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ARLINGTON, Texas -- The second inning began like it was going to be Chris Sale's downfall. Instead, it became a momentum-builder.

Sale was roughed up in the second stanza for four hits, including a home run. He also walked a batter.

Yet he escaped allowing only two runs.

Given new life, the left-hander with a mid-90s fastball breezed from there, shutting out the Texas Rangers over his final five innings in a 5-2 victory for the Chicago White Sox.

"The turning point was that second inning," Sale, who improved to 3-2 and lowered his ERA to 3.83, said. "Something I’ve had to learn is the game isn’t over in the second inning.

“I came out of that inning feeling strong mentally. I just kept pushing until the bullpen took over, and those guys kept it right where it was."

Some of the damage in the second inning came from the Rangers hitting good pitches.

"But a couple were bad pitches," Sale admitted.

Jeff Baker drove Sale’s low breaking ball over the left-field wall an estimated 393 feet to cut the White Sox lead to 2-1. A walk and singles by Geovany Soto and Craig Gentry loaded the bases. Ian Kinsler drilled a Sale pitch off the left-field wall, but due to a baserunning error by Soto, the Rangers produced only one score.

With a two-run lead gone and the bases loaded, Sale went to work. He struck out Elvis Andrus for the second out after a long battle and induced Lance Berkman into a fielder’s choice grounder to shortstop.

He went on to retire 10 Rangers in a row at one point.

"For him to come out of that inning only giving up two [runs] was big," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "That’s a tough lineup he was facing. He kept them off balance."

Sale allowed six hits but only one after the second inning. He walked two and struck out seven. He finished strong, too, pitching a 1-2-3 seventh with a pair of strikeouts.

Stopping the White Sox’s three-game losing streak was important to Sale.

"When you want to stop a streak, it’s important to go out and do everything you can to get a win," he said. "That’s what I did."

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Closer Addison Reed said he was trying to pitch A.J. Pierzynski inside, but he was not trying to intentionally hit his former Chicago White Sox teammate known for outspoken ways.

"I was trying to throw inside and it happened to hit him," said Reed, who worked a scoreless ninth for his ninth save. "Was I trying to hit him? Absolutely not."

Reed said he enjoyed throwing to Pierzynski when he was the White Sox catcher.

"I grew up a Sox fan rooting for him," Reed said. "I have nothing at all against him."

Pierzynski, signed by the Texas Rangers in the offseason, was used as a pinch hitter with two outs and nobody on in the ninth with the White Sox leading 5-2. Reed’s pitch hit Pierzynski in the elbow.

With a three-run lead against the powerful Rangers lineup, White Sox manager Robin Ventura explained, "We’re not trying to put anybody on base."

"You saw what happened," he said. "Thirty seconds later, they had the tying run at the plate. There was no message sent."

Reed said there was no conversation between himself and Pierzynski after the incident.

"I didn’t hear anything," Reed said. "I had other things on my mind."

In the Rangers clubhouse, Pierzynski said he wasn’t aware of any problems with Reed.

"Not that I know of," Pierzynski said. "I always got along fine with him."

Ian Kinsler singled after Pierzynski was hit. But Reed struck out Elvis Andrus, representing the tying run, with two on to complete his ninth save of the season. Reed has converted 15 straight save opportunities dating back to the 2012 season.

Together with Jesse Crain and Matt Thornton, the White Sox bullpen did not allow a run. Coming into the game, the bullpen had been tagged for a 7.43 ERA and an 0-4 record over the preceding eight games.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Chicago White Sox used a pair of seventh-inning homers to even the three-game series at a game apiece with a 5-2 victory over the Texas Rangers on Wednesday night before 34,677 at Rangers Ballpark.

How it happened: Conor Gillaspie launched a home run over the right-field wall an estimated 384 feet to snap a 2-2 tie leading off the seventh. Two outs later Alejandro De Aza lined a two-run shot into the seats near the right-field foul pole, at 353 feet. The White Sox have homered in 10 straight games. Alex Rios staked the White Sox to a 1-0 lead in the first with an RBI single, scoring De Aza, who doubled to open the game. Paul Konerko opened the second with a double and, after a Gillaspie single, scored on Tyler Flowers’ double-play ball to make it 2-0. The Rangers tied it in the bottom of the second on a Jeff Baker home run and Ian Kinsler’s RBI single.

