Chicago, IL (Best E Casino) - Jermaine Dye hit a grand slam and also added a solo home run to finish with six runs batted in as the
Chicago White Sox completed a three-game sweep of the
Pittsburgh Pirates with a 13-8 win.
Orlando Cabrera chipped in a three-run homer for the White Sox, who have won four of their last six contests. Jim Thome and Alexei Ramirez each had two hits, an RBI and both scored twice in victory. AJ Pierzynski went 2-for-5 and scored twice.
Gavin Floyd (8-3) took the win as he went 5 2/3 innings and gave up seven runs -- only one earned -- on six hits while fanning six and walking only two.
Freddy Sanchez and Nate McLouth each had two hits and three RBI for the Pirates, losers in five of their last six overall. Jason Bay was 2-for-5 with an RBI in defeat.
Phil Dumatrait (3-4) was dealt the loss as he was touched for nine runs on 11 hits in five-plus frames on the hill.
The Pirates broke open a scoreless game in the second inning. Adam LaRoche led off with a walk and Jason Michaels popped out. Doug Mientkiewicz made it first and second with a single before Jose Bautista lined out.
Wilson's single then loaded the bases and Raul Chavez reached base on a throwing error by Pablo Ozuna that also scored LaRoche. McLouth cleaned up with a three-run double and Sanchez followed with a two-run homer, giving Pittsburgh a 6-0 cushion.
Chicago answered in the home second. Thome and Dye got things going with back-to-back doubles and Nick Swisher made it first and third with a single. Ramirez kept it going with an RBI single that found its way through the left side of the infield.
Brian Anderson moved Swisher over to third with a fly ball to center and Ozuna singled to plate Swisher before Cabrera knotted the game up with a three-run homer to left.
Dye deposited a 1-2 slider over the fence in left-center in the third inning to give the ChiSox a 7-6 advantage.
McLouth was hit by a pitch in the fourth and stole second base. Sanchez followed with an RBI single, which tied the game at 7-7.
Pierzynski and Carlos Quentin opened the fifth inning with consecutive singles, making it first and third, and Thome ripped a grounder into right field, making it 8-7 in favor of the Sox.
Ramirez opened the home sixth with a single and John Grabow was called on in relief. Anderson then grounded out and Ozuna made it first and third with a single. Cabrera scored Ramirez with a sac fly to center and Chicago was up by two runs.
The big blow came in the seventh inning, as Pierzynski, Quentin and Thome all reached to load the bases. Dye cleared the table with a grand slam to left and the Sox were sitting on a 13-7 cushion.
Adam Russell took the mound for the Sox in the ninth and gave up a lead off double to McLouth. Sanchez grounded out, moving the runner to third, and Bay offered an RBI single. LaRoche flied out to right for the second out and Michaels couldn't check his swing on the third strike to make it official.
Game Notes
The Pirates played Wednesday's tilt without regular catcher Ryan Doumit, who suffered a slight concussion on Tuesday after being jarred in the mask by a foul ball and also sat out Thursday's game. The switch-hitting backstop is batting .341 with nine homers in just 138 at-bats...Thursday's win was the White Sox' 12th in their last 14 games at U.S. Cellular Field and upped the team's season home record to 24-11. Following Thursday's clash, Chicago will play six straight games on the road beginning with a weekend set with the rival Cubs at Wrigley Field...Pittsburgh won two of three games versus Chicago at PNC Park last season, but the White Sox are 12-5 in this series since 1998. The White Sox are also an impressive 111-91 all-time against the National League...The Pirates are 58-99 in their games played versus the Junior Circuit.
