Pierzynski Hits Two HRs, Sox End 7-Game Skid
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- A.J. Pierzynski went on the disabled list for the first time in his career when he was hit by a pitch from Bruce Chen on Aug. 12 and broke his left wrist.
Pierzynski got a measure of revenge Sunday against Chen and the Kansas City Royals, homering twice among his four hits and driving in four runs as the Chicago White Sox snapped a seven-game losing streak with a 10-5 victory over the Royals.
"It's still stinging and bothers me a bit," Pierzynski said. "It was nice to have a good day and get a win. It feels like its been a while. That gives us a chance to relax a bit. You feel like every day you're grinding, grinding, grinding and now we're going towards the offseason."
Paul Konerko and Pierzynski had back-to-back homers leading off the seventh against rookie reliever Louis Coleman. It was Konerko's 30th home run. Konerko, who also singled home Juan Pierre in the eighth for his 103rd RBI, has reached 30 home runs and 100 RBIs for the fifth time in his career.
"It's one of those things that when I came into the season that I kind of felt like that's my job, to drive in runs," Konerko said. "The last couple of years I've been kind of in a mode of switching up goals. I feel like if I can stay healthy and get in 150 games, the by product will be the numbers."
The White Sox took an early 4-0 lead in ending the Royals' seven-game winning streak, Kansas City's longest run since notching seven in a row Sept. 13-18, 2008.
"I'm kinda like bummed out that I lost the game because we're on a roll and playing really good," Chen said. "I was mixing in my pitches well, but unfortunately we didn't come out with a win. We're playing good and I wanted to keep it going."
Pierzynski's three-run homer off Jesse Chavez in the eighth struck the right-field foul pole. It was Pierzynski's fourth career multihomer game -- the past two have been at Kauffman Stadium, his previous coming July 9, 2010.
Brent Morel's double in the second scored Pierzynski and Dayan Viciedo, who had both singled.
In the fourth, Adam Dunn doubled home Alex Rios for his first extra-base hit against a left-hander, in his 89th at-bat this season. Dunn stopped at third on Viciedo's single and scored on Gordon Beckham's sacrifice fly.
The Royals scored a pair of runs in the fifth with Yamaico Navarro and Billy Butler getting the RBIs. Johnny Giavotella's triple in the sixth scored Jeff Francoeur, cutting the White Sox lead to 4-3. Giavotella's third hit in the ninth scored Eric Hosmer.
Hosmer, who had three hits, had an RBI single in the seventh. The Royals collected 15 hits.
"And we still lost," Royals manager Ned Yost said.
Left-hander John Danks (7-12), who was 0-3 with a 10.91 ERA in his previous three starts allowed 10 hits and four runs in six-plus innings.
"He wasn't perfect, but he made the pitches when he had to and that's what you want to see," Pierzynski said.
Chen (11-8) took the loss and is 1-3 in four September starts. He allowed four runs on nine hits and two walks in 5 1-3 innings.
NOTES: Beckham, who leads AL second baseman with a .992 fielding percentage, was charged with his second error in 49 games when he mishandled Francoeur's bouncer in the sixth. ... Navarro made his first start at shortstop For Royals. He had started five games at third base. ... Pierre leads the AL with 43 infield hits and 19 bunt hits. ... The Royals and White Sox are both off Monday. The White Sox play a doubleheader Tuesday at Cleveland and will start Gavin Floyd and Dylan Axelrod. ... RHP Luis Mendoza, who was the Pacific Coast League pitcher of the year after going 12-5 with a 2.18 ERA for Triple-A Omaha, will start Tuesday against Detroit, the AL Central champions. It will be Mendoza's first big league start since Aug. 13, 2008, while with Texas.
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