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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
CHICAGO (AP) -- Gerald Williams became the 25th player in major
league history to hit 20 home runs from the leadoff spot. He didn't
care.
Williams hit a solo shot in the third inning Monday night as the
Tampa Bay Devil Rays beat the Chicago White Sox 11-4.
|  | | Gerald Williams isn't preoccupied with statistics. "I'm just a player who wants to play," he said. |
"I'm not disrespecting the game," said Williams, the 14th AL
player to accomplish the feat. "Win the World Series -- the other
things, that's not team-oriented."
He knows. He went to the World Series last season with Atlanta.
"There are a lot of guys who evaluate stats," said Williams,
who also hit an RBI single in the fifth. "I'm just a player who
wants to play."
Tanyon Sturtze (5-2), acquired from the White Sox on May 31, won
his third straight start. He allowed one run and five hits in seven
innings with six strikeouts and is 3-0 with a 2.45 ERA in four
starts since joining Tampa Bay.
"I was excited," Sturtze said. "These are guys I played with.
You get a lot of feelings for those guys. You want to do a good
job."
Felix Martinez hit his second career home run, and Fred McGriff
and Bobby Smith each drove in three runs to lead the Devil Rays.
The White Sox, whose 74-51 record is the best in the AL, have
lost five of nine and are 10-10 in August and 19-19 since the
All-Star break.
Jim Parque (10-5) lost for the third time in four decisions. He
gave up six runs -- three earned -- five hits and five walks in 4 2/3
innings.
"The worst part is I feel like I've let the entire team down,
the organization down," Parque said. "We needed a win today and
they were counting on me. I didn't do it."
White Sox manager Jerry Manuel, who has had to juggle his
rotation because of injuries, was asked if Parque had mechanical,
mental, physical or emotional problems.
"All of the above," Manuel said. "We can ill afford to have
this kind of performance continue."
Parque is 2-3 with a 5.67 ERA after the All-Star break and has
failed to complete five innings in two of his last three starts. He
has walked 17 batters in his last four starts after walking 16 in
the previous 10 starts.
"There were times when I had my stuff, when I'd get the guy on
three pitches, then boom, I'd be terrible," Parque said. "It's a
fact that I tried too hard. I should just go out and not care."
The Devil Rays have scored 23 runs in their last two games after
scoring 25 in the previous eight.
"We went through a little bit of a dry period for a while,"
Tampa Bay manager Larry Rothschild said. "It's nice to get it
going."
Smith hit an RBI single with two outs in the first and Williams
homered in the third to make it 2-0.
Frank Thomas doubled to start the fourth and scored two outs
later on Carlos Lee's double.
Jose Guillen walked to lead off the fifth. Jason Tyner
sacrificed and Martinez reached on a throwing error by Parque.
Williams singled to score Guillen and, one out later, Vaughn walked
to load the bases for McGriff, whose two-run single made it 5-1 and
chased Parque.
Vaughn then stole home on a double steal to go ahead 6-1.
Tampa Bay sent 10 batters to the plate in the seventh. Martinez
homered off Kevin Beirne leading off, McGriff drew a bases loaded
walk to make it 8-1, and Smith greeted Mark Buehrle with a two-run
single. One out later, Guillen hit an RBI double.
Jose Valentin tripled with one out in the eighth off Billy
Taylor and scored on Thomas' groundout.
Charles Johnson hit a two-run double in the ninth off Doug
Creek.
Game notes
Brady Anderson (1996) and Bobby Bonds (1973) share the
season record for homers in the No. 1 slot at 35. ... Williams'
previous career high was 17 homers, set last year with Atlanta. ...
Martinez's other home run was June 4 against the Mets. ... Sturtze
was dealt to the Devil Rays for INF Tony Graffanino. ... Chicago
RHP Sean Lowe is to make his first start this season Wednesday
against Baltimore. Rookie RHP Jon Garland was expected to be placed
on the disabled list to open a roster spot for Lowe, 3-1 with a
6.46 ERA.
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ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
Tampa Bay Clubhouse
Chi. White Sox Clubhouse
Devil Rays' Rekar faces misdemeanor domestic battery charge
RECAPS
NY Yankees 12
Texas 3
Boston 7
Anaheim 6
Detroit 3
Oakland 1
Baltimore 2
Kansas City 1
Tampa Bay 11
Chi. White Sox 4
Cincinnati 7
Philadelphia 4
Houston 5
Chicago Cubs 4
St. Louis 7
Pittsburgh 4
Atlanta 7
Colorado 4
Milwaukee 16
Arizona 8
San Diego 5
NY Mets 4
Montreal 4
Los Angeles 1
San Francisco 6
Florida 0
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