Lillibridge saves win for White Sox with catch

CHICAGO (AP) - Brent Lillibridge helped make John Danks a winner with a homer-saving catch in the eighth inning, and the Chicago White Sox beat the Oakland Athletics 3-2 on Saturday night.

Lillibridge robbed Oakland's Coco Crisp with a leaping catch above the wall. With Daric Barton on second and one out in the eighth, Crisp lofted a flyball deep to left-center. Lillibridge retreated to the wall, leaped and snared Crisp's drive before it cleared the fence.

That turned out to be the last batter Danks (2-8) faced. He allowed just four hits, struck out four and walked two in 7 2-3 innings. He won his second straight start after going winless in his first 11 starts to start the season.

Ramon Castro hit his third homer of the season, a solo shot in the fourth. Alex Rios had two hits and a walk for Chicago, tis third straight game with two hits.

Athletics starter Gio Gonzalez (5-5) is winless in his last five starts. Oakland issued nine walks, has lost 11 of 12 games and fell to 1-2 under interim manager Bob Melvin.

Chicago's Jesse Crain worked 1 1-3 hitless innings, picking up his first save one night after White Sox closer Sergio Santos blew a two-run, ninth-inning lead in Oakland's 7-5 win on Friday.

Gonzalez was wild during most of his 115-pitch outing. He allowed three runs in 5 1-3 innings, five hits, a career-high seven walks, hit a batter, committed a balk and threw two wild pitches.

Gonzalez was removed with one out in the fifth, during which Chicago scored the go-ahead run without the benefit of a hit. Lillibridge drew a one-out walk, then stole second and went to third on Kurt Suzuki's throwing error.

Gonzalez was replaced by reliever Brad Ziegler with a 1-0 count on Alexei Ramirez, who walked. Carlos Quentin hit a comebacker to Ziegler, who threw wide to second for an error, allowing Lillibridge to score and put Chicago ahead 3-2.

Danks held the Athletics hitless through the first three innings, allowing just two walks. Cliff Pennington led off the fourth with Oakland's first hit, a single. He stole second and scored on Josh Willingham's single. Pennington just beat the throw of Chicago left fielder Lillibridge.

That tied the score at 1, but Castro broke the deadlock with a leadoff homer in the bottom half of the fourth, a 387-foot shot to left on a 2-2 curveball from Gonzalez.

Oakland knotted the game in the sixth. Crisp doubled just inside the third-base line to lead off, went to second on Pennington's sacrifice and scored on Hideki Matsui's sacrifice fly to right.

Gonzalez's control problems led to Chicago's first run in the third. Ramirez stroked a one-out single. Quentin walked and Paul Konerko struck out. With two outs and Rios at the plate, Gonzalez threw a pitch in the dirt that bounced away from catcher Suzuki, allowing Ramirez to race home with the game's first run.

Rios eventually walked, giving Gonzalez four walks in three innings. He's walked four or more batters in six of his 13 starts this season.

The White Sox took advantage of Gonzalez's command issues in the second and loaded the bases, but failed to score. Rios singled, Adam Dunn walked and Beckham was hit by a pitch. Gonzalez escaped the inning when Brent Morel grounded out.

The White Sox also loaded the bases without scoring in the fifth. With one out, Konerko and Rios each singled and Dunn walked. However, Castro popped to second and Beckham rolled into a fielder's choice.

NOTES: Guillen told the media before Saturday's contest that he's in favor of the proposal for baseball to add an additional wild-card team in each league, saying "it'd be great for baseball." Guillen said that he'd like to give Santos a couple of days off after he threw 65 pitches over his last two outings and blew a save in Friday's 7-5 loss to Oakland. Guillen added that he still didn't want to label Santos as his closer even though "he's the one we've been using a lot." Guillen said relievers Jesse Crain and Matt Thornton would also be given chances to close games. Castro was charged with an error when Lillibridge's throw home in the fourth got away from him, allowing Willingham to advance to second. It was just the second error the White Sox have committed in their last 14 games. Ramirez later also committed an error, allowing Jemile Weeks to reach in the fifth when he bobbled the ball transferring it from his glove to his throwing hand. Konerko singled in the fifth, extending his hitting streak to 12 games.