What it means: The White Sox ended a three-game losing streak with much improved play over the previous night’s 10-6 loss to Texas. For the second straight game, the White Sox couldn’t hold an early 2-0 lead. But Chris Sale kept middle-inning relief from becoming a factor by pitching seven innings. The bullpen, struggling with a 7.43 ERA in the last eight games, got the job done ... but not without an anxious moment or two. The first two Rangers that Jesse Crain faced in the eighth singled. But he worked out of trouble with final-out help from Matt Thornton. Addison Reed, who converted his 15th straight save, stirred the pot by hitting pinch hitter A.J. Pierzynski with two out in the ninth, followed by a single by Kinsler. But Reed ended it with a strikeout.

Outside the box: What is it about Sale and the American League West? With his win over the Rangers, Sale is now 8-0 against the West. He came into the game with an ERA of 3.18 in games against the West, with 69 strikeouts in 68 innings. Sale allowed only two Rangers to reach base in the final five innings of a strong seven-inning start. Once handed a three-run lead, Sale finished his night with a 1-2-3 bottom of the seventh, striking out two and fanning Kinsler on his 110th pitch. Sale held the hot Texas bats to six hits while striking out seven.

Offbeat: The White Sox caught a break in the second inning, when Kinsler’s line drive off the left-field wall with the bases loaded scored only one Rangers run. Credit left fielder De Aza’s quick recovery. Also credit some questionable base running. Geovany Soto, at second base, didn’t appear to get a good read on the ball. Craig Gentry, the runner at first, ran up on Soto and was only a few feet behind when touching second. Soto had to stop at third. Sale made it an important play by retiring the next two hitters to prevent further damage and keep the score 2-2.

Up next: Right-hander Jake Peavy (3-1), coming off a solid performance in a winning effort over the Tampa Bay Rays, will be opposed by Justin Grimm (2-0) in the conclusion of the three-game series with Texas in a 7:05 p.m. start Thursday at Rangers Ballpark. The forecast calls for a game-time temperature of 50 degrees after a cold front passes.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Second baseman Jeff Keppinger returns to the Chicago White Sox lineup for Wednesday's game against the Texas Rangers at Rangers Ballpark.

Keppinger missed the last four games with a back injury.

Fresh off a 4-for-4 performance in Tuesday's 10-6 loss to Texas in the series opener Tuesday, Dewayne Wise gets his second consecutive start in center field. Jordan Danks remains hampered by fluid in his injured knee.

Former Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski is not in the Texas lineup for the second consecutive game because of a strained oblique. Rangers manager Ron Washington said he expects Pierzynski to play in Thursday's 7:05 p.m. series finale.

Tonight's lineups:
White Sox (10-15)
1. Alejandro DeAza, LF
2. Jeff Keppinger, 2B
3. Alex Rios, RF
4. Adam Dunn, DH
5. Paul Konerko, 1B
6. Conor Gillaspie, 3B
7. Alexei Ramirez, SS
8. Tyler Flowers, C
9. Dewayne Wise, CF
SP Chris Sale

Rangers (17-9)
1. Ian Kinsler, 2B
2. Elvis Andrus, SS
3. Lance Berkman, DH
4. Adrian Beltre, 3B
5. Nelson Cruz, RF
6. Jeff Baker, LF
7. Mitch Moreland, 1B
8. Geovany Soto, C
9. Craig Gentry, CF
SP Nick Tepesch

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Chicago White Sox centerfielder Jordan Danks was scratched two hours before the series opener against the Texas Rangers due to a bursa sac inflammation behind the right knee.

Dewayne Wise will spell Danks, a native Texan, in centerfield and bat ninth.

White Sox manager Robin Ventura said Danks’ injury wasn’t serious.

“It was one of those decisions that we’d rather have him available off the bench than start him and have to take him out after a couple of innings,’’ the manager said.

(Read full post)

CHICAGO -- The Chicago White Sox announced Tuesday that their scheduled Aug. 24 game against the Texas Rangers at U.S. Cellular Field will now be called the "Civil Rights Game."

Read the entire story.

Free-agent catcher A.J. Pierzynski has agreed to terms with the Texas Rangers on a one-year deal, pending a physical, according to multiple reports. The physical is expected to occur on Friday.

Read the entire story.

The Texas Rangers will meet Chicago White Sox free-agent catcher A.J. Pierzynski and his agent in Arlington on Tuesday, according to two major league sources.

Read the entire story.

ARLINGTON, Texas – The Chicago White Sox's bats fell almost totally silent in a 2-0 loss to the Texas Rangers on Sunday, and the Sox failed to complete a sweep. This came after Chicago put up 17 hits and 14 runs in their first two games of this series.

Scott Feldman was dominant for Texas, throwing eight shutout innings and allowing seven hits, no walks and five strikeouts in just 88 pitches. He matched a career-high in innings pitched for the first time since he pitched eight innings against the White Sox on June 2, 2010 in Chicago.

