Rios, Pierzynski lead White Sox over Cubs 10-5

[June 12, 2010]  CHICAGO (AP) -- Alex Rios and A.J. Pierzynski each had four hits and homered to back a strong start by Jake Peavy, and the Chicago White Sox won their third straight, beating the crosstown Cubs 10-5 on Friday afternoon.

The four hits tied a season high for Rios and set one for Pierzynski, who also drove in a season-best three runs. The White Sox, meanwhile, matched their longest win streak.

Pierzynski singled in a run during a two-run first, doubled home another in a three-run fifth off Randy Wells and homered off Jeff Stevens in the seventh. He is 10 for 19 in his past four games against the Cubs -- all White Sox wins.

Rios capped a four-run eighth against James Russell with a two-run drive that made it 10-2, after Carlos Quentin went deep leading off while batting for Peavy (5-5).

That was plenty for the former NL Cy Young Award winner, who had dropped three of four starts. He has pitched better lately, allowing two runs and six hits over seven innings.

He did give up Alfonso Soriano's 300th homer -- a two-run shot that tied it at 2 in the second -- but little else on a muggy afternoon.

Paul Konerko had two hits, including the tiebreaking two-run double in the fifth, and drove in two while scoring twice.

Wells (3-5) is 0-5 with a 6.47 ERA in his past eight starts after allowing five runs and 10 hits in five innings. He has not won since beating Arizona on April 30.

It's been a rough season for both teams, taking some of the shine off the crosstown series.

White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen acknowledged tension with general manager Ken Williams and said the relationship needs to improve if they're going to keep working together. That came on the heels of a Chicago Sun-Times report that the two nearly came to blows this week after the organization drafted the manager's son Ozney in the 22nd round.

Cubs manager Lou Piniella snapped at critics before the game, calling out White Sox announcer Steve Stone for questioning his handling of prized rookie outfielder Tyler Colvin.

The only good sports vibes in Chicago are surrounding the Blackhawks, who beat Philadelphia to capture the Stanley Cup. There were plenty of Kane and Toews jerseys in the crowd.

Fans also drowned out the national anthem, just as they do before hockey games at the United Center, but the cheers turned to boos when the BP Crosstown Cup was presented behind home plate before the game.

The embattled company, under fire for its handling of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, is in its first year as title sponsor of the annual six-game series between the rivals.

The White Sox wasted little time jumping on Wells, who allowed run-scoring singles by Andruw Jones and Pierzynski in another rough first inning.

That follows a recent pattern that includes a loss to St. Louis on May 28 in which he failed to retire a batter and another against Houston on Sunday when he gave up three runs in the first.

Soriano became the second Cub in three days to reach 300 homers, joining Derrek Lee, when he lined a two-run shot over the center-field wall in the second after Marlon Byrd got hit for his 10th homer and his first in 44 at-bats. The home run was Soriano's third and seventh hit in 17 at-bats against Peavy, but the White Sox regained the lead in the fifth.

Konerko drove in Alexei Ramirez and Rios with a two-run double to left to break the tie and scored when Pierzynski knocked one off the center-field ivy, making it 5-2.

NOTES: The game was delayed 21 minutes at the start due to the threat of rain. ... Soriano is the 127th major leaguer to hit 300 homers.

[Associated Press; By ANDREW SELIGMAN]

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