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White Sox use home runs to rout Pirates

Jun 18, 2008 - 4:10 AM By Gene Chamberlain PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

CHICAGO (Ticker) -- Jim Thome took another step up the all-time home run list with his 521st on Tuesday, while Jermaine Dye, Joe Crede and Orlando Cabrera also homered to power the Chicago White Sox to a 16-5 interleague victory Tuesday over the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Thome's three-run blast to right field off reliever Marino Salas during a five-run seventh inning tied him with Ted Williams and Willie McCovey for 16th place on the all-time list.

Cabrera had three hits and three RBI, while Dye and Crede each added two hits and drove in three runs. Nick Swisher and A.J. Pierzynski both contributed three hits as Chicago posted a season-high 19.

The White Sox also recorded season highs of 16 runs and 11 extra-base hits.

Starter Javier Vazquez (7-5) twice let leads slip away early before coasting to the win. The righthander yielded five runs and five hits with two walks and three strikeouts in six innings.

Crede's fifth-inning line drive to left off losing pitcher Ian Snell (3-7) was misplayed by left fielder Jason Michaels into an RBI double that snapped a 5-5 tie. An inning later, Thome and Swisher each doubled prior to Crede's 15th home run of the season - a two-run shot to left off reliever Franquelis Osoria.

Vazquez gave up hits in only two of his six innings, but the Pirates bunched together four straight during a four-run second to take a 4-2 lead. Michaels' two-run double, an RBI single by Doug Mientkiewicz and Nate McLouth's sacrifice fly accounted for the runs.

After the White Sox moved ahead with a three-run third inning highlighted by Jermaine Dye's leadoff homer, Pittsburgh's Jose Bautista hit his sixth blast with two outs in the fourth to knot the contest at 5-5.

Cabrera belted a two-run shot and Thome launched his homer in a five-run seventh as Chicago hit four blasts in a game for the fourth time this season.

Carlos Quentin was the only White Sox starter without a hit, going 0-for-2 with draw three walks. However, he drove in the game's final run with a sacrifice fly. and also scored twice.