Home runs power Sox over Tribe

Associated Press

chicago

Adam Dunn hit his 15th homer, A.J. Pierzynski and Dayan Viciedo each went deep for the second time in as many nights, and the Chicago White Sox beat the Cleveland Indians 9-3 on Friday for their seventh win in eight games.

Pierzynski also tripled and scored three runs while driving in two. Viciedo knocked in two runs and scored twice, and the White Sox gave Jose Quintana (1-0) all the support he needed in his first major league start.

They used the long ball again to take out the AL Central leaders after hitting five homers Thursday against Minnesota.

Dunn drove a two-run shot in the first after Cleveland scored a run in the top half. Pierzynski connected leading off the second, and Chicago broke open a one-run game in the sixth, scoring three times with two outs while chasing Jeanmar Gomez (3-3).

Alexei Ramirez knocked him out with an RBI single after Pierzynski and Viciedo walked, and Alejandro De Aza drove in two more runs with a bases loaded single off Jairo Asencio to make it 6-2, sending Cleveland to its third loss in 11 games.

The White Sox added three more with two outs in the seventh, with Alex Rios reaching on a single to third that initially was ruled an error. He scored on Pierzynski’s triple and Viciedo hit a two-run homer.

It’s not what the Indians envisioned after sweeping a three-game series from Detroit, the team many thought would win the division. But the second-place White Sox are looking good at the moment.

They swept the Cubs, took two of three from Minnesota, and they didn’t blink with the scheduling taking a tougher turn, pulling within 21/2 games of Cleveland on Friday.