Twins @ White Sox: Joe Crede Slam Powers White Sox to Fifth-Straight Win

Joe Crede hit a grand slam to break open a 3-3 tie in the bottom of the seventh to push the White Sox to a 7-4 win over the Minnesota Twins in their home opener.

The slam finished off a two-for-four day for Crede, and that followed a four-for-five performance the night before in Detroit.  The third baseman is hitting .393 with two home runs and 10 RBI on the young season.

It also made Javier Vazquez a winner for the first time in 2008, after he went seven innings, allowing seven hits, three earned runs, one walk, and eight strikeouts.

Closer Bobby Jenks pitched a scoreless ninth for his fourth save this year, after Scott Linebrink worked the eighth, allowing his first run in a White Sox uniform.

The teams traded first-inning runs, and Minnesota took a 2-1 lead in the top of the second after Mike Lamb drove in Jason Kubel with an RBI double. 

The Twins extended their lead to 3-1 in the fourth on another Lamb double, but Chicago struck back with a run in the bottom half of the fourth on a Nick Swisher RBI fielder's choice.

It remained that way until the bottom of the seventh, when Jermaine Dye drove Jim Thome in with an RBI-single.  After an AJ Pierzynski strikeout, Carlos Quentin singled to load the bases for Crede.

The win was Chicago's fifth straight, making for the team's first five-game winning streak since August 10-14, 2006.  This moves Chicago into first place alone, one-half game ahead of the idle Royals, who open a three-game set tomorrow at home against the Yankees.

After an off-day tomorrow, the White Sox will go for six in a row on Wednesday as they send John Danks to the mound against Scott Baker for Minnesota.

Notes: The White Sox are 6-1 in their last seven home openers...Ozzie Guillen was ejected in the third inning, his 13th ejection since becoming Chicago's manager...Crede's grand slam was his first since June 24, 2006 against the Astros.