This Time, Pierzynski Gets Big Hit

A.J. Pierzynski’s three-run home run against closer Ryan Dempster capped a two-out rally in the ninth inning and lifted the Chicago White Sox over the Chicago Cubs, 8-6, Saturday at Wrigley Field.

The Cubs led, 6-5, when Ross Gload singled on a slow roller that deflected off Dempster’s calf and shortstop Ronny Cedeno was unable to barehand it. After Jermaine Dye walked, Pierzynski hit a 1-and-1 pitch to right field for his fifth homer, and the White Sox won for the 13th time in 15 games.

The game was delayed for about five minutes after Pierzynski’s homer when fans pelted the field with debris. The grounds crew cleaned up the cups, plastic bottles and other items before the game resumed.

Pierzynski barreled over Cubs catcher Michael Barrett on May 20 at U.S. Cellular Field. Barrett responded by grabbing Pierzynski and punching him in the face, setting off a bench-clearing brawl.

This time, Pierzynski had the big hit.

“It was nice. At the same time, it’s just one game, just one win,” he said. “But for all the stuff I’ve been through this weekend and everything that has gone on, it was kind of nice.”

New York Mets 8, New York Yankees 3 -- Steve Trachsel won his fifth consecutive start and the Mets roughed up Randy Johnson at Yankee Stadium, ending their four-game losing streak. Trachsel yielded two runs and seven hits -- all singles -- in six-plus innings. Johnson gave up eight runs and eight hits in six innings.

Arizona 7, Oakland 2 -- Miguel Batista had a perfect game through 6 2/3 innings and didn’t yield a hit until Frank Thomas’ two-run homer in the seventh at Oakland. After Batista walked Bobby Crosby on four pitches with two out in the seventh, Thomas hit his 465th home run, tying him with Dave Winfield for 25th place on the career list.

Houston 7, Texas 0 -- Rookie Taylor Buchholz dominated the host Rangers and Mike Lamb hit a home run -- and was robbed of another -- to help the Astros end a four-game losing streak. Buchholz yielded only two singles in seven innings. Lamb appeared to have a three-run homer in the eighth, but center fielder Gary Matthews Jr. sprinted, leaped and stuck his glove over the eight-foot wall to make an inning-ending catch.

Pittsburgh 9, Detroit 2 -- The Tigers’ infield defense broke down during a seven-run seventh inning started by Sean Casey’s run-scoring single and the Pirates won for only the second time in 2 1/2 weeks. Detroit made four errors in two innings and three in a span of as many batters in the seventh.

Toronto 5, Philadelphia 2 -- Troy Glaus and Eric Hinske homered in the sixth inning at Toronto to lead the Blue Jays to their season-high fifth consecutive victory. Glaus led off the sixth with a solo shot and Hinske hit a two-run homer.

Washington 4, Tampa Bay 3 -- Nick Johnson ended a month-long homerless streak with a game-ending shot to lift the slumping Nationals. With two out in the 10th inning, Johnson hit a 2-and-1 fastball from Brian Meadows over the wall in right-center field.

Boston 11, Florida 5 -- Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz each homered twice and combined to drive in nine runs at Miami. Boston’s major league-record run of 17 consecutive errorless games ended with two miscues in the first inning.

Cleveland 12, Cincinnati 7 -- Travis Hafner had a pinch-hit grand slam that tied a team record to lead the Indians at Cincinnati. Hafner matched Al Rosen’s 1951 club mark with his fourth grand slam of the season.

Baltimore 7, Atlanta 4 -- The visiting Orioles roughed up Tim Hudson, who gave up 11 hits and six runs -- five earned -- in 2 2/3 innings in suffering his fourth consecutive loss. It was his shortest outing since going 2 2/3 innings in a 7-3 loss at Texas on June 13, 2005.

Minnesota 10, Milwaukee 7 -- Derrick Turnbow’s bases-loaded walk to Shannon Stewart in the bottom of the eighth forced home the go-ahead run and helped the Twins extend their winning streak to nine games.

Kansas City 8, St. Louis 7 -- Mark Teahan homered in the top of the 11th for the Royals, who blew a six-run lead and overcame a bases-loaded, none out situation in the 10th to win for the ninth time in 12 game.

Seattle 8, Colorado 7 -- Ichiro Suzuki lined a two-out, two-run homer to right in the bottom of the sixth inning, capping the Mariners’ rally from a five-run deficit.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

San Diego 7-1, San Francisco 4-4 -- Pedro Feliz tripled in Steve Finley with the go-ahead run with one out in the top of the 10th inning. The Padres won the first game when Adrian Gonzalez and Rob Bowen hit two-run singles in the seventh.