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White Sox jump out early, pound Royals

Jul 19, 2008 - 4:43 AM By Rory Spears PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

CHICAGO (Ticker) -- The Chicago White Sox scored early and often, plating their first six hitters en route to a 9-5 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Friday.

Jermaine Dye opened the floodgates with a two-run single and Jim Thome, Paul Konerko and Joe Crede followed with RBI base hits before Alexei Ramirez capped the six-run opening inning with a sacrifice fly.

Dye paced Chicago's offense with three hits and a walk. He also scored twice and drove in two runs, pushing his RBI total to 58.

"(Dye) is one of the most underrated players in the game," White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said. "He shows up and plays hard every day. I think the last five years he is in the top five in home runs and RBI and we need his bat."

Kansas City took a 1-0 lead in the first when Mark Grudzielanek's single scored Mark Teahen.

Chicago extended its advantage to 7-1 in the second, when All-Star Carlos Quentin hit a solo home run into the left field bleachers. It was the 23rd shot of the season for Quentin, tying him with Cleveland's Grady Sizemore for the American League lead.

The six-run advantage allowed White Sox starter Mark Buehrle (7-8) to settle in.

"It's nice to come out and get that kind if run support," Buehrle said. "When our guys come out after four days off and swing the bats like that, it's great for us."

Over the next four innings, Buehrle retired 12 of the 13 hitters he faced, with only John Buck reaching on an error by Crede in the second.

"I was just making pitches and letting the defense work behind me," Buehrle said. "That's my game, I don't strike out a lot of guys. I just try and make pitches."

The Royals trimmed the deficit to 7-4 in the sixth, when Billy Butler tagged Buehrle for his third home run of the year, a three-run shot that scored David DeJesus and Teahen.

"I worked with Barney (hitting coach Mike Barnett) and we changed my stance," Butler said. "After looking at film, we decided to move me back off the plate and it helped me."

The White Sox added two more runs in their half, as lefthander Jimmy Gobble walked Nick Swisher with the bases loaded to score Dye. Crede then lifted a sacrifice fly that plated Thome, pushing the lead to 9-4.

"It was a night we just came out and attacked from the start," Dye said. "I was surprised we came out like that, I don'tt think think they knew what hit them."

Butler picked up his fourth RBI when he singled home Mike Aviles in the eighth.

Kansas City starter Zack Greinke (7-6) lasted a season-low three-plus innings, giving up seven runs and 11 hits.

"The White Sox were hitting everything I threw," Greinke said. "Before I knew it things got really bad, maybe this park is getting into my head a little bit."