Viciedo 3-run home run leads Chicago past M's

[August 29, 2011]  SEATTLE (AP) -- Dayan Viciedo's sudden impact in the White Sox lineup only makes it seem as if he should have been called up sooner.

Not that this is Ozzie Guillen's primary concern.

Viciedo homered and the White Sox beat the Seattle Mariners 9-3 Sunday to complete a series sweep.

Viciedo put up strong numbers in Charlotte, batting .297 with 20 home runs and 78 RBIs this year. He was up with the White Sox for 38 games in 2010 and hit five home runs with 13 RBIs while batting .308.

"I don't give a (darn) what people say," Guillen said. "People out there have their opinion and that's their job to talk. Nothing I can do about it."

"In the time they wanted that kid here, I (didn't) have any place for him. We had to make a trade or release somebody."

Viciedo was called up from Triple-A Charlotte on Saturday when the White Sox placed outfielder Carlos Quentin on the 15-day disabled list.

Guillen said Saturday that Viciedo is up with the team to play, not to sit on the bench.

"It's not a secret this kid can play," Guillen said. "I think over the last two years he put himself in a great position to play in the big leagues. Now it's an opportunity for him. I've said in the past if he's here, I'll play him. He's here. He's playing."

The newly promoted right fielder singled in his first at-bat, then homered over the right-center field fence off Jason Vargas (7-12) the next time up. He drew a walk in the sixth inning to load the bases. Tyler Flowers took advantage and hit a grand slam into the White Sox bullpen in left field to give Chicago a 7-0 lead and helped Gavin Floyd (12-10) cruise to victory.

"It feels really good," Viciedo said through a translator. "All the conditioning and all the work that I've been doing, to get three RBIs and a home run felt really good."

Vargas faced Viciedo in two at-bats last season with Viciedo going 1 for 2 with a single and strikeout. Vargas remembered the encounter but didn't think it had anything to do with the outcome of today's at-bats.

"I think I faced him a couple times last year, but you don't really need a book when you throw it down the middle," Vargas said.

The White Sox scored six times in the sixth after Paul Konerko and Alex Rios led off with singles and Viciedo drew a one-out walk that loaded the bases. Flowers cleared them with a shot into the White Sox bullpen in left field.

Gordon Beckham and Juan Pierre got hits to chase Vargas, and Brent Lillibridge and Konerko followed with two more singles off reliever Josh Lueke to drive in a pair and give the White Sox a 9-0 lead.

Floyd blanked the Mariners on just two hits over the first seven innings. Kyle Seager reached on a strikeout to start the eighth as Floyd's wild pitch careened to the backstop, and Josh Bard ended the Mariners' 21-inning scoreless streak with a two-run home run off the foul pole in right field.

"He threw very well," Guillen said of Floyd. "He got himself in trouble once, but like I said strikes are the key to the game. The last two games he's pitched very well."

Singles from Ichiro Suzuki and Franklin Gutierrez forced Floyd from the game. After a single by Dustin Ackley loaded the bases, Will Ohman struck out Casper Wells and got Adam Kennedy to line out.

Bard added an RBI groundout in the ninth.

NOTES: Mariners 1B Justin Smoak is expected to begin a rehab assignment on Monday with Triple-A Tacoma. Smoak broke his nose when a groundball caught him in the face. He was placed on the 15-day disabled list on August 13. ... The sweep was the first at Safeco Field for the White Sox and first in Seattle since July 30-August 1, 1993. Flowers' grand slam was the first of the year for Chicago. Paul Konerko had the last one, against Boston on Sept. 30. ... Chicago heads home to begin a three-game series with the Minnesota Twins. Mark Buehrle (10-6) is set to face Kevin Slowey (0-2) in the series opener on Monday. ... Seattle will open a four-game set with the Los Angeles Angels on Monday. Blake Beavan (3-4) is scheduled to take the mound against Joel Pineiro (5-6).

[Associated Press]

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.