PHOENIX – Melvin Mora came a few inches short of the go-ahead home run, and Micah Owings stayed in the game one pitch too long. It was that kind of Saturday night for the Arizona Diamondbacks in a 6-2 loss to the Chicago White Sox.
With the Diamondbacks down 3-2 and Willie Bloomquist on first in the seventh, Mora lofted a high fly ball to deep left field.
"When I hit it," Mora said, "I thought I got enough to get it out."
Chicago's Brent Lillibridge leaped and got his glove on the ball at the top of the wall. He couldn't make the catch, but it was close that Bloomquist couldn't score and Mora settled for a double.
"I don't know if it would have went out, but it might have hit the top of the wall and bounced out," Arizona manager Kirk Gibson said. "A pivotal play in the game."
Bloomquist and Mora never made it any farther as John Danks — who took a line drive to the head in the fourth inning and stayed in the game — stranded the runners there.
Owings, who had strong sixth and seventh innings, gave up a three-run homer to Alex Rios in the eighth.
The buzz after the game surrounded Danks.
Ater talking briefly to reporters, he left with an ice pack applied to the large knot on the left side of his head for a precautionary CT scan at a hospital, assuring everyone he was fine.
"That guy's pretty gutsy," Gibson said. "It looked like it hit him in the back of the head and one-hopped into the stands. He pitched well. He wanted to stay in the game. He was actually smiling about getting hit, so he's certainly a gamer in my book."
Danks pitched three innings after taking the shot in the fourth.
Stephen Drew's line drive careened off the side of Danks' head and bounced into the photographer's well adjacent to the Diamondbacks' dugout for a ground-rule double. The White Sox pitcher bounced to his feet smiling and assured everyone he was all right. He took a few practice pitches, then stayed in the game to the cheers of the crowd.
"I like to have a good time," he said. "I didn't think I was hurt by all means. They came out and checked me out. I passed all the tests during the game, was able to say in the game. I was trying to stay in the game and fortunately they let me do that. You know what, it's a laugh. There were some people that were scared. (Catcher Ramon) Castro told me a couple of times 'Hey, you all right?' but I'm good."
He said he had "a hundred text messages" from his worried mother. There were others who contacted him with a bit less concern.
"I'm getting text messages now, 'Way to use your head,.'" Danks said after winning his third straight outing after starting the season 0-8.
Danks (3-8), who has allowed two earned runs in 22 innings in his last three starts, gave up two runs, one earned, on seven hits through seven innings. He struck out seven with no walks. When he was asked about missed opportunities, Gibson deflected the talk to praise Danks.
"That's his third straight great outing," Gibson said. "He threw the same kind of game, kept us off balance, really had command of his pitches and his changeup was exceptional later in the game."
Paul Konerko went 3 for 4 with a home run, two RBIs and two runs scored as the White Sox squared the three-game interleague series at one apiece.
Konerko homered for the second game in a row and is batting .446 (29 for 65) in the last 17 games. He broke a 2-2 tie with one out in the sixth, sending Duke's 0-1 pitch into the left field seats for his 54th RBI to make it 3-2.
Drew's double off Danks' head put runners on second and third with no outs, the only serious trouble the Chicago left-hander experienced. Willie Bloomquist, who singled ahead of Drew, came home on Danks' wild pitch. Drew scored on Justin Upton's sacrifice fly to tie it at 2-2.
Zach Duke (1-2) allowed three runs on five hits in 5 1-3 innings.
NOTES: A line drive foul by Lillibridge hit Konerko's father and brother in the stands. Dad was fine and the brother had a slight thumb injury. "My mother was talking the whole time and didn't see any of it," Konerko said. ... After Sunday's series finale, the Diamondbacks play 16 of 19 on the road leading up to the All-Star Game, to be played Aug. 12 at Chase Field. ... SS Drew's 11 assists in Friday night's 4-1 Arizona victory were the most in the majors since Pittsburgh 2B Ramon Vazquez had 11 against Houston on July 7, 2009.
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