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Dunn's power helps ChiSox rout Astros

Jun 10, 2012 - 1:43 AM Chicago, IL (Sports Network) - Adam Dunn hit a grand slam and drove in five runs as Chicago blasted Houston, 10-1, in the middle test of a three-game interleague set.

Gordon Beckham collected three hits, three RBI and scored twice for the White Sox, who rebounded from a loss in Friday's series opener and won for just the third time in the last seven overall.

Chris Sale (8-2) worked eight scoreless innings, allowing four hits while striking out seven. The left-hander has won five starts in succession since a May 12 loss to the Royals.

"I'm not much for looking too deeply into stats. Nothing good really comes of it," said Sale. "It doesn't matter if your ERA is five or one, you're the one who still has to pitch and get the outs."

Jed Lowrie's ninth-inning homer was the lone offense for the Astros, losers in eight of their last 11.

Jordan Lyles (1-2) was tagged for seven hits and five runs -- four earned -- in 4 1/3 frames.

Lyles shut down the Sox offense through four, but a five-run fifth gave the White Sox control of the contest and chased him from the game.

A Matt Downs throwing error allowed Alexei Ramirez to reach, then Jose Altuve's throwing error on a Jordan Danks infield hit put runners on the corners. Eduardo Escobar walked to load the bases, and Alejandro De Aza's single plated a run. Beckham followed with a two-run base hit, Dunn added a sacrifice fly and after a walk to Paul Konerko, Alex Rios brought in Beckham.

Xavier Cedeno spelled Lyles and retired the next two batters to limit the damage.

"I just let that inning totally blow up on me," Lyles admitted. "I just didn't make the pitches I needed to make. I put a whole bunch of guys on base that shouldn't have been there."

Danks began the sixth with a single, stole second and later came in on another Beckham RBI single for a 6-0 Chicago edge.

Dunn's eighth-inning grand slam pushed the hosts into double digits. Escobar, De Aza and Beckham all singled ahead of the round tripper, Dunn's 19th of the season.

Lowrie wrecked the shutout by hitting a leadoff homer against Zach Stewart, but the reliever fanned both J.D. Martinez and Justin Maxwell and brushed aside a Brett Wallace single by inducing a game-ending fly out from Chris Snyder.

Game Notes

Chicago improved to 11-9 all-time against Houston in the regular season, 15-9 including a triumph in the 2005 World Series...The White Sox upped their mark to 8-6 at home against the Astros in interleague play...Downs was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City prior to the contest, and outfielder Fernando Martinez was placed on the seven-day concussion DL.