Indians fall three games back of Detroit, just a half-game ahead of charging Chicago.
Charles Rex Arbogast, Associated PressShin-Soo Choo (bottom) somehow managed to avoid a major collision with second baseman Jason Donald to make this catch of Tyler Flowers' shallow pop fly down the right-field line Tuesday night at U.S. Cellular Field. The grab ended the third inning.
CHICAGO -- The Big U didn't help himself or the Indians on Tuesday night in the start of a big three-game series against the White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field. Fortunately for him, his offense was in a more charitable mood, but in the end it didn't matter.
Chicago beat the Indians, 8-7, in 14 innings on Juan Pierre's game-winning single off David Huff. Chad Durbin started the inning with a strikeout of Tyler Flowers, but Gordon Beckham doubled to the gap in right center and Brent Morel sent him to third on an infield single to second.
Huff, the Indians' ninth pitcher, relieved to face Pierre, who won it with a single into left field on a 1-1 pitch.
The Indians tied it in the ninth when Ezequiel Carrera scored on Shin-Soo Choo's fielder's choice. Carrera, pinch-hitting, drew a one-out walk off closer Sergio Santos. Michael Brantley moved him to third with a bloop single and he scored on Choo's grounder to second.
The White Sox missed chances to win it in the ninth, 10th, 11th and 12th and 13th.
Tyler Flowers tripled with two out in the ninth, but Vinnie Pestano struck out Beckham.
They had two on and one out in the 10th when Paul Konerko hit into a double play. Left-hander Tony Sipp was ejected in the inning for protesting a call at first base after he'd been replaced by Chris Perez.
The Indians missed a chance in the 10th when Jack Hannahan reached on a one-out double, but never advanced.
Alex Rios started the 11th with Chicago's fifth triple -- the most by the White Sox since Sept. 17, 1920 -- but never scored. Alexei Ramirez grounded out to third. Brent Lillibridge was intentionally walked and Flowers lined to third to start a 5-3 double play.
Morel hit a one-out double in the 12th, but couldn't advance.
The Indians loaded the bases with one out in the 13th, but Jesse Crain struck out Choo and retired Asdrubal Cabrera on a ground out.
Konerko opened the 13th with a single, but Durbin (2-2) escaped the inning. Jeff Frasor (3-2) was the winner. The game lasted 5 hours and 22 minutes.
Ubaldo Jimenez, the Big U, didn't give the Indians the innings they needed and allowed too many hits at the wrong time. Jimenez, acquired from Colorado at the July 31st trading deadline to give the rotation a lead-dog starter, wasn't involved in the decision, but he shared some of the blame.
The White Sox (61-60) pulled to within one-half game of the second-place Indians (60-58). The loss dropped the Indians to three games behind first-place Detroit. Chicago is 3 1/2 back.
Chicago leads the season series against the Tribe, 7-1. The Indians have lost five straight to the White Sox and still have 10 more against them.
The White Sox ended the game with 22 hits. The Indians with 10.
Chicago scored twice in the sixth to break a 5-5 tie. After the Indians rallied for three runs in the sixth to tie the score, Morel started the bottom of the inning with a double off Frank Herrmann. Pierre sacrificed Morel to third and De Aza scored him with his second triple of the game.
De Aza, with the Indians pulled in to cut off the run at the plate, bounced a ball past first base. Joe Smith relieved and gave up a single to Paul Konerko to make it 7-5.
The Indians went into the sixth trailing, 5-2, but scored three times to tie the score. Two-out singles by Travis Hafner and Carlos Santana made it 5-4 and knocked starter Gavin Floyd out of the game.
Will Ohman relieved and walked Kosuke Fukudome and Jason Donald to force home the tying run.
Chicago took advantage of shortstop Cabrera's error in the first to take a 1-0 lead. De Aza sent a routine grounder to Cabrera for what should have been the second out. Cabrera, who makes most of his errors on routine plays, couldn't handle it for his 14th error.
MCT photoManny Acta couldn't get any satisfaction from John Hirschbeck after Michael Brantley collided with shortstop Alexi Ramirez in the fourth inning on Shin-Soo Choo's drive to right field. Choo was credited with a single as the umpires rejected Acta's claim of interference. The White Sox jumped on mistakes against Jimenez. Konerko singled to left to move De Aza to third. Carlos Quentin singled through the middle to bring him home.
Jimenez gave up an infield single to Alexi Ramirez to load the bases, but pitched his way out of further trouble.
Chicago made it 2-0 on De Aza's two-out triple in the second. Jimenez was done in by a leadoff walk to Beckman. He retired the next two batters, but De Aza tripled to the fence in right center.
The Indians made it 2-1 on Cabrera's sacrifice fly in the fourth. Gavin Floyd, who opened the game with nine straight outs, seven on strikeouts, hit Brantley to start the fourth. Choo followed with a drive to the fence in right. As Brantley rounded second, he fell. He righted himself and continued to third.
Choo, rounding first, had to retreat to first when he saw Brantley fall. Manager Manny Acta argued that Chicago shortstop Alexi Ramirez obstructed Brantley, causing him to fall, which caused Choo to retreat to first. He wanted Choo to be awarded second base, but the umpires, after huddling to discuss the matter, refused.
Cabrera followed with his sacrifice fly and Hafner bounced into a double play to end the inning. If Choo was on second it wouldn't have happened.
Jimenez didn't help himself in the fourth. After getting two quick outs, he gave up a homer to Pierre to make it 3-1. It was Pierre's second homer in 471 at-bats this year.
Pierre came into the game hitting .304 (7-for-23) against Jimenez.
The Indians came back to make it 3-2 with a run in the fifth on Donald's sacrifice fly. Santana opened the inning with a pretty bunt single that rolled all the way to the bag at third. He took second on Floyd's wild pitch and advanced to third on Fukudome's ground out to second.
The White Sox continued to hit Jimenez hard. Konerko opened the fifth with a double, took third on Quentin's fly ball to center and scored on Ramirez's triple to the fence in center for a 4-2 lead.
After striking out Adam Dunn for the second out, Jimenez gave up an RBI double to Tyler Flower to make it 5-2. That was it for Jimenez, who allowed five runs on nine hits in 4 2/3 innings.
Jimenez threw 105 pitches. He struck out five and walked one.