White Sox rout Cards, continue road tear

Associated Press Sports

updated 11:24 p.m. ET June 12, 2012

ST. LOUIS (AP) - After dropping two of three to the Houston Astros, Paul Konerko said the Chicago White Sox were looking to get back on track as quickly as possible Tuesday night against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Konerko had three hits to lift his major-league best average to .373, and teammates A.J. Pierzynski and Adam Dunn homered to lead the White Sox to a 6-1 win.

Konerko said it was a big win for his team.

"We've had already about six or seven of those moments where we're doing well and then we had a hiccup," Konerko said. "You just know you have to bounce back if you want to stay in it. That was tonight."

Chicago has won eight straight road games and is a major league-best 17-6 since May 17.

Rookie left-hander Jose Quintana (2-1) allowed one run over 5 1-3 innings to get the win and Orlando Hudson hit a two-run triple for Chicago.

Quintana (2-1), making his fifth start, allowed a career-high 10 hits but did not issue a walk and was helped out by three double plays.

"That's actually what I was looking for," Quintana said through an interpreter. "The double plays were going to get me out of the inning and I was able to get them."

White Sox manager Robin Ventura said that Quintana, who is filling in for the injured John Danks, has earned at least one more start.

"He's getting it again," Ventura said. "He's proven he can pitch up here. When he goes out there and does what he's doing right now, he's making a strong case for staying around."

The Cardinals are moving in the opposite direction, dropping three of their past four to fall back to .500 (31-31).

"We're going through a spot right now and you could see the contrast," St. Louis manager Mike Matheny said. "You could see one team with a lot of confidence and one team on the other side with not so much. We've got to figure out how to get it back."

Matt Holliday went 2 for 4 with a run scored for St. Louis. Allen Craig drove in the Cardinals' run with an RBI single in the sixth.

St. Louis starter Adam Wainwright (5-7) went seven innings and five hits. He gave up two runs while striking out seven and walking two.

Konerko ignited the only rally off Wainwright with a leadoff single to start the second inning. He was erased by Alex Rios' fielder's choice, but Pierzynski kept the inning going with a single to center. Hudson then drove in Rios and Pierzynski with a two-out triple to right center that glanced off right fielder Carlos Beltran's glove.

"I just didn't quite make the pitches I wanted to to Hudson, and I made a mistake to Konerko," Wainwright said. "Other than that, I was pretty sharp."

The White Sox scored four runs in the eighth off relievers Marc Rzepczynski and Mitchell Boggs. Rzepczynski gave up an RBI single to Gordon Beckham, who was thrown out trying to advance to second, and Dunn's 436-foot homer over the Cardinals' bullpen in right field to make it 4-1. Boggs relieved Rzepczynski and gave up a single to Konerko and a 408-foot line shot into the stands in right by Pierzynski.

NOTES: The matchup of Matheny and Ventura marked the first meeting of rookie managers in a Cardinals game since interim manager Mike Jorgensen and first-year San Diego skipper Bruce Bochy squared off in 1995. ... Prior to his triple, Hudson was hitting just .182 (10 for 55) since joining the White Sox on May 22. ... Holliday returned to the lineup after sitting out two games with back spasms. ... Dunn also fanned twice, giving him a major league-leading 98 strikeouts. ... The Cardinals' Rafael Furcal is hitless on the homestand (0 for 15).

? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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