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Red Sox rout White Sox to complete four-game sweep

Aug 26, 2007 - 11:08 PM CHICAGO (Ticker) -- The Boston Red Sox are ready for their trip to the Bronx.

J.D. Drew, David Ortiz and Bobby Kielty homered and Julian Tavarez dominated in a spot start as the Red Sox drubbed the Chicago White Sox, 11-1, to complete a four-game sweep.

Boston (80-51) won for the sixth time in seven games and opened a 7 1/2-game lead over the New York Yankees (72-58) in the American League East Division.

The Red Sox and Yankees begin a three-game series Tuesday at Yankee Stadium.

"It's nice to open a little cushion going to New York," Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek said. "It got down to four for a while but now it's back up over seven."

The Red Sox outscored the White Sox, 46-7, surpassing double figures in runs in all four games. The last time Boston scored 10 or runs in four straight games was 1950.

"They swept us this time, but I swept them in the big one, and that's when it counts," said White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen, referring to Chicago's sweep of the Red Sox in the 2005 divisional series.

The Red Sox, who batted .339 in the series, also completed their first four-game sweep in Chicago since 1968 and have won 14 of their last 17 at U.S. Cellular Field.

"We did a good job," Boston manager Terry Francona said. "To come out and play a game like we did today was gratifying. (The fourth game) is not an easy game to win and we did a good job."

Boston boasts its best record after 129 games since 1978, when it was 82-47, and is looking to end the Yankees' nine-year reign as AL East champions.

"If we win one of the three (in New York), we keep a substantial lead," Red Sox center fielder Coco Crisp said. "If we win the series, we gain a game. If we are able to sweep, it just makes it a great victory for this whole road trip. We've been playing very well. Hopefully, we're able to continue it in New York."

Starting in place of Jon Lester, Tavarez (7-9) yielded only one run and two hits in six innings with three walks and seven strikeouts. Jermaine Dye reached Tavarez for a solo homer in the second.

Lester was sent to Class AA Portland of the Eastern League before the start of the series.

"I feel relaxed," Tavarez said. "You relax more when you know what kind of offense you have. What you worry about is throwing strikes and getting outs as quickly as you can."

Tavarez, who has alternated as a starter and reliever, was sharp despite making his first appearance in a week. He threw 58 of 94 pitches for strikes and the only other hit he allowed was a single to Josh Fields in the sixth.

"He has a rare ability," Francona said. "How many pitchers can you start, put in the bullpen, let him sit there for two weeks, and (then) have a legitimate chance to throw six innings?"

Javier Vazquez (11-7) was tagged for seven runs and six hits in six innings despite striking out 10. Vazquez had been one of the lone bright spots for the White Sox, going 8-1 with a 3.09 ERA in his previous 11 starts, but he was no match for the red-hot Red Sox.

Boston finished 7-1 against the White Sox this season. Vazquez recorded Chicago's only win, 4-2 on July 19.

Drew ended a career-high streak of 51 games without a home run to give Boston a 1-0 lead in the top of the second. It was Drew's first homer since June 20 at Atlanta.

"I've faced him quite a few times," Drew said. "I was trying to slow things down, get a good pitch to hit. He got a ball out over the zone and I was able to hit it out."

Dye answered in the bottom half, but the Red Sox broke it open with four runs in the fifth on Dustin Pedroia's two-run single and Ortiz's two-run shot.

Kielty added a two-run homer - his first in a Boston uniform - to make it 7-1.

"My first home run of the year, so I guess I can still hit them," Kielty said. "It's been a tough year for me with injuries, so I'm very excited about it."

Julio Lugo and Mike Lowell contributed RBI singles in a four-run ninth.

Just two years removed from winning the World Series, the White Sox (56-74) have dropped five straight and 13 of 15 to fall into last place in the AL Central.

"I think if you try you can't be playing on the level that we do," said Guillen, whose club is a season-high 18 games under .500. "We were flat four days. We caught them playing good and they caught us playing bad."