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CHICAGO - The White Sox got the winning socks. Five of them. Now, after a powerful start, maybe it's their turn to end a title drought.
Stunning the World Series champions with five homers - two by A.J. Pierzynski - Chicago routed the Boston Red Sox 14-2 Tuesday in their playoff opener.
Pierzynski went the final month of the regular season without a homer, but his first one Tuesday - a three-run shot - capped a five-run first inning against Matt Clement. And, surprisingly, it came right after the catcher tried to bunt, only to have the ball roll foul.
"Just one of those things, I got good pitches to hit and I hit 'em," Pierzynski said. "In the playoffs you get to start over and forget what you did in the past."
Konerko, Juan Uribe and leadoff hitter Scott Podsednik - who didn't have a homer all season - also connected.
Jose Contreras pitched effectively into the eighth inning, ending Boston's eight-game postseason winning streak that carried the team to its first title in 86 years last season.
But it was Chicago's bats that took Boston out early.
"The power, obviously, surprises you," Boston's Kevin Millar said. "But it doesn't matter how they do it. We'll just come back and try to win a game."
The White Sox are trying to end a championship drought that's even longer the one Boston faced a year ago. It dates to the days of Shoeless Joe Jackson and their most recent World Series crown in 1917.
Boston has done fine overcoming October deficits. The Red Sox rallied from 3-0 down to beat the New York Yankees in the AL Championship Series last year then swept St. Louis for their first World Series title since 1918.
"That was a long time ago," Boston manager Terry Francona said. "It's a different team. I've said so many times that last year doesn't matter."
The White Sox got their first playoff victory since 1993, and the home run derby sent a raucous, towel-waving crowd of 40,717 into delirium.
Konerko added a shot in the third and Uribe a two-run drive to finish Clement in the fourth. Podsednik hit a three-run shot off Jeremi Gonzalez in the sixth. Pierzynski connected again in the eighth.
The White Sox had 200 homers this season, despite their label as a "small ball" team with the speedy Podsednik at the top of the lineup.
"They nick you and then when they do hit the home runs, it makes it a little more significant," Francona said.
Clement, who lost three of his final five regular-season starts, struggled with his control at the outset, hitting Podsednik and Jermaine Dye with pitches.
Podsednik stole third and after Konerko sent a long drive to left that was foul, he put the White Sox ahead with a run-scoring grounder to third.
Carl Everett followed with a single before Aaron Rowand sent a run-scoring single over shortstop for a 2-0 lead. Moments later Pierzynski lined his three-run homer to left-center.
If he'd reached on a bunt, the inning - and perhaps the game - would have been different.
"I was trying to take advantage of the situation, a guy on third and two outs," Pierzynski said. "I was trying to get a cheapie and it worked out. If I would have gotten it down, maybe something different would have happened."