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Royals beat White Sox for first time this season

May 13, 2007 - 10:51 PM CHICAGO (Ticker) -- Mark Teahen struck the big blow with a pink bat.

One of numerous major league players using pink bats to promote Breast Cancer Awareness on Mother's Day, Teahen hit a three-run homer to lead the Kansas City Royals to an 11-1 victory on Sunday over the Chicago White Sox.

"I think the pink bats are a cool thing that baseball does," Teahen said. "It's a good cause, (and if there's) a homer a game, I'd definitely like to use them (all the time)."

The White Sox had won the first four meetings from their American League Central Division rivals this season. But the Royals, who own the league's worst record, ended that skid with an emphatic victory on Sunday.

The 11 runs and 15 hits tied season highs for the Royals set on April 20 in an 11-7 win over Minnesota.

David DeJesus led Kansas City's 15-hit attack with his second four-hit game of the season, matching a career high. He also drove in two runs and scored three times.

"This is one of those games that we needed," DeJesus said. "Everyone had good at-bats."

Teahen snapped a 1-1 tie with his blast off Javier Vazquez (2-2) in the fifth inning.

Esteban German increased the lead to 5-1 with an RBI single in the seventh inning before Kansas City erupted for five runs in the eighth inning. Tony Pena Jr. highlighted it with a two-run single.

German, Pena, John Buck and Mike Sweeney were among the other Royals to use pink bats.

Jorge De La Rosa (4-3) allowed just one run and three hits in seven innings to take over the team lead in wins, surpassing Gil Meche, who signed a five-year, $55 million deal in the offseason.

"(De La Rosa) was able to stay aggressive," Royals catcher Buck said. "When he stays within himself and doesn't try to do too much, he throws like this. He's learning how to be a little more consistent and that's why his success level is starting to get a little more consistent."

De La Rosa was 3-4 with a 5.18 ERA in 10 starts with the Royals in 2006 after being acquired from Milwaukee last July.

The Royals struck first in the second inning when former White Sox Ross Gload singled, advanced to second on a wild pitch by Vazquez, moved to third on a grounder by Shane Costa and scored on a sacrifice fly by Buck.

De La Rosa retired the first 10 batters he faced before Juan Uribe singled. Former Royal Jermaine Dye followed with a double and Paul Konerko was intentionally walked before De La Rosa walked Joe Crede on a full-count pitch to force in a run.

The Mexican lefthander escaped further damage by striking out Tadahito Iguchi and retiring Ryan Sweeney on a flyout.

Pena led off the fifth with an infield single and moved to third on a single by DeJesus. However, Pena was tagged out at the plate by Vazquez after trying to score on a wild pitch. Vazquez then hit German with a pitch before Teahen hit his fourth homer of the season and first since May 1, giving the Royals a 4-1 lead.

"I've actually really struggled with (Vazquez) in the past, I have a lot of strikeouts against him," Teahen said. "But he left a changeup up, and I got a good piece of it."

Vazquez allowed four runs and seven hits in six innings. He is winless in five starts since April 14.

DeJesus doubled in the seventh off reliever Boone Logan and scored on a single by German.

Pena hit a two-run single off Nick Masset in the eighth inning. DeJesus, Sweeney and Gload also had run-scoring singles in the inning, increasing the lead to 10-1.

DeJesus added an RBI double in the ninth to complete a 4-for-6 day.

The loss snapped a four-game winning streak for the White Sox, who are 25-7 here against the Royals since 2004.

"That was the first one I remember since Opening Day that we've been beaten like this," White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said in reference to a 12-5 loss to Cleveland on April 2. "It's time to get better at-bats. (I'm) a little bit ashamed and embarrassed. It's a bad feeling. Our expectations and hopes offensively is better because we have the material there."

Crede, Konerko and A.J. Pierzynski were among the White Sox who used pink bats, which will be auctioned off at a later date to raise funds for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

Players on both teams also wore pink wristbands, and the pink ribbon for breast cancer awareness were displayed on uniforms.