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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
CHICAGO (AP) -- The Chicago White Sox sent shortstop Jose
Valentin to the outfield Saturday for the first time in his major
league career and he was the star of the game.
|  | | Jose Valentin watches his three-run triple in the seventh inning against the Red Sox on Saturday. |
The banged-up Boston Red Sox put rookie Izzy Alcantara, an
infielder by trade, in right field and he turned the day into one
fielding misadventure after another.
So it goes.
The White Sox are winning, no matter what they seem to do. The
Red Sox, right now, aren't.
"I felt comfortable, but it was a little weird. It's a long run
from right field to the dugout. I was just lucky I didn't get any
balls hit to me," Valentin said Saturday after hitting a
bases-loaded triple in his outfield debut to lead the White Sox to
a 7-2 victory.
Valentin was pressed into duty because of injuries to Magglio
Ordonez and Jeff Abbott. He'd played there in winter ball, but
never the majors. And the Red Sox made it easy by not hitting any
balls to him.
"We're just short on outfielders," Valentin said. "It was a
situation where you got to do what you can to help the team."
Alcantara, just called up from the minors June 25, is used to
being at first or third. But with outfielders Troy O'Leary, Trot
Nixon and Darren Lewis all on the DL, he went to right in Boston's
patchwork lineup.
Not only did he make one of three Red Sox's errors, he was slow
coming in on two other balls -- Chicago's Mark Johnson scored from
first on a single on one of the plays -- and then was picked off the
bases in the eighth inning to conclude a long day. "There's no excuse," Alcantara said.
"The game starts with the individual. Those things happen,"
said Boston center fielder Carl Everett. "He'll have to pick up
himself."
The White Sox's victory was their 21st in 28 games. Boston has
lost nine of 12. Mike Sirotka (8-6) allowed four hits and a run in eight innings
to win for the fifth time in six decisions.
Boston outhit the White Sox 6-5, but the defensive effort ruined
a decent performance by Paxton Crawford (0-1) in his major league
debut. Crawford gave up four hits in 5 1-3 innings, but only three of
the six runs against him were earned.
"I kind of felt sorry for the fielders. There were so many
tough plays," Crawford said.
"We played bad," Everett said. "It shouldn't be that tough.
We're a good team."
Some lackadaisical play by Alcantara helped Chicago take a 2-0
lead in the third. Johnson walked and on a hit-and-run scored all
the way from first on Ray Durham's single to right when Alcantara
was slow getting to the ball and getting it back to the infield.
Valentin then hit a fly to right-center that turned into an RBI
double when Alcantara turned sideways as the ball approached him.
"We've been doing these things all year," Johnson said of his
hustle on the basepaths to get the White Sox started. "Everybody
has been trying to take the extra base."
Brian Daubach hit a bases-loaded, RBI single in the fourth but
Chicago center fielder Chris Singleton threw out Nomar Garciaparra
at the plate trying to score from second with the tying run.
Singleton walked to start the bottom of the fourth and raced to
third when catcher Jason Varitek's attempted pickoff throw went
wild after his elbow hit umpire Mike VanVleet's face mask.
Singleton scored on Herbert Perry's sacrifice fly.
Errors on Alcantara and newly acquired third baseman Ed Sprague
and an intentional walk loaded the bases in the sixth. Tony
Graffanino's sacrifice fly finished Crawford, who was called up
from the minors to make the start. Durham walked to re-loaded the bases and Valentin drove Rich
Garces' pitch to the gap in right-center, clearing the bases.
Game notes
Ordonez, who had to leave Friday night's game after feeling
a twinge in his knee after running the bases, got the day off, but
the injury is not considered serious. Fourth outfielder Abbott was
sidelined Saturday by sore ribs. ... Sprague, acquired in a trade
from San Diego on Friday, had an error and was 0-for-4 in his Red
Sox debut. ... The Red Sox put Darren Lewis on the disabled list
Saturday where he joins fellow outfielders Troy O'Leary and Trot
Nixon. ... After the game, the White Sox sent struggling RHP Kip
Wells, who's lost four of his last five decisions, back to Triple-A
Charlotte.
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ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
Boston Clubhouse
Chi. White Sox Clubhouse
Red Sox put Lewis on DL, eye Gilkey
Red Sox trade for Sprague to fill hole at third base
Beat-up Boston goes into White Sox series with Pedro on DL
RECAPS
Chi. White Sox 7
Boston 2
NY Yankees 6
Tampa Bay 1
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Toronto 5
Minnesota 4
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Texas 3
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