CHICAGO — Brian Roberts hit a go-ahead two-run home run in the eighth inning and had a solo shot in the third, leading the Baltimore Orioles to a 5-1 win over the Chicago White Sox on Friday night.
Orioles starter Jeremy Guthrie (8-12), who lost his previous four decisions, allowed just one run on six hits in seven innings to record his first victory since July 19, when he held the White Sox to two runs in eight innings.
Jim Thome homered in the fourth inning for Chicago for his 564th career home run, moving him passed Reggie Jackson for sole possession of 12th on the career list. The White Sox dropped three games behind the Detroit Tigers in the AL Central.
With the score tied at one in the eighth, White Sox starter Gavin Floyd (10-8) allowed a leadoff single to Felix Pie, then Roberts followed with his second home run of the night to give the Orioles a 3-1 lead. It was Roberts' second career multihomer game, the last coming against the Angels in Anaheim on Sept. 6, 2006. Cesar Izturis followed with a double and Floyd's night ended after an intentional walk to Adam Jones.
After Izturis got caught trying to steal third, Nick Markakis drove in Jones with a triple to right. After an intentional walk to Nolan Reimold, pinch-hitter Ty Wigginton followed with a RBI single off reliever Tony Pena to extend the Orioles lead to 5-1.
Roberts also hit a grand slam in Thursday's victory against the Rays, he now has 14 homers on the season.
Floyd allowed four runs on seven hits in 7 1-3 innings. He struck out seven and walked two.
Roberts extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a two-out solo shot to right in the third inning.
Thome, back in the White Sox lineup after missing three straight games with a sore left heel, homered to center on a 1-0 pitch leading off the fourth inning. It was his 23rd of the season.
The White Sox had a scoring threat in the first inning. With runners on first and second with no outs in the first inning, but Guthrie got out of the inning by picking off Scott Podsednik, then he struck out Jermaine Dye and got Thome to fly out to right.
NOTES: White Sox RHP Jake Peavy's third rehab start was pushed back an extra day because of general soreness. Peavy was originally scheduled to pitch Sunday but now will make the start Monday for Triple-A Charlotte. "We want to have a real good work day in between, so we're giving it an extra day. I had some back tightness," Peavy said. "When you haven't started in over 2 months, you're going to have that soreness. I just jumped back into it, so you kind of expect that soreness to be expected." After Monday's rehab start Peavy will join the White Sox in Boston and he will discuss with the organization if another rehab start is needed.