CHICAGO (AP) — Alex Rios has never let the jeers get to him. He just hasn't found a way to quiet them.
Rios was showered by boos when he entered in the first inning after White Sox right fielder Carlos Quentin injured his left shoulder making a diving catch. Rios hit a go-ahead in the eighth Saturday night as Chicago beat the Texas Rangers 3-2 to end a three-game skid.
Brent Lillibridge came in to pinch-run after Paul Konerko's one-out single in the eighth. Rios hit a full-count pitch from Koji Uehara (1-3) down the left-field line for the deciding run.
Rios overcame a tough start. In the bottom of the first, he came up with runners at the corners and struck out. He had just two hits in his last 27 at-bats before the big hit and had become one of the main targets of frustrated White Sox fans.
"I've never lost my confidence. It's something that athletes can't do. It will bring you down," Rios said. "I'm just trying my best and I'm not going to quit. Even if I'm at my lowest point, I'm not going to quit. I'm ready to battle."
Quentin tumbled to make the catch on Craig Gentry's shallow flyball, but came up favoring his shoulder and was immediately removed from the game. X-rays came back negative and he will be examined further on Sunday.
"It's not broken. That's what I was worried about," White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said. "Carlos is a big kid. When you put all the weight in just one spot, you're going to be sore for a little while."
The White Sox overcame two homers by Ian Kinsler to even the series with the AL West-leading Rangers and keep pace with the Detroit Tigers, who remain five games ahead of Chicago in the Central.
Kinsler drove the second pitch of the game down the left-field line, waiting to see if it stayed fair before he trotted around the bases. It was his sixth leadoff homer of the season and 19th of his career.
He homered again in the third on a 1-2 pitch after fouling off six pitches. He has three multihomer games on the year, 10 overall.
Kinsler finished with three hits to break out of a prolonged slump. He came into the game hitting .189 (18 for 95) over his last 22 games.
The two solo shots were all that White Sox starter John Danks gave up. He pitched seven strong innings, scattering seven hits. He struck out five and didn't issue any walks.
"(Kinsler) and I are close, played a lot together in the minor leagues," said Danks, a native Texan who came up in the Rangers' farm system. "We keep in touch, I'll have to talk to him tonight, for sure."
Danks gave up a one-out double to Nelson Cruz in the fourth, but Cruz was caught attempting to steal third to end the threat.
Danks threw 81 of his 107 pitches for strikes. After starting the year 0-8, he's rebounded to post a 5-1 mark over his last 10 starts with a 2.32 ERA despite the no-decision.
"It was one of the rare games you feel like you get stronger as the game goes on," he said. "It was fun, you know? You're facing one of the best teams in all of baseball, (catcher Tyler Flowers) and I were on the same page, it was fun."
Rangers starter Alexi Ogando matched Danks with two runs allowed over seven innings. The righty surrendered six hits and struck out five, walking one.
Ogando tossed a shutout against the White Sox on May 23 in Texas and hadn't allowed a run against them in 11 career innings until Alexei Ramirez's two-out single in the first.
Juan Pierre followed suit with a two-out single in the second to put the White Sox up 2-1. Even with the loss, the Rangers have won seven of nine games on their current road trip and 10 of 13 overall.
"He took us where we needed to go." Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "It came down to who was going to get the two-out hit. They got one, we didn't."
Jesse Crain (8-3) put two runners on in the eighth but got Cruz to fly out to right field to end the threat.
Sergio Santos worked the ninth for his 26th save in 30 chances.
NOTES: Washington was reluctant to give SS Elvis Andrus the day off Saturday. "All these guys have been grinding. They all need a day off and I can't give it to them," Washington said. "So I decided today was a good day to do Elvis." Andrus ended up pinch-hitting in the ninth and striking out. ... Texas sends LHP Derek Holland (11-4, 4.23 ERA) to the mound for the series finale on Sunday. Holland is 5-0 with a 2.63 ERA in his last eight starts and is tied for the AL lead with four shutouts. Gavin Floyd (10-10, 4.66) will throw for the White Sox. Floyd struck out seven of the first nine batters he faced in his last start, but then allowed five runs over the next 2 2-3 innings in a no-decision.
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