"At first you'd think it was just the start time (an hour earlier than normal), but he threw well," Robin Ventura said. "Even when it got dark, you could see he was still keeping us off balance. Any time we got anything going, he just found a way to get out of it. You just tip your hat."

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ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Chicago White Sox failed to complete a sweep, falling 2-0 to the Texas Rangers in the final game of their three-game series. Gavin Floyd posted his 10th quality start of the season, but took the loss as the recently hot Chicago bats fell silent.

What it means: With the loss, the White Sox's lead in the AL Central is cut to 1 1/2 games over the Detroit Tigers. Chicago still takes a win in the three-game series against Texas and takes a 55-45 record into Minnesota on Monday.

Disappearing act: The White Sox's offense, which had been instrumental in grabbing their previous two wins in this three-game series, virtually went missing on Sunday. Scott Feldman shut down the Sox's bats, posting an eight-inning shutout, tying a career-high in innings pitched. The last time Feldman pitched eight innings was against the White Sox on June 2, 2010 in Chicago. Hits were few and far between as Chicago had seven hits and six strikeouts. Chicago also left six men on base and only had one extra base hit. Jordan Danks was the only White Sox hitter to have multiple hits, going 2-for-3.

Offensive struggles: After winning an offensive shootout against the Rangers on Friday, the White Sox found themselves in the thick of a defensive battle for much of Saturday's game. Both teams were hitless through the first three innings and the Rangers were scoreless through four. The Sox got on the board in the fourth thanks to a Paul Konerko two-run homer and were able to keep the offense going for the fourth and fifth innings. The bats mostly struggled for the rest of the game. Outside of the fourth and fifth innings, the Sox had two hits and had all three batters strikeout in the ninth inning.

Humber humbles Rangers: Philip Humber pitched one of his best games since his perfect game against the Seattle Mariners in April. He pitched six innings and allowed four hits (one home run), one run, two walks and four strikeouts. His hits and runs allowed were his lowest totals since May 13 against the Kansas City Royals. He was hitless through three innings, scoreless through four and had 1-2-3 innings in the second and sixth. He ran into some trouble in the seventh, allowing a leadoff triple and a walk before he was pulled. But Jesse Crain relieved him and closed out the inning with consecutive strikeouts and a flyout to preserve Humber's fifth win of the season.

Costly mistakes: Chicago allowed the Rangers to get on the scoreboard twice because of some costly defensive mistakes. First in the third inning, Gavin Floyd issued Josh Hamilton his second consecutive walk with one out and later gave up a single to David Murphy that moved Hamilton to third base. Mike Napoli then reached first and Hamilton scored on an error when Alexei Ramirez couldn't handle a routine ground ball. Then, with the Rangers up 1-0 in the fifth inning, Nelson Cruz hit a leadoff double and reached third on an ensuing groundout from Hamilton. Michael Young then grounded out to the Floyd, but Floyd didn't look Cruz back to third, and Adam Dunn's throw home was off the mark and not in time, allowing Cruz to score and put Texas up 2-0.

Dodging bullets: Despite the mistakes that scored runs, the White Sox also dodged some major bullets on defense early in the game. The Rangers loaded the bases in both the first and second innings and failed to bring a single runner home with some of their best hitters at the plate. Both runs to load the bases started with singles and ended with Floyd walking a batter. In the first inning, Michael Young was at the plate with the bases loaded and grounded out to Ramirez. The second inning ended on Adrian Beltre's second consecutive pop-up into the glove of Gordon Beckham at second base.

Pedestrian outing: A quality start from Gavin Floyd wasn't enough to net a win for the Sox. He pitched 6 2/3 innings and allowed seven hits, two runs (one earned) and threw one strikeout. The stat that stuck out the most though was his five walks, two of which loaded the bases and one of which scored. It was the third time that Floyd allowed five walks this month.

Hitless: Some of the White Sox best hitters were hitless in Sunday's game, including Kevin Youkilis, Paul Konerko and Dayan Viciedo.

Welcome to Texas: The Rangers Ballpark in Arlington proved to be a pretty hostile place for the White Sox to play on Sunday. The temperature in Arlington for first pitch was 104 degrees and didn't fall much even after the sun set. That didn't discourage a sellout crowd of 46,744 from coming out to support the Rangers.

Up next:
Mon at Minn: LHP Jose Quintana (4-1, 2.58) vs. RHP Cole De Vries (2-2, 3.64), 7:10 p.m.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- It’s no secret that Philip Humber has had an up-and-down year pitching for the Chicago White Sox since throwing a perfect game against the Seattle Mariners on April 21. But nothing can build a pitcher’s confidence quite like shutting down one of the best lineups in the MLB in front of family and friends in his home state.

