before the All-Star break.

"A lot of people said I was a second-half pitcher, so I wanted to come out focused and start off the year good," Baldwin said.

Baldwin, who won his final decision last season, is tied for the major league lead in victories and has won 15 of his last 17 decisions.

"He's undefeated because he pitches quickly and he keeps his defense involved," Chicago manager Jerry Manuel said.

The right-hander struck out three and walked none -- he went to three balls on just two batters -- for his second complete game of the season.

Shannon Stewart spoiled Baldwin's shutout bid with a homer in the eighth, and Carlos Delgado added another solo shot to lead off the ninth.

"Baldwin has had it going on all year," Toronto's Darrin Fletcher said. "He's beat us twice. He looks real sharp."

Craig Wilson went 3-for-4 with three runs scored and Frank Thomas was 3-for-3 for the White Sox, who have won five of six.

Toronto's David Wells, pitching on his 37th birthday, allowed six runs on 10 hits in 3 1/3 innings. Wells (7-2) entered the game with a birthday record of 3-0 and a 1.01 ERA.

"It was a bad day for me. I wish it was the other way around," Wells said. "I tried to be too fine. I aimed the ball instead of hitting my spots."

The Blue Jays have lost three straight.

Magglio Ordonez's RBI single gave Chicago a 1-0 lead in the first, and went up 4-0 in the second as Wilson, Thomas and Ordonez hit consecutive run-scoring singles.

Jeff Abbott's third-inning homer made it 5-0, and Wilson and Thomas chased Wells with back-to-back doubles in the fourth to complete Chicago's scoring.

Notes: Baldwin chewed tobacco as he pitched. ... Just 14 of Baldwin's first 50 pitches were balls. ... Baldwin has five complete games in his career. ... Baldwin threw a three-hit shutout against Boston on May 9. ... Baldwin hasn't lost since August 1, 1999. ... Stewart has four homers. ... Baldwin is 14-1 at indoor stadiums. ... Delgado has 13 home runs.

 


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