CHISOX BLUDGEON BENGALS
Sox Set Club Season Marks in Runs, K's

DETROIT, Aug. 31 (AP) - The Chicago White Sox used an eight-run sixth inning to break open a tight game and blew out the Detroit Tigers, 15-1 at Comerica Park.  White Sox pitchers struck out 16 Detroit batters, led by starter Estaban Loaiza (17-10) who fanned 12 in seven innings of work.  The 15 runs scored represent a season high for the club, surpassing the previous mark of 14.  The game represented the third time this season that the Tigers have allowed at least 15 runs in a game.

The White Sox took a 3-0 lead early, scoring a single run in each of the first three innings off Detroit starter Nate Cornejo.  Frank Thomas hit his major league leading 51st home run in the bottom of the first with two outs and the bases empty.  In the second, Carl Everett led off with a double and scored one out later on Jose Valentin's base hit.  In the third, Miguel Olivo led off with a two-bagger, advanced to third on an infield out and trotted home on Everett's single.

The Tigers cut the deficit to 3-1 in the bottom of the fourth.  Loaiza hit Kevin Witt with a pitch with one out and Craig Monroe's double to center left runners on second and third.  Warren Morris' infield roller scored Witt.

The Chicago lead was still two runs when the game reached the top of the sixth and the White Sox conclusively put the contest away.  Everett drew a lead-off walk from Cornejo and moved to second on Paul Konerko's slow roller to third.  Valentin then doubled Everett home, increasing the lead to 4-1.  Matt Roney replaced Cornejo and induced Joe Crede to lift a fly ball to right but Monroe dropped it for an error, putting runners on first and third.  That kicked the floodgates wide open.  Olivo singled home Valentin, with Crede stopping at second.  Roberto Alomar doubled to right, scoring Crede and chasing Olivo to third.  Carlos Lee lifted a sacrifice fly to deep center, scoring Olivo and advancing Alomar to third.  Thomas was walked intentionally but Magglio Ordonez foiled the strategy with a single to center, scoring another run.  Everett, the tenth man to come to the plate in the inning, then delivered the coup de grace--a three-run home run into the right field seats to give the White Sox an 11-1 advantage.

The White Sox piled on four more runs to cap the scoring in the seventh.  They loaded the bases with two outs and Thomas drilled a three-run double into the right field corner and was replaced at second by pinch runner Brian Daubach.  Daubach scored on an Ordonez base hit.

Loaiza made the most of this embarrassment of riches, fanning 12, surpassing his previous season high of 11 set on June 18 at U.S. Cellular Field against Boston.  Kelly Wunsch and Tom Gordon each tossed a perfect inning of relief while fanning a pair of Tigers hitters.

The 16 strikeouts recorded by Chicago pitchers ties an American League high for the season, first recorded by the New York Yankees on June 4 against Cincinnati.

8/31/2003, CWS03-Det03, Comerica Park
 
                       1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9     R  H  E   LOB DP
2003 White Sox         1  1  1  0  0  8  4  0  0    15 18  0     7  0
2003 Tigers            0  0  0  1  0  0  0  0  0     1  5  2     7  3
 
White Sox            AB  R  H BI   AVG    Tigers               AB  R  H BI   AVG
Alomar,R          2b  5  2  3  1  .299    Sanchez,A         cf  4  0  1  0  .249
Lee,Ca            lf  3  0  1  1  .295    Klassen           3b  4  0  1  0  .216
 Rowand           pr  0  1  0  0  .246    Pena,C            1b  4  0  0  0  .213
Thomas,F          dh  3  2  2  4  .277    Young,D           dh  4  0  0  0  .306
 Daubach          pr  1  1  0  0  .186    Witt              lf  2  1  0  0  .313
Ordonez,M         rf  4  1  2  2  .293    Monroe            rf  4  0  1  0  .273
 Burke            c   1  0  0  0  .250    Morris,W          2b  4  0  0  1  .240
Everett,C         cf  4  3  3  4  .292    Inge              c   3  0  0  0  .219
Konerko           1b  5  0  1  0  .287     Petrick          ph  1  0  0  0  .276
 Graffanino       1b  0  0  0  0  .257    Santiago,R        ss  2  0  2  0  .256
Valentin,Jo       ss  4  1  2  2  .228                         32  1  5  1
Crede             3b  5  2  2  0  .246
Olivo             c   4  2  2  1  .230
 Harris,W         cf  1  0  0  0  .164
                     40 15 18 15
 
White Sox                        INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA
Loaiza           W 17-10         7.0  5  1  1  1 12 125  79  3.45
Wunsch                           1.0  0  0  0  0  2  14   9  2.05
Gordon                           1.0  0  0  0  0  2  12   8  2.56
                                 9.0  5  1  1  1 16 151  96
 
Tigers                           INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA
Cornejo          L 4-14          5.1  9  5  5  4  2  98  60  5.56
Roney                            0.2  4  6  0  1  0  30  18  3.71
Ledezma                          3.0  5  4  4  1  0  57  34  5.88
                                 9.0 18 15  9  6  2 185 112
 
CWS: Rowand ran for Lee,Ca in the 7th
     Daubach ran for Thomas,F in the 7th
     Rowand moved to rf in the 7th
     Burke inserted at c in the 7th
     Everett,C moved to lf in the 7th
     Harris,W inserted at cf in the 7th
     Graffanino inserted at 1b in the 9th
Det: Petrick batted for Inge in the 9th
 
E-Sanchez,A, Monroe. 2B-Alomar,R(31), Thomas,F(28), Everett,C(24),
Valentin,Jo(26), Olivo(13), Monroe(16). HR-Thomas,F(51), Everett,C(27).
RBI-Alomar,R(38), Lee,Ca(95), Thomas,F 4(115), Ordonez,M 2(83),
Everett,C 4(86), Valentin,Jo 2(66), Olivo(35), Morris,W(30). CS-Valentin,Jo.
K-Lee,Ca, Olivo, Sanchez,A, Klassen 2, Pena,C, Young,D 4, Witt, Monroe 3,
Morris,W, Inge 2, Petrick. BB-Alomar,R, Thomas,F 2, Ordonez,M, Everett,C,
Valentin,Jo, Santiago,R. SF-Lee,Ca. HBP-Lee,Ca, Rowand, Witt 2. HB-Loaiza 2,
Ledezma 2.
GWRBI: Thomas,F
Temperature: 62, Sky: cloudy, Wind: in from left at 12 MPH.
Attendance: 16,683
Game Time: 3:14