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White Sox trounce Red Sox in series opener

Posted on: Tuesday, 4 October 2005, 21:20 CDT

By Andrew Stern

CHICAGO (Reuters) - The Chicago White Sox enjoyed a 14-2 rout over defending World Series champion Boston Red Sox on Tueday in the opening game of their best-of-five American League division series.

White Sox starting pitcher Jose Contreras masterfully silenced the formidable Boston line-up, scattering eight hits over 7-2/3 innings before two relievers finished the Game 1 win.

"The pitching staff has carried this team the whole year, but it's nice when you score a lot of runs," White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said, adding that no lead felt safe against Boston.

Red Sox starter Matt Clement surrendered three of the White Sox's five home runs in his 4-1/3 innings of work including a three-run, opposite-field blast by catcher A.J. Pierzynski in the first inning.

Before the home run, the White Sox scored two runs on two hit batsmen, a steal of third by fleet left fielder Scott Podsednik, a run-scoring ground-out by first baseman Paul Konerko and a line single by centerfielder Aaron Rowand.

Konerko came up again in the third inning and pulled a home run into the left field stands, doffing his cap from the dugout afterward in response to chants for the fan favorite -- the first of several White Sox curtain calls.

Shortstop Juan Uribe, who hit 16 home runs all season, hit a two-run home run with Pierzynski aboard in the fourth, ending Clement's outing.

Boston's heavy hitters were largely held in check by Contreras before sloppy play by the White Sox appeared to let Boston back in the game.

White Sox third baseman Joe Crede booted a bunt by Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek, and a Contreras wild pitch scored one run with the second run coming on a double by first baseman Kevin Millar.

BAD THROW

But the slick-fielding Crede made up for the gaffe with a pickup of a bad throw and tag of Millar who was trying to take third base on a ground out.

"Crede made a great play. If he doesn't make that play it could have opened the way to a big inning," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said.

The biggest bats in Boston's line-up -- designated hitter David Ortiz and left field Manny Ramirez -- managed only two harmless hits between them, both by Ortiz against Contreras.

The White Sox piled onto their lead, getting home runs from the light-hitting Podsednik and another by Pierzynski.

Chicago, who led the American League with 99 victories in the regular season but faded a bit late, consider themselves underdogs in this short series against the Red Sox.

The defending World Series champions narrowly captured the American League's wild card playoff spot after losing their Eastern division lead to the rival New York Yankees in the final stretch of the regular season.

Last year, the wild card Red Sox won four straight playoff games against the Yankees on their way to breaking their 86-year World Series drought going back to 1918.

The White Sox hope to break their own team's even longer World Series drought that dates back to 1917 -- a record of futility second only to the cross-town Chicago Cubs, whose last World Series win came in 1908.

The second game is scheduled for Chicago's U.S. Cellular Field on Wednesday before the series switches to Boston's Fenway Park.

Source: REUTERS

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