Matt Slocum / AP

White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle gave up nine hits and seven runs in seven innings against the Rangers on Monday, then accused Texas players of cheating.

updated 9:14 p.m. ET Aug. 30, 2005

ARLINGTON, Texas - Chicago White Sox left-hander Mark Buehrle called the Texas Rangers cheaters on Tuesday, claiming that the team signals pitches to batters through a high-tech light system in center field.

Buehrle suggested Monday night that the Rangers knew what he was throwing during Chicago’s 7-5 loss, and he repeated the accusation before Tuesday’s doubleheader.

“I’ve heard rumors, so it’s not just me saying this,” Buehrle said. “I’ve heard it from tons of people. It’s not just me saying this. ... Something’s going on because they hit so good at home. The way they hit here, you’d have to raise an eyebrow to figure something’s going on. Look at the stats. I’m not just making this up.”

Texas entered Tuesday batting .285 with 125 homers at home, compared to .256 with 86 homers on the road.

The Rangers dismissed the allegations — in some cases with a chuckle.

“It’s crazy and it’s funny,” said Rangers home run leader Mark Teixeira. “It’s an outrageous comment, an outrageous claim.”

Texas DH Phil Nevin jokingly asked Rangers manager Buck Showalter why the lights weren’t working when he went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts on Monday night.

Buehrle, who allowed nine hits and seven runs — four earned — in seven innings, said he suspected the Rangers knew the pitches in advance by how they reacted in their at-bats.

“Certain pitches you throw, they lay off them like they knew it was coming,” Buehrle said.

Stealing signs is common in baseball, and it’s legal if done on the field. But using television or having a spy in center field to pick off a catcher’s signals is forbidden.

“To have somebody out in center field or whatever they’re doing, that’s cheating,” Buehrle said.

Texas hitting instructor Rudy Jaramillo said Buehrle’s charges were insulting.

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White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen softened Buehrle’s charges.

“You can go either way with it,” Guillen said. “The way Buehrle pitched yesterday, it seemed they didn’t need signs. Everything was right down the middle of the plate.

“This is a tough issue. We have to respect them because they kicked our butt last night. If we think they’re doing something different, then we have to change the signs, location, whatever.”

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