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Friday, Apr. 14 7:05pm ET
White Sox (7-4) match best start since '92 | |||||
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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
CHICAGO (AP) -- Frank Thomas homered and extended his season-opening hitting streak to 11 games Friday night as the Chicago White Sox won their home opener, beating the Anaheim Angels 9-4 and matching their best start in eight years. Thomas, bothered by a sore right foot and ankle that required a cortisone injection earlier this week, reached out and hit a first-inning pitch from Ken Hill nearly 400 feet to right-center field for his third homer, limping noticeably as he rounded the bases. He later added a single to finish 2-for-4 as he tries to bounce back from two sub-par seasons. Paul Konerko also homered and had an RBI double and Ray Durham drove in three runs for the White Sox, off to their best start since also going 7-4 in 1992. Garret Anderson, who agreed to a four-year contract extension Friday, hit a two-run homer to pull the Angels within 8-4 in the eighth. The White Sox, averaging seven runs this season, loaded the bases in the second as Carlos Lee was hit by a pitch, Craig Wilson singled and Mark Johnson walked. Durham hit a sacrifice fly and then Greg Norton drove in two with a double. Durham hit another sacrifice fly to make it 5-0 in the fourth. Hill (1-2), battling the stomach flu, was removed one batter later, slumping into the corner of the dugout before heading to the clubhouse. Durham singled home a run in the eighth. Adam Kennedy hit an RBI single for the Angels' first run in the fifth. Konerko scored Thomas, who had singled, with an RBI double, and Lee hit a run-scoring single to make it 7-1. Darin Erstad had a run-scoring grounder in the seventh before Konerko hit a solo homer off Lou Pote. After Anderson homered off reliever Scott Eyre and Troy Glaus singled, Keith Foulke relieved and struck out the side. Mike Sirotka (2-1), who pitched out of a bases-loaded predicament in a long first inning, went 5 1/3 innings, allowing seven hits and a run. Hill gave up five hits and five runs in 3 2/3 innings. Game notesAn announced crowd of 38,912 was the White Sox's largest for a home opener since 42,890 in 1994. The team called Friday night's crowd a sellout. Several thousands seats were not sold because they were covered as part of a post-game fireworks display. The capacity of the park is 44,321. ... Sirotka threw 34 pitches in the first inning before striking out Glaus with the bases loaded. He was helped by Durham's spectacular over-the-head catch of Tim Salmon's short fly as he fell down in right field. ... The most visible addition to Comiskey Park is the giant billboard behind the left-field bleachers that is a stock ticker. ... The game was the first of a 13-game homestand for the White Sox, who spent most of their first two weeks on the road. ... The White Sox opened the season with an average age of 26.8 years, tying them with the Twins for the youngest roster in the AL. ... After nine straight games at home, Friday night's was the first of 10 straight on the road for the Angels. | ALSO SEE Baseball Scoreboard Anaheim Clubhouse Chi. White Sox Clubhouse RECAPS Texas 7 Cleveland 2
Chi. White Sox 9
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