• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

White Sox smash three homers, edge Red Sox

Aug 10, 2008 - 11:07 PM By Rory Spears PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

CHICAGO (Ticker) -- The Chicago White Sox used the long ball to bounce back against the Boston Red Sox.

After falling behind in the first inning, the White Sox, who lead the major leagues in home runs, used blasts from Jermaine Dye, Carlos Quentin and Jim Thome to rally and defeat the Red Sox, 6-5.

White Sox pitcher Gavin Floyd (12-6) went 5 1/3 innings, allowing seven hits while striking out six and walking one to

earn the win.

"I feel like I was locked in from the start today," Floyd said. "After the home run I was a little (ticked) off, so I took that and just centered into the catcher's mitt to get guys out."

Chicago (65-51) regained first place atop the American League Central by one-half game over the Minnesota Twins (65-52), who lost at Kansas City, 5-4.

"We are focused in on the task at hand each day," Thome said. "I think urgency to get after things is keeping us grounded, we're not thinking about the next opponent or anything like that."

Boston jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning when Mike Lowell hit his 14th home run of the season, barely clearing the left field fence with a fly ball that stayed just inside the foul pole.

"I hit the pitch good but I hit so high I was hoping it would get out," Lowell said. "The problem was we gave it all back so quick and you don't like to see that."

Dye started Chicago's comeback with his 27th home run off Boston rookie Clay Buchholz (2-8) in the second inning to make it 3-1.

The White Sox added four runs in third inning with five straight hits off Buchholz. After A.J. Pierzynski singled, Quentin hit his AL-leading 32nd home run to tie the game, 3-3. Dye then singled before Thome hit his 24th homer, a 435-foot blast deep into the right field bleachers to put Chicago ahead, 5-3.

"Early in the count I thought he would throw me a strike," Thome said. "I was looking for a ball out over the plate and things worked out."

Buchholz was lifted after the first two batters reached in the fourth. He has not won since May 2.

"Today was a confidence booster for me," Buchholz said. "I went out there and threw a lot of quality pitches, it's just tough to swallow went you go out and execute your game plan and things don't work out."

The White Sox made it 6-3 in the fifth inning when Paul Konerko scored from third base on a throwing error by Lowell.

"I had to come home on the play, which is why I was playing in," Lowell said. "Just wish I had made a better throw, it short-hopped (catcher Jason Varitek) and allowed the run to score."

J.D. Drew opened the sixth inning with a triple off the glove of Dye and scored on Jason Bay's RBI single. A wild pitch by Matt Thornton scored Bay to cut the deficit to 6-5.

Thornton walked the bases full in the seventh inning before giving way to Octavio Dotel, who got Lowell to hit into a double play that ended the Boston threat.

"(Dotel) was throwing hard and the ball sunk," Lowell said. "I am not trying to hit into a double play but that was the result."

White Sox closer Bobby Jenks pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning to record his 24th save.

"I had a lot riding on the outcome of this game," Jenks said. "I made a bet with Gavin in spring training that if he got 12 wins he had to shave his head, and he is doing it."