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Gutierrez, Indians slam White Sox

May 28, 2008 - 3:28 AM By Todd Krepop PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

CLEVELAND (Ticker) -- Aaron Laffey felt like he couldn't relax even after the Cleveland Indians scored five runs in the first inning.

Franklin Gutierrez hit his first career grand slam and the Cleveland Indians defeated the Chicago White Sox 8-2, on Tuesday.

Laffey pitched six solid innings as the Indians snapped a five-game losing streak to the White Sox in a game that featured a triple steal.

In a rare offensive outburst, Cleveland scored five runs in the first - highlighted by Gutierrez's blast - to give their lefthanded starter some early support.

"It was great to get some run support," Laffey said. "You take a step a back and then come out and bear down more. But if you relax for a second they will jump all over you."

Laffey (3-3) didn't relax and held the White Sox to two runs - one earned - in six innings on seven hits. He lowered his ERA to 1.59 - second-best among American League rookie pitchers.

"He pitches with a great deal of confidence," Indians manager Eric Wedge said. "It was good to see he didn't come back over the plate or come back up in the zone. He just kept pitching the way he does and it worked for him."

Cleveland went to work on White Sox starter Mark Buehrle early. After Ben Francisco's sacrifice fly got the Indians on the board, they loaded the bases on a single sandwiched between two walks.

Gutierrez got ahead in the count 2-1 and crushed Buehrle's changeup over the left field wall to give the Indians a 5-0 advantage.

"It's something I will never forget," Gutierrez said. "I was looking for something off-speed and he threw it."

Gutierrez also hit a three-run homer on Opening Day against Buehrle and has five hits in 12 career at-bats against the lefthander.

"I know what he can throw," said Gutierrez, who left in the sixth inning with a bruised left quad after being hit by a pitch. "I can hit good against lefties. I was looking for a good pitch to hit and got it."

Buehrle (2-6) was rocked for seven runs - six earned - in five innings. He had allowed only two runs in his previous two starts.

"Sometimes, this game (stinks)," Buehrle said. "It's frustrating. You give up two hits in one game and then can't get anybody out."

Things got interesting in the sixth when Cleveland scored three times to stretch their lead to 8-2.

Ryan Garko drove in a run with an RBI double and the Indians added another run when first baseman Paul Konerko dropped a throw that would have ended the inning.

With the bases loaded, White Sox reliever Ehren Wasserman had Jamey Carroll picked off first base. Carroll ran toward second base as pinch runner David Dellucci broke from third base and headed for home.

Konerko threw home but he bounced the ball to catcher Toby Hall, who was unable to make the backhand grab that allowed Dellucci to score and all the runners to move up a base.

The official scorer credited each runner with a stolen base for a triple steal.

"That isn't a play we practice in spring training," Wedge said.

Hall had an RBI double and Orlando Cabrera also had a run-scoring single for the White Sox, who lost for only the third time in their last 13 games.

"Overall, it was a bad baseball game for us," Chicago manager Ozzie Guillen said. "It was crazy. We really did a lot wrong. You can name it and we did it. It's a good thing it was one game. We'll bounce back."