No Ranger Lead Apparently Is Safe

Texas can’t seem to score enough runs.

Paul Konerko drove in four runs including one with a game-winning sacrifice fly in the ninth inning to lift the Chicago to an 8-7 victory over the Rangers on Saturday night.

The loss, coupled with Oakland’s win over Toronto, closed the Rangers’ lead in the AL West to 4 1/2 games.

Texas Manager Johnny Oates said. “Seven runs,” Texas Manager Johnny Oates said. “Goodness gracious. How many runs does it take to win a game? You shouldn’t have to score 10, 12 runs a night.”

After Texas tied the game in the top of the ninth inning, Jeff Zimmerman (9-2) gave up a leadoff single to Ray Durham. Third baseman Todd Zeile then slipped on the grass while trying to field Mike Caruso’s bunt, allowing Durham to advance to third and Caruso to be safe at first.

“Everybody in the ballpark knows he’s bunting and [Zeile] fell on his rear end,” Oates said.

“It was not a designed play to kick it foul,” said Zeile, who blamed the wet grass for his fall. “My body wanted to [stop] and my feet didn’t.”

Frank Thomas was intentionally walked before Magglio Ordonez flied out to shallow right.

Konerko, who was two for four, then hit a fly ball to right that was deep enough to score Durham, whose slide easily beat Roberto Kelly’s throw.

AROUND THE LEAGUE / Rodriguez Has 20-20 Vision

Ivan Rodriguez stole second base in the third inning Saturday night in Texas’ game at Chicago to become the first 20-20 catcher in major league history.

He has 24 homers to go with his 20 steals, the last of which followed a leadoff single and victimized White Sox pitcher Jim Parque and catcher Brook Fordyce.

Rodriguez is only the third catcher in AL history to steal 20 bases. The others are Kansas City’s John Wathan (36 in 1982, 28 in ‘83) and the White Sox’s Ray Schalk who stole 30 bases in 1916 and 24 in 1914.

The closest any catcher has come to a 20-20 season was in 1987, when San Diego’s Benito Santiago hit 18 homers and stole 21 bases.

*

The Kansas City Royals continued to revamp their struggling bullpen by making room for right-handers Derek Wallace and Chris Fussell and waiving left-hander Matt Whisenant and right-hander Terry Mathews. Wallace was acquired from the New York Mets on Friday. Fussell was recalled from triple-A Omaha. The Royal bullpen has blown 25 saves this season.

*

The Texas Rangers recalled right-handed pitcher Danny Kolb from triple-A Oklahoma and optioned right-handed pitcher Ryan Glynn.