White Sox’s Streak Hits Seven in a Row

After the Chicago White Sox committed four errors and had only two singles in the first seven innings Sunday, Manager Ozzie Guillen knew what he was going to tell the media after the game.

“I was preparing my speech in the eighth inning,” Guillen said. “It was poor pitching, poor defense and real bad offense.”

Guillen can save that speech for another day, because the White Sox rallied with a two-run eighth inning to beat the host Kansas City Royals, 4-3, for their seventh consecutive victory and 15th in 19 games.

Pinch-hitter Pablo Ozuna doubled in the go-ahead run in the eighth, in which the White Sox put together four hits against three relievers.

“It was real ugly, but we got it done,” Guillen said. “Everything we did worked out for us.”

Starter Denny Bautista had limited the White Sox to two runs and two hits over seven innings, and had left with a 3-2 lead.

Willie Harris started the eighth inning with a one-out single against Jamie Cerda and stopped at second when Paul Konerko singled against Shawn Camp (0-2) to end a 0-for-10 slump.

Aaron Rowand’s two-out single against rookie left-hander Andrew Sisco tied the score before Ozuna’s double to right field.

Neal Cotts (1-0), the third of five White Sox pitchers, earned the win.

Boston 11, Tampa Bay 3 -- Jay Payton hit a grand slam and Manny Ramirez homered in an ejection-filled game at St. Petersburg, Fla.

There were six ejections in the seventh inning after a sequence of inside pitches and two bench-clearing scuffles. Tampa Bay Manager Lou Piniella and Devil Ray pitchers Lance Carter and Dewon Brazelton were thrown out, along with Boston Manager Terry Francona, starting pitcher Bronson Arroyo and outfielder Trot Nixon.

Arroyo (2-0) gave up three runs and seven hits in six-plus innings. Ramirez had a sacrifice fly in a two-run first inning against Hideo Nomo (2-2). He has six homers and 16 runs batted in over his last nine games.

New York 11, Texas 1 -- Randy Johnson (2-1) dominated for eight innings, and Derek Jeter and Andy Phillips each homered and doubled to lift the Yankees at New York.

Phillips hit a three-run homer in the eighth inning and drove in four runs, and Jeter finished a triple shy of the cycle and had three RBIs.

Pedro Astacio (1-2) had given up only four runs in his first three starts after spending nearly all of the last two seasons on the disabled list, but gave up seven runs and nine hits in 4 2/3 innings.

Baltimore 7, Toronto 1 -- Sammy Sosa homered twice, Sidney Ponson came within one out of a shutout, and the Orioles completed a three-game sweep at Toronto.

Sosa connected against Roy Halladay (3-1) in the fifth inning and Justin Speier in the ninth, his first multi-homer game with Baltimore and the 67th of his career, tying him for third all-time with Mark McGwire. Only Babe Ruth (72) and Barry Bonds (68) have more.

Ponson (3-1) gave up five hits, struck out seven and walked four in his 28th career complete game and first this season.

Seattle 9, Cleveland 1 -- At Seattle, Jamie Moyer became the American League’s first four-game winner and tied Randy Johnson’s franchise record for victories.

Miguel Olivo hit a three-run double to help the Mariners end a three-game skid.

Moyer (4-0), who joined Seattle in 1996, has won 130 games with the Mariners. Johnson posted his total from 1989 to 1998.

Cleveland starter Scott Elarton (0-1) has lost 13 consecutive decisions on the road.

Minnesota at Detroit -- The game at Comerica Park was postponed because of snow.

The teams are scheduled to play today to make up Saturday’s postponed game, also because of snow. A makeup date for Sunday’s game was not announced.