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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
CHICAGO (AP) – Eric Chavez put a jolt in the baseball and it hit a wall on the concourse behind the right-field bleachers -- on the fly.
|  | | Terrence Long hits a three-run homer for the A's, who scored 28 runs in their first 10 games and 76 in their past 12. |
The estimated distance, 500 feet, made it the longest homer ever at new Comiskey Park.
"I came in the dugout and the guys were going, 'You hit it far,'" said Chavez, who homered twice and drove in six runs Thursday night to lead the Oakland Athletics over the Chicago White Sox 16-6.
"I knew it was a homer, and I didn't even watch," Chavez said. "I got to first and just kept going. It's one of those balls I'll probably never hit again. I'll just take it. I don't know what to say," Chavez said.
Chavez hit a solo homer in the third off Jim Parque, a two-run
double in the seventh and the prodigious three-run homer in the
ninth off Gary Glover. It was his first multihomer game, and the
six RBI were a career high.
The longest homer at the new Comiskey before Thursday was by Dan
Pasqua in 1991, the stadium's first season, and it was estimated at
484 feet.
"When I came in, the clubhouse guy told me (about the record). It was pretty exciting to hear," Chavez said. "It's hard to explain. I didn't even think about it."
Terrence Long also had a three-run homer for the A's and Miguel Tejada had a two-run shot as Oakland set season highs for runs and hits (17).
"It was nice we hit 'em with people on. It was our biggest
offensive game tonight. It was just a matter of time before we
broke out," Oakland manager Art Howe said.
Howe was also shaking his head at the shot Chavez hit in the ninth.
"That was smoked. He got all of that one, didn't miss it," Howe said. "Everybody in the dugout went `Whoa.' But I can't see that far anymore."
Gil Heredia (1-4) got his first win in five starts despite giving up three homers, raising his total to a league-leading 10.
He allowed six runs and nine hits in five innings, improving to
4-0 against the White Sox.
Parque (0-3), winless in five starts this year, gave up seven
runs and seven hits in 3 2/3 innings.
Manager Jerry Manuel said sending Parque to the minors is an option. Parque started the playoff opener for Chicago last October but is struggling. Manuel says one of his problems is velocity.
"When you are pitching 4-to-5 mph less than usual, you have to
be perfect. That's where he is now," Manuel said. "How he gets it
back, whether he gets it back here, I don't know."
Parque didn't think lack of speed on his pitches was the problem.
"Maybe he is trying to cover for me," Parque said of his manager. "My velocity's there. I stunk. Whatever they want to do. If they want to send me down, that's their decision."
Carlos Lee hit a two-run homer in the second, but it didn't last
long as the White Sox lost for the fifth time in six games.
Chavez led off the third with his third homer. Johnny Damon
doubled and Parque got in two-out trouble when he hit Jason Giambi
with a pitch. On a 3-2 pitch, Long hit a long three-run homer to
right-center for a 4-2 lead.
Damon had an RBI double in the fourth after a single and two-out
walk to Ramon Hernandez. Frank Menechino's two-run double finished Parque and made it 7-2.
Tejada hit his fourth homer, a two-run shot in the fifth off
Sean Lowe. Frank Thomas had an RBI single for Chicago in the bottom
half.
Homers by Paul Konerko and Chris Singleton finished Heredia and
cut the gap to 9-6 in the sixth.
Oakland loaded the bases in the seventh on a single and two
walks and Chavez hit a two-out, two-run double.
Tejada doubled and Jeremy Giambi singled in the ninth before
Chavez connected again. Menechino and Mario Valdez added
run-scoring doubles.
Game notes
After scoring just 28 runs in their first 10 games, the A's
have 76 in their last 12. ... Parque hasn't won since last Sept.
23. ... The A's have faced 14 left-handed starters in 22 games this
season. In games started by southpaws, they are 5-9. ... Heredia's
victory was his first in the regular season since last Sept. 20,
but he was the winner over New York in the playoff opener Oct. 3.
... Ray Durham got his 1,000th career hit with an eighth-inning
single.
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RECAPS
Kansas City 6
Tampa Bay 0
Detroit 8
Baltimore 2
Boston 2
Minnesota 0
Cleveland 6
Anaheim 5
Seattle 7
NY Yankees 3
Oakland 16
Chi. White Sox 6
Montreal 4
St. Louis 3
Milwaukee 12
NY Mets 8
Chicago Cubs 7
Colorado 2
Cincinnati 7
San Francisco 5
San Diego 11
Philadelphia 0
Arizona 13
Atlanta 6
Los Angeles 6
Pittsburgh 3
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