Dunn's Big Day Leads White Sox In Opener
The Chicago White Sox's offensive power was on full display during their Opening Day victory over the Cleveland Indians.
The White Sox scored two first-inning runs off singles by Paul Konerko and Carlos Quentin, driving in Juan Pierre and Gordon Beckham, respectively.
However, the big scoring wouldn't take place until the third inning, when Adam Dunn hit a two-run home run in his second at-bat of the season. Quentin would homer two batters later and the rout was officially on.
Dunn would end the going 2-4 with two runs scored, four RBI and a home run.
Starting pitcher Mark Buehrle would go six innings, yielding four runs on eight hits while walking one and striking out none. The bullpen struggled, giving up a combined six runs over the final three innings to allow the Indians to come within five runs.
Former Cub Will Ohman would only last 2/3 of an inning, as the first relief pitcher coming into the game, and gave up three runs. Tony Pena would follow Ohman and would surrender two runs in one inning of work.
Despite a shaky bullpen, the White Sox hold on for a 15-10 victory.
The White Sox splurged during the offseason in an attempt to win the AL Central after finishing second to Minnesota in 2010, and the club's $125 million payroll looks like money well spent - so far.
Chicago built a 14-0 lead after four innings for starter Mark Buehrle (1-0) and roughed up Cleveland ace Fausto Carmona (0-1) for 10 runs and 11 hits in three innings.
Quentin and Dunn each hit two-run homers in the third, and the White Sox added eight runs in the fourth.
The support was more than enough for Buehrle, who blanked the Indians for five innings before giving up five straight singles and four runs in the sixth. Starting his ninth consecutive opener, the left-hander allowed four runs and eight hits in six innings.
Carlos Santana went 3 for 5 and hit a two-run homer for the Indians, who made it interesting by scoring four in the sixth, three in the seventh, two in the eighth and one in the ninth.
Chicago's motto this season is "All In," a poker reference that also describes their spending spree this winter when their biggest moves were signing Dunn to a four-year, $56 million contract and re-signing popular captain Paul Konerko to a three-year, $37.5 million deal.
With the beefier payroll, the White Sox can't afford to fold.
"This is the most expensive ballclub that I've ever managed, now we need to live up to that," manager Ozzie Guillen said before the game in Chicago's dugout. "Is there pressure on me because of that? No way. If we don't play good, then I should be fired. If we win, then keep me around."
For four innings, the White Sox looked unbeatable.
They pounded Carmona, who was making first his start on opening day. When he was mercifully lifted by manager Manny Acta in the fourth, Carmona was booed by Cleveland fans unsure what to expect this season from a team that lost 93 games last season.
The Indians started without center fielder Grady Sizemore, who may not be up for a few more weeks as he recovers from knee surgery.
The White Sox signed the 6-foot-6, 280-pound Dunn in December, hoping he would add more punch to an already powerful lineup.
After Gordon Beckham singled to open the third, Dunn, who hit 354 homers in 10 NL seasons, crushed a 3-2 pitch from Carmona deep into Chicago's bullpen to make it 4-0. Konerko singled, and one out later, Quentin homered to left, a shot Acta disputed but the umpires confirmed after briefly leaving the field to watch the TV video replay.
There was no arguing Carmona's ineffectiveness.
In the fourth, he gave up a two-run double to Dunn and was replaced. Justin Germano, who didn't allow a run during the exhibition season, was touched for a two-run double by Quentin, an RBI single by A.J. Pierzynski and two more two-run doubles by Alexi Ramirez and Brent Morel.
Before the game, the Indians said an emotional goodbye to the great Bob Feller, the Hall of Famer who died on Dec. 15. This is the first time since 1936 that Feller isn't part of the Indians, who are honoring his legacy throughout the season.
All of the Indians players wore Feller's No. 19 during introductions, and in a touching moment, his widow, Anne, was escorted to the mound and gently placed a baseball on the rubber, a silent ceremonial first pitch and salute to the greatest Indian of them all.
On the ball, she wrote: "Bobby, Keep Pitching, Anne."
The White Sox took a 2-0 lead in the first off Carmona, who needed 36 pitches to record three outs and faced a tight strike zone.
Juan Pierre singled and Beckham doubled into the left-field corner. Carmona struck out Dunn and appeared to get Konerko, too, but plate umpire Mike Winters ruled a 2-2 pitch was a little high and Konerko dropped an RBI single into right.
Carmona fanned Alex Rios, but Quentin's RBI single made it 2-0 and the White Sox were on their way.
NOTES: Pronkville has vanished. The section of seats in the second deck in right field that the Indians dedicated a few years ago to Travis Hafner is no longer. The team has removed the "Pronkville" sign. Hafner's power numbers have dropped steadily since hitting a career-high 42 homers in 2005. ... Buehrle's nine straight opening-day starts is the AL's longest current streak. Hall of Famers Walter Johnson and Steve Carlton share the record with 14. ... Konerko has been a beast on opening day, hitting .426 (20 of 47) with 15 RBIs.
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