Mark Buehrle pitched well against a team that had roughed him up over the years. That made beating Oakland a big deal for him and the Chicago White Sox, who finished off their first sweep of Oakland since 1997.
Buehrle allowed six hits in seven innings of the White Sox's 3-2 victory over the Athletics on Wednesday night, getting his first victory against Oakland since 2003.
"I didn't know it was that long. I know I'd struggled against these guys, seems like I had some bad-luck games," Buehrle said.
Buehrle extended his stretch of innings without surrendering an earned run to 21 and won his third consecutive start. He was backed by some strong defensive plays as the White Sox sent Oakland to a season-worst fifth loss in a row.
Jermaine Dye reached over the wall to take a home run away from Mark Kotsay in the first, Joe Crede made a diving stop in the seventh and Scott Podsednik had a running catch of a Kotsay liner to end that inning and stop an Oakland threat.
The White Sox got a scare in the second when shortstop Juan Uribe was hit in the helmet by a Dan Haren pitch and had to leave the game. Uribe was checked out by the team's medical staff and wasn't seriously injured.
The ball cracked the flap on his batting helmet and Uribe was a bit dizzy but OK, manager Ozzie Guillen said.
"Everything is fine. His eyes are OK, his nose is fine and no broken bones," Guillen said. "I talked to him after the game and he felt fine."
Boston: CF Coco Crisp was expected to play extended-spring-training games in Fort Myers, Fla., today and Friday and then join Class AAA Pawtucket for one game Saturday. Crisp, who played just five games this season before going on the disabled list, is expected to return to the Red Sox on Monday.
Cleveland: CF Grady Sizemore, a product of Everett's Cascade High School, has hit safely in six consecutive games, batting .333 (9 for 27) with three homers and nine runs batted in.
New York: C Jorge Posada had a sore hamstring and was not in the starting lineup against the Red Sox. He was hurt Tuesday night in the same game in which RHP Jaret Wright tweaked his groin and left after five shutout innings of the Yankees' 7-5 win. Manager Joe Torre said he would wait for results of an MRI Posada is scheduled to have today, an off day, before deciding whether to add a catcher to the 25-man roster. Wright wanted to continue pitching Tuesday, but Torre didn't want to take a chance. "We'll know probably more in a day or so, but, with the off day tomorrow, we're hoping he won't miss a start," Torre said. ... The team acquired INF Nick Green from the Tampa Bay Devil Rays for cash considerations and assigned him to AAA Columbus.
Toronto: The Blue Jays outrighted struggling RHP Josh Towers and optioned SS Russ Adams to AAA Syracuse.
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