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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Saturday, September 19, 2009

MLB: Peavy gets a win in first start for Chisox


Associated Press

CHICAGO — Jake Peavy allowed three runs and three hits over five innings in his first start in over three months Saturday night as Chicago got a grand slam from Carlos Quentin, scored six times in the eighth and beat the Kansas City Royals 13-3.

Peavy (1-0) hadn't pitched in a major league game since June 8 when he beat the Diamondbacks while with the Padres. Five days later, he went on the disabled list with a strained tendon in his right ankle.

Traded to the White Sox on July 31, he'd planned to be pitching sooner but was hit in the pitching elbow with a line drive during a rehab game Aug. 24, setting him back.

Even with the White Sox's chances for making the postseason slim at best, Peavy made the start Saturday night and the 2007 Cy Young Award winner gave a glimpse of what might be next season during his 73-pitch outing.

Peavy struck out three of the first four batters he faced before running into trouble in the second when Alberto Callaspo hit a sinking liner for a single, Miguel Olivo drew a walk and Alex Gordon followed with an RBI single. With runners at the corners, Olivo broke from third and scored as Yuniesky Betancourt dropped down a squeeze bunt to give the Royals a 2-1 lead.

Billy Butler hit a two-out opposite field homer off Peavy in the third for a 3-1 Royals' lead, but Chicago rallied.

Paul Konerko hit a solo homer in the bottom of the third off K.C. rookie Dusty Hughes (0-1), who had to leave his first major league start in the fifth with left elbow nerve irritation.

Hughes, who'd made four previous relief appearances, got the nod to start because Kyle Davies has a sore oblique muscle. The lefty went 4 1-3 innings, gave up five hits and was charged with four runs, three earned.

The White Sox tied it in the fourth on a single, walk and RBI single by Alex Rios, who was in a 7-for-74 slump.

With one out and a 2-1 count on Konerko in the fifth, catcher John Buck, a trainer and manager Trey Hillman went to the mound, and Hughes left a short time later.

Reliever Yasuhiko Yabuta completed the walk to Konerko, gave up a single to Alexei Ramirez and walked Jermaine Dye to load the bases.

Quentin then lined his 17th homer of the season to left, giving Chicago a 7-3 lead and putting Peavy in position for his first AL victory. Chicago added six runs in the eighth with Ramirez hitting a two-run, bases-loaded double and Dye a two-run single.

A.J. Pierzynski had an RBI single in the first to snap an 18-inning scoreless streak by the White Sox, who were shut out by Luke Hochevar on Friday night.