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Sox Beat Brewers 6-2

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Sox Beat Brewers 6-2

PHOENIX (AP) -- Mark Buehrle looked to be in midseason form Wednesday, throwing three scoreless innings for the Chicago White Sox in a 6-2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers.

Slated to be Chicago's opening-day starter, Buehrle struck out four and allowed two hits. As usual, he worked quickly.

Wilson Betemit hit a solo homer and Javier Castillo went 2-for-2 with a two-run shot for the White Sox.

Buehrle, slowed only by shortstop Alexei Ramirez's two-out error in the third inning, said he felt so strong he tried to throw too hard at times and missed his location.

"The results are there," said the three-time All-Star and winner of 122 big league games. "But I was feeling so good out there that I was trying to overpower everything."

Buehrle, who has thrown five scoreless innings this spring, said his immediate goal is to build up strength so he can throw 100 pitches at the start of the season.

This year, he wants to win a Gold Glove, pitch 200 innings and win 20 games.

"I don't worry about him," Chicago manager Ozzie Guillen said. "He can throw any pitch in any count for a strike. When you do that, you're going to be consistent and have success."

Brewers starter Dave Bush shut out the White Sox for four innings while allowing two hits. Casey McGehee was 3-for-3 and Mat Gamel added two hits for Milwaukee.

"The most important things for me is I feel good. I'm getting my pitch count up successfully," Bush said. "I need to keep extending that so when the season comes, I'm ready to throw a full game."

Bush threw about 50 pitches, then shifted to the bullpen to get his pitch count up to 60. He faced two simulated hitters.

"I got two guys out," he joked.

Jerry Owens, who has struggled this spring, broke a 1-all tie in the seventh with a run-scoring single for Chicago. Gordon Beckham, the rookie who has been the talk of camp, followed with a two-run double on a long fly that fell out of Trot Nixon's glove.

Notes:@ Jim Thome was a late scratch from the White Sox lineup because of tightness in his back. "It's stiff," Guillen said. "I don't think it's a big deal, but I don't want to take any chances." Guillen hopes Thome, who has had a slow start, can be back in a couple of days. ... Nixon made an outstanding running catch on a drive off the bat of Carlos Quentin, who made a great catch on a shot hit by Gamel. ... Before the game, the White Sox reassigned infielders Sergio Santos and Brian Myrow and pitcher Brad Salmon to minor league camp. They also optioned pitcher Lucas Harrell to Double-A Birmingham. ... Bartolo Colon and Jose Contreras are set to pitch batting practice Thursday, then either throw in a game or on the side Saturday at home against Texas. ... Milwaukee INF Craig Counsell is batting .529. ... Brewers RHP Braden Looper threw a bullpen session. He is out with tightness in his left oblique muscle. The injury occurred Feb. 28 while he was warming up before a game.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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