Pierzynski powers Sox to easy win over Cubs 10-5

A.J, Pierzynski needed only to glance at the clubhouse TV on Friday and witness the Blackhawks parade to recall the best of times in Chicago.

"To see them on the double-decker buses, it brings back a lot of good memories from 2005," said the White Sox catcher. "It would be nice to do that again here."

These qualify as anything but the best of times for both Chicago baseball teams. The collective groan when the ill-named BP Cup awarded to the winner of the crosstown series was wheeled out before first pitch attests to that.

But something about Wrigley Field brings out A.J.'s best.

Pierzynski went 4-for-5 with a homer, double and 3 RBI, part of a 16-hit battering of Cubs pitching, to back a strong Jake Peavy start in a 10-5 White Sox win.

"I needed a good game, period. It doesn't matter where it is," said Pierzynski, who raised his average to .237., still well shy of his career .283. "It's no fun to look up there and you're hitting .215 and you're struggling. It's good to get a hit and get some wins."

Pierzynski is a career .329 (24-for-73) hitter with 4 homers and 17 RBI at Wrigley.

Some reports indicate that the Rangers have shown interest in trading for the 33-year-old Pierzynski, who earns 10-and-5 status and no-trade veto power Monday.

"A.J's played good against the Cubs in the past, especially in this ballpark," White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said. "I've told him don't worry about getting traded. Just go out there and play your game."

Pierzynski's RBI double in the fifth followed a 2-RBI double by Paul Konerko, pushing the White Sox ahead 5-2 and all but ending Cubs starter Randy Wells' day.

Wells (3-5), 0-5 over his last 8 starts, saw his first-inning ERA climb to 11.25 with 2 early runs. He allowed 5 earned runs on 10 hits in 5 innings.

"These major-league hitters can swing the bat," Cubs manager Lou Piniella said. "You see a lot of pitchers that struggle their second year a little bit and have to readjust."

Peavy, rumored headed to the Cubs prior to the 2009 season, was strong in his first taste of the rivalry. With anything but ace-like numbers of 4-5 and a 5.90 ERA coming in, he allowed 2 runs on 6 hits and struck out five in 7 innings.

Peavy threw shutout ball after Alfonso Soriano's 2-run home run in the second - Soriano's 300th career homer - tied it 2-2.

"I had a good game plan going in, I had a history with a lot of these guys and did what I needed to do," Peavy said.

Peavy's win was the 100th of his career, and the second time this year he allowed fewer than 4 earned runs in consecutive starts.

"When this guy throws strikes," Guillen said, "he can be nasty."

Alex Rios went 4-for-4 with 3 runs scored and a 2-run homer in the eighth inning, his 13th. Carlos Quentin clubbed a pinch homer earlier in the eighth for the Sox, who won their third straight for the second time.

And they did it in front of 41,129 fans at Wrigley, many dressed in Blackhawks red. Big numbers when you consider the two teams came in to Friday's action a combined 16 games out of first place.

"I was surprised and pleased and very proud of Chicago fans," Guillen said. "A lot of people were talking about that nobody was going to come here and watch this game, that it didn't mean anything. It may have sold out. That's how many baseball fans are out there."

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<li><a href="/story/?id=387394"><b>MILES:</b> Nothing to gush over: Cubs, Sox both spewing oil<span class="date"> [6/11/10]</span></a></li>

<li><a href="/story/?id=387487">Pierzynski about to be able to veto any trade<span class="date"> [6/11/10]</span></a></li>

<li><a href="/story/?id=387364">Upset with critics, Piniella in war of words with Stone<span class="date"> [6/11/10]</span></a></li>

<li><a href="/story/?id=387362">Ozzie: I've never come close to fighting Sox GM <span class="date"> [6/11/10]</span></a></li>

<li><a href="/story/?id=387490">Change to pregame routine bothers Wells<span class="date"> [6/11/10]</span></a></li>

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