Grand slams power Sox past Tigers
CHICAGO: Joe Crede and Paul Konerko each hit grand slams to back Javier Vazquez's strong start, and the White Sox pounded the struggling Detroit Tigers 11-0 on Sunday.
Konerko's homer came in the third off Kenny Rogers and Crede's grand slam, his second this season, came in the fifth against Zach Miner as the White Sox won for the fifth time in six games over the Tigers, the preseason favorite to win Major League Baseball's American League Central Division.
In Boston, a wild Daisuke Matsuzaka labored through five innings before the Red Sox's overworked bullpen bailed him out for a sloppy 8-5 win over New York.
Matsuzaka improved to 3-0 after lasting just long enough to get the win as he issued six walks - at least one in each inning. But Yankees starter Phil Hughes (0-2) was even worse, lasting a career-low two innings and allowing a career-high seven runs.
New York did have some high points: Johnny Damon's steal after leading off the game with a walk was the Yankees' first of the season, ending a 12-game drought. It was their longest at the start of a season since 1948 when a 16-game streak ended with a double steal by Phil Rizzuto and Tommy Henrich.
Jason Giambi's homer in the eighth was his second of the season and the series, both off Mike Timlin. But New York never led as Boston scored three runs in the first and four in the third when Hughes left with no outs.
Agencies
(China Daily 04/15/2008 page24)