The 29-year-old Texan and Rice grad pitched six innings and allowed four hits (one home run), one run, two walks and four strikeouts in a 5-2 win over the Texas Rangers in Arlington, just around 180 miles from his hometown of Carthage. He kept the Rangers hitless through the first three innings, scoreless through the first four and had 1-2-3 innings in the second and sixth.

“It was great, man. I was excited,” Humber said. “We had a lot of people here, a lot of family and friends and on top of that just people from my hometown, Carthage, yelling at me in the bullpen and stuff. Definitely nice to pitch here, it was my first time to get to start here. To come in here and beat a tough team is always good. We have a chance to sweep them tomorrow, we like our spot.”

Josh Hamilton was out of the Rangers lineup, but Humber still had his hands full with a well-respected, albeit slumping offense. Humber said he was particularly impressed with young outfielder Leonys Martin.

“You take Hamilton out and you feel like you’ll get a little relief, but it’s not really there,” Humber said. “There were no breaks and it seemed like every at bat was a battle. We were very fortunate to come out with a win.”

Humber left the game in the seventh inning after 100 pitches, but his bullpen picked him up and staved off a comeback attempt from the Rangers to preserve Humber’s fifth win on the season. Robin Ventura said he was very impressed with Humber’s performance.

“He was great,” Ventura said. “That’s when he’s at his best, when he’s able to command the strike zone throwing his fastball on both sides of the plate. I think towards the end, he got a little tired. But a great lineup and to see him pitch like that was impressive.”

Humber and his teammates heard the news of the White Sox trade for Francisco Liriano after the game. Humber was excited by the idea of adding Liriano to shore up a pitching staff that has struggled with injuries.

“I’ve played with Franky and he’s a great teammate,” Humber said. “He’s one of those guys that makes the guys around him better. He works hard and everyone knows he’s got great stuff. I’m excited to have him here. I think it will be a great addition.”

ARLINGTON, Texas – The Chicago White Sox used two home runs in two scoring innings to beat the Texas Rangers, 5-2, in a mostly defensive second game of this three-game road series. Philip Humber pitched a great game, as did the White Sox bullpen, who halted a ninth inning Rangers rally and secured a victory in front of another sellout crowd in Arlington of 47,580. Some thoughts on the win:

What it means: With the win and a Detroit Tigers loss, the White Sox now hold a 2.5-game lead over the division rivals in the AL Central. Chicago takes a win in this three-game series against Texas and improves their record to 55-45 on the season.

Offensive struggles: After winning an offensive shootout against the Rangers on Friday, the White Sox found themselves in the thick of a defensive battle for much of Saturday’s game. Both teams were hitless through the first three innings and the Rangers were scoreless through four. The Sox got on the board in the fourth thanks to a Paul Konerko two-run homer and were able to keep the offense going for the fourth and fifth innings. The bats mostly struggled for the rest of the game. Outside of the fourth and fifth innings, the Sox had two hits and had all three batters strikeout in the ninth inning.

Humber humbles Rangers: Philip Humber pitched one of his best games since his perfect game against the Seattle Mariners in April. He pitched six innings and allowed four hits (one home run), one run, two walks and four strikeouts. His hits and runs allowed were his lowest totals since May 13 against the Kansas City Royals. He was hitless through three innings, scoreless through four and had 1-2-3 innings in the second and sixth. He ran into some trouble in the seventh, allowing a leadoff triple and a walk before he was pulled. But Jesse Crain relieved him and closed out the inning with consecutive strikeouts and a flyout to preserve Humber’s fifth win of the season.

Subs deliver: Backups Jordan Danks and Eduardo Escobar filled in nicely for the injured Alejandro De Aza and Alexei Ramirez. The two combined for a run in the fifth when Danks singled and was driven home by a double from Escobar. Escobar almost stretched his double into a triple, but was putout by a fantastic tag from Adrian Beltre at third. Danks also had a great catch against the center field wall in the sixth. Danks finished 1-for-4 with a strikeout and Escobar finished 2-for-5 with a strikeout and back-to-back doubles. Tyler Flowers was less than stellar, going 0-for-4 with a strikeout.

Fab fifth: Although Konerko’s 416-foot two-run blast first put the White Sox on the board in the fourth inning, it was a three-run fifth that ultimately put the game out of reach. After Danks was driven in by Escobar, Kevin Youkilis worked a walk and was immediately driven home by a 407-foot home run to center field from Adam Dunn. The Sox only managed two hits and a hit batter after their offensive outburst in the fifth.

