Recap: Oakland vs. Chicago WSox
Sports Network | August 17, 2008
Oakland, CA (Sports Network) - Alexei Ramirez had a grand slam and Juan Uribe and Carlos Quentin each hit two-run homers, as the Chicago White Sox pummeled the Oakland Athletics, 13-1, in the rubber match of a three-game series at McAfee Coliseum.
Quentin finished with four RBI and Jermaine Dye added a solo shot for Chicago, which has won five of its last six games and remain tied with Minnesota for the top spot in the AL Central after the Twins downed the Seattle Mariners, 11-8, on Sunday.
Chicago won a series in Oakland for the first time since August 28-30, 2000.
Javier Vazquez (10-10) allowed one run on four hits and struck out eight over eight innings to pick up the win.
Daric Barton went 2-for-3 and drove in the lone run for the Athletics, who have lost 16 of their last 19 contests.
Gio Gonzalez (1-2), making just the third start of his career, was rocked for eight runs -- seven earned -- on six hits with five walks in just 3 1/3 innings.
Chicago began its assault in the second. Jim Thome and Paul Konerko walked to begin the frame. Thome moved up to third when Ken Griffey Jr. flied out and scored on a wild pitch. After Ramirez grounded out, Uribe belted a 3-2 pitch over the left-field wall to give the White Sox a 3-0 lead.
The visitors plated three more runs in the third. A.J. Pierzynski led off with a single and Quentin hammered a 1-0 pitch over the left-field fence for his American League-leading 34th home run of the season. Dye followed with a shot to right for a 6-0 White Sox advantage.
A two-run single by Quentin made it an 8-0 game in the fourth, then Chicago tacked on five more runs in the seventh. Dan Meyer started the inning for Oakland and issued a one-out walk to Quentin. A two-out single by Thome and a walk to Konerko loaded the bases for pinch-hitter Dewayne Wise, who singled in a run. Ramirez then jumped on an 0-2 slider and deposited the offering over the wall in left for his second career grand slam and a 13-0 lead.
Barton's run-scoring single in the eighth put the A's on the board.
Quentin also walked twice...Clayton Richard tossed a 1-2-3 ninth for Chicago...The White Sox lead the majors with 178 home runs...Dye upped his season total to 29 home runs.
