Buehrle has a gem with only one flaw

Mark Buehrle continued his rebound season in historic fashion Wednesday night, pitching the 16th no-hitter in Chicago White Sox history and the major leagues’ first of 2007 in a 6-0 blanking of the Texas Rangers.

Buehrle delighted a cold but enthusiastic crowd of 25,390, which watched him throw the first no-hitter at U.S. Cellular Field.

Only one Texas batter reached base -- Sammy Sosa on a fifth-inning walk -- and Buehrle promptly picked him off first base.

Third baseman Joe Crede made a nice play on Gerald Laird’s slow roller to end it, setting off a celebration near the pitcher’s mound.

“I probably was more nervous coming out of the eighth and going back to the ninth with the crowd going crazy,” Buehrle said. “I could feel my knees shaking.”

Buehrle said it was his first no-hitter at any level -- “I pitched maybe two innings of a seven-inning one in high school” -- and the first by a White Sox pitcher since Wilson Alvarez beat Baltimore, 7-0, on Aug. 11, 1991.

“His stuff was the best I’ve seen in two years,” catcher A.J. Pierzynski said.

Buehrle’s no-hitter was the White Sox’s first at home since Joel Horlen beat Detroit, 6-0, on Sept. 10, 1967. The last American League no-hitter was April 27, 2002, when Boston’s Derek Lowe beat Tampa Bay.

Buehrle, 28, struck out eight, including a called third strike on Matt Kata to start the ninth inning. He threw 66 of his 105 pitches for strikes.

“He was in command,” Sosa said.

Buehrle hadn’t come this close to a no-hitter since Aug. 3, 2001, when he pitched six no-hit innings against Tampa Bay before Damian Rolls got a single.

“You just put your seat belt on and hold,” Manager Ozzie Guillen said.

This was a signature game for Buehrle, whose 98-66 lifetime record with the White Sox was temporarily scarred by a 12-13 mark and a 4.99 earned-run average last season. Buehrle turned down a contract extension during the 2006 season, and negotiations have been postponed until after this season.

One of the first people to greet Buehrle in the clubhouse was General Manager Kenny Williams.

“I wish I had the money” to re-sign Buehrle, Guillen said.

Buehrle needed little help, but the White Sox’s struggling offense came to life with three home runs. Jim Thome hit two, and Jermaine Dye hit a grand slam off Kevin Millwood in the fifth.

But the night belonged to Buehrle, who was doused with beer by several teammates while conducting a postgame interview after the Sox halted a three-game losing streak.

“It’s a great feeling,” Guillen said. “We needed that. Buehrle needed that for himself. As a team, I think we were nervous. I heard guys saying they weren’t really nervous during the World Series, but they were nervous [tonight].”

Buehrle, who improved to 9-3 lifetime against the Rangers, retreated to the clubhouse between innings to stay out of the sub-40-degree weather.

Buehrle (1-0) was supported by exceptional defense, including a controversial play that led to the ejection of Jerry Hairston Jr. for the first out of the third.

Crede made a diving stop of Hairston’s sharp grounder and threw to first. Paul Konerko made a clean pick of Crede’s throw as Hairston dived into the bag.

First base umpire James Hoye immediately signaled out, causing Hairston to argue before he retreated to the dugout.

“I thought it was going to be a foul ball,” Crede said. “I dove for it anyway. We looked at the replay and he was out. It was a good play and the momentum shifted to our side at that point.”