Defense, Relief Cost Chicago White Sox Series Finale Against Baltimore Orioles

The White Sox were in cruise control behind what could only be called stellar pitching. Starters Gavin Floyd, Javier Vazquez, Mark Buehrle, John Danks, and Jose Contreras all went seven innings and allowed two runs or less.

Floyd got the ball rolling on Saturday by carrying a no-hitter into the top of the eighth inning.

Gavin "Pretty-Boy" Floyd, as center fielder Nick Swisher dubbed him, looked to continue the hot streak against his home town crowd.

Floyd, who grew up less than a half hour's drive from Baltimore, pitched six innings surrendering only two unearned runs on two hits and two walks.

Thanks to back-to-back, solo home runs leading off the top of the seventh by Carlos Quentin and Joe Crede, Floyd looked to go three and zero on the young season.

Matt Thornton and Octavio Dotel worked a scoreless seventh inning, before giving way to Scott Linebrink.

Quentin added a much needed security run by launching an opposite field solo home run in the top of the eighth. It was his second of the game.

Linebrink, as usual, pitched the eighth. He surrendered an unearned run before getting out of the inning. Linebrink exited the game with the score five to three in favor of the White Sox.

Closer Bobby Jenks came in with a two-run lead, which is usually an automatic win. Instead, Bobby tied up the game.

The Sox would go onto lose the game in the tenth off Boone Logan. Logan would allow the first to batters to reach base. He would record one out, but would still walk away with the loss.

The South Siders are traveling down the coast towards Tampa Bay. The Sox open a three-game series against the Rays behind Javier Vazquez.

Vazquez hopes to stop the bleeding before it can start. He can only help his cause by pitching the way he has his past two starts.

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