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Pierre hits 1st HR since '08, White Sox win opener

Aug 3, 2010 - 8:52 PM DETROIT(AP) -- Yet another sign that things are going quite well for the Chicago White Sox this summer: A home run by Juan Pierre.

Pierre hit his first homer in almost two years, Alex Rios and Dayan Viciedo also connected and the AL Central leaders routed the Detroit Tigers 12-2 Tuesday in the first game of a day-night doubleheader.

Mark Buehrle (10-8) pitched into the eighth inning, allowing two runs and seven hits. It's the 10th straight season he has won at least 10 games.

"If you go to Vegas to bet, you wouldn't bet that Juan Pierre would hit a home run in Detroit," Chicago manager Ozzie Guillen said. "This is one of the toughest places to hit a home run."

Pierre also doubled, drove in two runs and stole a base, the 499th of his career. Pierre's previous home run has was Sept. 15, 2008. He lined a shot from Rick Porcello over the right-field fence to lead off the fifth.

"I was real surprised, it was a breaking ball," said the speedy leadoff man, who has 14 career homers. "I hit it good. Now guys can get off my back."

It was Pierre's second career home run at Comerica Park. He hit an inside-the-park homer in Detroit in 2004, while a member of the Florida Marlins.

Rios, Gordon Beckham and Alexei Ramirez drove in two runs each.

Porcello (4-10) was tagged for seven runs and eight hits in 4 1-3 innings and was chased as the White Sox took a 7-1 lead in the fifth.

"When I wanted to throw certain pitches for strikes, especially in big situations, I would either throw a ball or miss out over the plate," Porcello said.

Detroit fell below .500 and dropped eight games behind Chicago. Austin Jackson had three hits for the Tigers.

Buehrle walked one and struck out one in 7 2-3 innings.

"It could have been an ugly game," he said. "I didn't have good command and fell behind a lot early."

Scott Linebrink went the rest of the way.

Chicago took a 4-0 lead in the third. Pierre's double brought in the first run, Omar Vizquel hit a sacrifice fly and Rios and Paul Konerko followed with consecutive RBI singles.

Jackson had an RBI single in the Detroit third.

Beckham's sacrifice fly in the fifth made it 5-1. Pierre homered in the fifth and one out later Rios hit his 17th homer.

The White Sox added four more runs in the seventh. Mark Kotsay and Beckham hit RBI singles and Ramirez had a two-run double. Viciedo hit his third home run in the eighth.

Jeff Frazier had an RBI single for the Tigers in the eighth.

NOTES: Detroit 3B Brandon Inge, on the disabled list with a broken bone in his left hand, will begin a rehabilitation assignment at Single-A West Michigan on Tuesday. ... The White Sox placed LHP Erick Threets on the 15-day disabled list with turf toe in his left big toe and recalled RHP Carlos Torres, who will start Tuesday's second game, from Triple-A Charlotte. ... The Tigers had the contract of 1B-3B Jeff Larish claimed off waivers by the Oakland Athletics.