"In a marathon-like baseball season, there are heartbreak hills like Friday night's 14-inning White Sox loss to the Nationals.

And there are the inspirational, second-wind victories like Saturday's 3-0 triumph over the Nationals.

"All these games I've managed in my career, I think this one I'm not going to forget," Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said.

So what could have been devastation over the loss of starter John Danks and the ruination of an entire bullpen turned into jubilation as Jake Peavy saved the day and perhaps the season.

Peavy pitched four nearly perfect innings after Danks left the game with a strained right oblique for his second victory in the last three games — right after coming off the disabled list.

"I felt better than I did in my start (Wednesday) versus the Cubs," Peavy said. "Better stuff, everything.

"We had to find a way to win the game, give us a chance to win the series (Sunday)."

As it turns out, Peavy was only one of three starting pitchers who volunteered to help out an overused and abused relief corps, all of whom had pitched one night earlier.

"Just the way the team stuck together in that particular time," Guillen said of the special feeling. "When Danks went down, everybody knows how we struggled in the pen. We could have used a couple of guys, and then all of a sudden three guys say I'm ready to go if you need me. That's a class act."

So while Peavy was pitching for real, Mark Buehrle and Gavin Floyd were in the bullpen ready to help. Peavy made them unneeded.

The starting staff apparently will be short a man for at least 15 days, the shortest period Danks is expected to spend on the disabled list. And this right after Guillen said in pregame comments that he hoped Danks could go nine innings.

"I think Peavy jinxed it," Guillen said. "He came to my office before the game and said, 'You need me, I'll be available.'

"I say, 'If we need you, we're in trouble.' Well, sometimes you have to be careful what you say."

Peavy never had made a relief appearance in the majors, although he did do it three times in the minors."