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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
CHICAGO (AP) -- It's no surprise when Frank Thomas hits two
homers in the same game. He's done it three times in the last nine
days.
But Brook Fordyce? Come on.
|  | | Frank Thomas heads for first after hitting his second home run of the game in the sixth inning against the Red Sox on Friday. |
"I'm not a home run hitter, but we're just all swinging the
balls very aggressively and you look at our lineup and from one to
eight, we have guys who can hit it out regularly," Fordyce said
Friday night when he and Thomas homered twice each to power the
Chicago White Sox over the Boston Red Sox 10-4.
Thomas hit a solo homer in the fifth inning off Bryce Florie and
added another solo drive, his 22nd, an inning later off Rheal
Cormier. Thomas hit 12 homers in June, tying his personal best for
one month.
"I'm not even trying to hit home runs because when I get overly
aggressive, that's when I get in trouble," Thomas said.
But when he's making contact, Thomas' strength will take care of
the homers. "This is the guy I've been looking for since I've been here.
He's shown up this year. He's capable of carrying us on his
shoulders," White Sox manager Jerry Manuel said. "He's constantly making adjustments. There are just not too
many places to go to get him out right now."
Fordyce, who'd been just 4-for-19 on the current homestand, hit
a solo shot in the fifth and a two-run shot in the eighth, giving
him three for the season.
Carlos Lee also homered for Chicago, which improved its lead
over Cleveland in the AL Central to 9{ games, the White Sox's
biggest lead in a division in 17 years.
Jim Parque (8-2) won his fifth straight decision in a span of
seven starts, allowing eight hits and three runs -- one earned -- in 5 2-3 innings.
Boston, its lineup and rotation ravaged by injuries, including
one to ace Pedro Martinez, got homers from rookie Izzy Alcantara
and Scott Hatteberg. The Red Sox lost for the eighth time in 11
games.
"I'm tired of looking back at our problems," Boston's Jason
Varitek said. "If we continue to look back and worry, we'll never
get it turned around. Everybody struggles, but ours seem to last a
little longer."
Hipolito Pichardo (2-1), who missed the 1999 season after having
reconstructive surgery on his right elbow, made his first start
since Aug. 20, 1998, when he was with Kansas City, and lasted only
four innings. He gave up six hits and four runs.
Fordyce's single, a double by Jose Valentin and an intentional
walk to Thomas loaded the bases in the third. Magglio Ordonez drove
in a run with a grounder before Chris Singleton hit a two-run
double into the left-field corner.
Ordonez left in the top of the sixth after pulling up lame while
running on a double in the fifth.
Fordyce's second homer made it 4-0 in the bottom of the fourth,
before Boston broke through for three against Parque in the fifth.
Alcantara led off with his first major league home run and,
after Parque retired the next two hitters, Valentin misplayed Jason
Varitek's grounder for an error. Nomar Garciaparra singled and Carl
Everett was hit by a pitch to load the bases before Morgan Burkhart
delivered a two-run single to make it 4-3.
Thomas' homer off Florie, a liner just over the left-field
fence, gave the White Sox a 5-3 lead in the fifth. After Ordonez
doubled and moved to third on an infield out, Lee hit his 15th
homer to finish Florie after one-third of an inning.
Game notes
The error was Valentin's 18th of the season. ... The Red
Sox have allowed a homer in 15 straight games, a club record. ...
Thomas also hit 12 homers in May 1994. ... The five homers tied a
season high for the White Sox. ... With Pedro Martinez on the DL,
the Red Sox announced Paxton Crawford will start on Saturday. ...
At 50-29, the White Sox have their best start since their 1919 team
went 50-28. The White Sox did not win their 50th game last season
until Aug. 2. ... The White Sox finished June 20-7, their first
20-win month since 1983.
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ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
Boston Clubhouse
Chi. White Sox Clubhouse
Red Sox trade for Sprague to fill hole at third base
Beat-up Boston goes into White Sox series with Pedro on DL
RECAPS
Minnesota 7
Cleveland 2
Tampa Bay 6
NY Yankees 4
Baltimore 8
Toronto 3
Chi. White Sox 10
Boston 4
Detroit 3
Kansas City 1
Texas 13
Seattle 3
Anaheim 7
Oakland 0
Florida 5
Montreal 4
Pittsburgh 8
Philadelphia 3
NY Mets 11
Atlanta 8
Chicago Cubs 7
Milwaukee 4
St. Louis 5
Houston 4
Cincinnati 5
Arizona 4
Colorado 5
San Diego 4
Los Angeles 9
San Francisco 2
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