Keep walking: Youkilis continued to see the ball well, working two walks in back-to-back games against the Rangers. He failed to get a hit finishing 0-for-2, but he did score a run in the fifth inning on Adam Dunn’s home run.

Look what I found: Mike Napoli scored the Rangers’ first run of the game on a solo-home run in the fifth inning. White Sox reliever Hector Santiago nonchalantly reached out his arm and caught the ball bare-handed as he sat in the bullpen. He proceeded to relax in his chair like it was no big deal.

Up next: Sun. at TEX: RHP Gavin Floyd (8-8, 4.46) vs. RHP Scott Feldman (4-6, 5.37), 6:05 p.m., WSCR 670 AM and CSN.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- After a convincing win in the first game of this three-game series, the Chicago White Sox get a shot to secure 2-out-of-3 against the Texas Rangers in Arlington. Join the ESPN Dallas crew and Rangers fans for a chat from the first pitch to the last pitch as Philip Humber takes the mound for the Sox. The game starts at 7:05 p.m. on CSN and MLBN. The chat room is now open for your participation, so feel free to ask some opening questions, try out the polls and represent your White Sox.

ARLINGTON, Texas – Alejandro De Aza and Alexei Ramirez are out of the lineup for Saturday's game against the Texas Rangers with sore wrists. Both players sprained their wrists when they collided in Friday’s 9-5 win over Texas. They don’t expect to miss more than one game. In all, three starters are missing from the White Sox lineup. For the Rangers, Josh Hamilton, who has struggled of late, will get a day off.

Here are the rest of the lineups:

WHITE SOX

SS Eduardo Escobar

3B Kevin Youkilis

DH Adam Dunn

1B Paul Konerko

RF Alex Rios

LF Dayan Viciedo

C Tyler Flowers

2B Gordon Beckham

CF Jordan Danks

RANGERS


2B Ian Kinsler

SS Elvis Andrus

3B Adrian Beltre

RF Nelson Cruz

DH David Murphy

1B Michael Young

C Mike Napoli

LF Leonys Martin

CF Craig Gentry

ARLINGTON, Texas – The White Sox knew they would have to play their best ball to earn wins against the Texas Rangers at the Ballpark in Arlington. And on Friday they rode an offensive showcase from start to finish to overpower the Rangers, 9-5 and take the first game of this three-game series.

The White Sox lineup contributed from top to bottom, with every starter reaching base at least once against one of Texas’ best pitchers, Yu Darvish. Among the game’s top performers were Kevin Youkilis -- who went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run, another run scored and two walks the game after his ankle sprain – Gordon Beckham – who went 2-for-4 with a double and a fielder’s choice – and Alexei Ramirez – who overcame a wrist injury to finish 2-for-5 with a two-run homer.

“When we’re swinging the bats well and getting on base, this is a pretty good offense,” Adam Dunn said, who had a single, two walks and scored twice. “When we’re swinging it good, it’s as good as anybody’s.”

It’s within reason to suggest that the White Sox would not have won without the offensive show they put on. They only scored one run in the first inning after loading the bases twice, a missed opportunity that could have been fatal when the Rangers jumped out to a 4-1 lead at the end of the inning. But the Sox kept swinging the bats and it paid off.

“Just a big team win for sure,” Beckham said. “To come out against a guy that’s that good (Darvish) and not get down after we gave up four in the first, to keep battling back to eventually take the lead and later extend it was important.”

Beckham contributed from the bottom of the order with his best game of the month and one of his best of the season. It was important for the White Sox to get production from players at the bottom of the order like Beckham, who hits ninth.

“It was good for us to do something in the bottom,” He said. “When the bottom of you’re lineup’s doing well, then you’re lineups pretty good. We were happy to get on base and give the guys at the top a chance to help us in. Decent night for me, but it’s just another night. You hope you do that every night, but I was happy that came out of me.”

Even though they were able to get eight hits off of him, the White Sox hitters were very impressed with Darvish. Facing the rookie phenom for the first time, many veterans can see why he is building a reputation.

“He’s got good movement on his ball,” Youkilis said. “He changes speeds pretty well. It’s a small sample size, but there’s some pitches that just ran real well and had good movement.”

While they are happy with the win, Youkilis said that they have unfinished business in Texas. The Sox are ready to refocus and continue the series tomorrow against a tough opponent that leads their division just like Chicago does.

“This is not an easy place to come and get wins,” Youkilis said. “This team is probably one of the better teams in the league at home. We’ll just try to bounce back tomorrow and win the series.”