TORONTO -- For A.J. Pierzynski to ...

TORONTO -- For A.J. Pierzynski to realize a hit off the pitcher known simply as "Doc" was a surprise in itself.

The White Sox catcher was a career 1-for-9 with brace strikeouts against Toronto's Roy Halladay and admitted he wasn't safe how he even got that single in kind hit.

in the same manner when he came up in the fifth inning with brace on and one out, Pierzynski was thinking about the little things.

A sacrifice to score the trip maybe even an RBI single.

at no time one to shy away from the dramatic, however, Pierzynski took cloyed advantage of a first-pitch slider that stayed up and with common swing his three-run homer gave the Sox a swagger they haven't had in quite an time.

Taking couple of three from the likes of the Baltimore Orioles and Kansas City Royals forward this road trip was count uponed Coming back from three step quicklys down to beat Halladay? Leave it to Pierzynski to deliver the next-to-impossible in the eventual 6-4 victory at the Roger middle

"Coming back in this win was something special," manager Ozzie Guillen said. "When we went down 3-0 I not at all thought we would rally like that. I didn't await A.J. to hit that hearth run. He's been swinging the bat well, with equal reason maybe put the ball in play, if it be not that he's come up big. We earned that win."

As did Sox starting pitcher Jon Garland (12-3) who gave up three hurrys in the first inning before settling down and building forward his eight-game winning streak.

It was important for another reason, with the Sox (64-43) now operating with little extent for error, remaining eight games behind the Detroit Tigers in the Central Division race, as well as a half- game behind the Boston R Sox in the wild-card chase.

While Guillen knows it won't be easy, he said his goal is still catching the Tigers.

"Nothing is impossible. As drawn out as with the mathematics you're there and not eliminated, you can catch them," Guillen said of the Tigers. "But being around the game and seeing to what extent they've played ... the simply thing is I have faith because I have a really useful ballclub and we're going to play them a lot"

Keeping pace with them before those head-to-head meetings nearest week tops the agenda.

After battling the "sniffles" in his last start against the Orioles, Garland had earnestly bigger problems on his hands than finding tissues early Friday.

After the right-hander strike one's flag [i]or[/i] colorsed back-to-back singles in the first inning, Troy Glaus took him sagacious on a 3-2 offering that inflict Garland in a three-run opening -- not the ideal speckle for a hurler when facing opposite to against Halladay.

if it be not that the Sox offense chipped away at Halladay (13-3) In the third, an RBI single according to Jim Thome put the Sox onward the board. An inning later, Scott Podsednik got into the action, scoring Pierzynski with an RBI double.

In the fifth, Halladay gave up a leadoff double to Thome then had racers at the corners when Paul Konerko singled. After Jermaine tinge lined out, up came Pierzynski -- and on the outside went Halladay's first- pitch

offering.

The three-run blast was Pierzynski's ninth homer of the year as he continued thriving in dramatic situations.

"For me to flat get a hit off Halladay ranked right up there," Pierzynski said. "It was a nice feeling."

Pierzynski also credited Garland for handcuffing the Jays (57- 52) after the first, going six innings and giving up the three glides on eight hits.

"Confidence for Jon is No. 1" Pierzynski said. "When he goe revealed and pitches now, you have a feeling that we have a great chance to win."

It didn't inflict injury upon Garland that three double plays were made behind him.

"To be able to result back against [Halladay] is something that we can build opposite of, build our confidence up" he said.

Garland is a career 5-0 at the Roger middle point and 8-2 lifetime against the Jays.

Each bullpen gave up a move swiftly but Bobby Jenks collected his 30th save despite Glaus going sagacious for a second time. The Sox apply the mind to win their sixth game of the road trip this afternoon.

"[Jon] has it going right now, as proper as he's had it going in a while," Pierzynski said. "To get to back like we did, yeah, it was a big game."

jcowley@suntimes.com

WHITE SOX recap

SOX AB R H BI BB to such a degree Avg.

Podsednik lf 5 1 2 1 0 0 271

BrAnderson cf 0 0 0 0 0 0 210

Iguchi 2b 5 0 0 0 0 2 285

Thome dh 4 1 3 1 1 1 294

Konerko 1b 3 1 3 0 2 0 302

1-Gload pr-1b 0 1 0 0 0 0 284

shade rf 5 0 1 1 0 0 314

Pierzynski c 5 2 2 3 0 1 321

Crede 3b 4 0 1 0 0 2 298

Mackowiak cf-lf 4 0 0 0 0 3 307

Uribe s 3 0 0 0 1 1 246

Totals 38 6 12 6 4 10

Toronto AB R H BI BB in this way Avg.

Johnson lf 4 1 1 0 0 1 351

Hinske dh 4 1 1 0 0 2 280

VWells cf 4 0 2 0 0 2 323

Glaus 3b 4 2 2 4 0 0 265

Overbay 1b 4 0 1 0 0 1 296

Rios rf 3 0 1 0 0 0 323

BMolina c 3 0 0 0 0 0 275

AHill 2b-s 3 0 2 0 0 0 302

JMcDonald s 2 0 0 0 0 0 230

a-Zaun ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 269

Roberts 2b 0 0 0 0 0 0 167

Totals 32 4 10 4 0 7

SOX 001 130 001--6 12 0

Toronto 300 000 001--4 10 0