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Beaten At Their Own Game

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By TONY FABRIZIO

afabrizio@tampatrib.com

Published: October 6, 2008

CHICAGO - The home run bashing White Sox beat the Rays in uncharacteristic fashion Sunday, scoring their runs in a 5-3 victory with speed, audacity and timely hitting.

The team that led the AL in home runs but ranked second-to-last in stolen bases - and rarely bunted - had three stolen bases in Sunday's game. Two of the stolen bases led to runs.

Meanwhile, the Sox had no home runs. During the regular season, they were 9-31 in games in which they did not homer.

Manager Ozzie Guillen's team looked more like the Rays than the Rays.

"They knew they had to do something different today," Tampa Bay catcher Dioner Navarro said. "I don't know if that was Ozzie's plan or whatever, but I think they did play a little bit different. We're going to be ready for it today and hopefully win this thing."

Dewayne Wise was a catalyst for the White Sox. He walked against Matt Garza to lead off the fourth and alertly avoided getting doubled off at first when Juan Uribe lined to first baseman Carlos Pena.

Then he stole second and scored on A.J. Pierzynski's two-out single.

Wise produced the game's biggest hit on his next at-bat, doubling in two runs in the fourth. Thirty-nine-year-old Ken Griffey Jr. was able to score the second of those runs because he had hustled to second on Alexei Ramirez' RBI sacrifice fly.

"Just because we're a team that leads the league in home runs, I don't think everybody is sitting around waiting on a home run," Wise said. "It's just sometimes it happens that way. I think we're going to have to come out and do the same thing today."

Brian Anderson came on as a pinch runner for Griffey in the sixth, stole second and scored on a single by Uribe. Uribe stole second in the same inning and got to third on a Garza wild pitch, but he did not score.

Anderson said he doesn't see the White Sox instantly transforming themselves into a running team.

"I think we've still got to stick to what we do best, and that's drive the ball," he said.

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