DETROIT (AP) -- Jermaine Dye chilled out after pressuring himself

into an early slump with the Chicago White Sox, who signed him to

replace Magglio Ordonez.

Dye hit a two-run homer and a two-run single to back Jon Garland

in Chicago's 9-1 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday

night.

"Any player that comes to a new team is going to try to get off

to a good start," said Dye, who entered the game hitting .178 with

two homers and three RBI. "But I'm relaxed now and I'm just going

have fun."

Joe Crede hit a three-run homer for the AL Central-leading White

Sox (11-4). They have won three straight to match the best 15-game

start in team history -- also reached in 1981 and 1980 -- and are the

first team in the league to win 11 games this year.

"These guys are playing well," Tigers manager Alan Trammell

said. "They're in first place, but sitting here and looking at the

division, Minnesota is still the team to beat."

When White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen heard the Twins have been

withholding praise of his team until they get to the middle of the

season, he shot back at the defending AL Central champions.

"They don't have the same team they had in the past," Guillen

said. "I'll take my chances. I like this team."

Garland allowed one run and five hits in eight innings,

improving to 3-0 for the first time. He has won three straight

starts for the first time in three years.

"I feel good with every pitch coming out of my hand," he said.

Wilfredo Ledezma (1-1) gave up six runs on eight hits. Since

allowing only a run in his first start, Ledezma has given up 10

runs and 16 hits over 11 innings in his last two outings.

"Not to single anybody out, but we didn't play well," Trammell

said when asked about Ledezma.

Instead of playing his former team for the first time, Ordonez

traveled back to Detroit from Montreal after seeing a hernia

specialist, who could not conclude that Ordonez has a hernia.

Ordonez said missing the game against the White Sox didn't add

to his misery.

"I just want to play against anybody," Ordonez said in

Detroit's clubhouse after the game.

Ordonez is scheduled to be examined by doctors in Michigan on

Thursday and to visit another hernia specialist Monday in

Philadelphia. He is 0-for-10 in three games after signing a $75

million, five-year contract.

Tigers president Dave Dombrowski said he could not estimate when

Ordonez would return.

"It's very puzzling," Dombrowski said.

The White Sox gave Dye a $10 million, two-year deal, hoping he

could produce some of the power Ordonez did as a right fielder

before he was limited by knee problems last season.

"I'm just going to keep battling and sooner or later, things

are going to come around," Dye said.

The White Sox scored three runs in the first after shortstop

Carlos Guillen bobbled a grounder that could've led to an

inning-ending double play. Guillen wasn't charged with an error

because he made a throw to first base for the second out of the

inning.

Scott Podsednik hit a leadoff single and later scored on a wild

pitch. Dye's two-run homer over the left field wall extended

Chicago's streak with a homer to seven games and was his first hit

in 12 at-bats.

Omar Infante led off the third with a double, the first hit off

Garland, and scored on Brandon Inge's double.

The White Sox went ahead 6-1 in the fifth on Dye's two-run

single and Carl Everett's sacrifice fly. Crede's liner over the

left-field wall off Andrew Good in the sixth extended his hitting

streak to 11 games, matching a career high.Game notes
Chicago's Frank Thomas, on the DL following left ankle

surgery, hit at least one home run during batting practice. Thomas

said it was his first session in nine days. "Mentally, I'm feeling

like I'm OK, but it's not healed," he said. ... All-Star voting

began Wednesday night at Comerica Park, where the game will be July

12. Detroit last hosted the All-Star game in 1971 at Tiger Stadium.

... The White Sox began an eight-game road trip with upcoming stops

in Kansas City and Oakland. ... Detroit has lost two straight after

winning three in a row. ... Garland is 5-0 in his last five starts,

dating to last year. ... Ledezma threw 33 pitches in the first.