Crede, Konerko hit grand slams as White Sox clobber Tigers

CHICAGO (AP) -- The Tigers have the worst record in the major leagues, and Detroit manager Jim Leyland couldn't contain himself anymore.

Following Sunday's 11-0 loss to the Chicago White Sox, Leyland was heard screaming in the clubhouse before reporters were allowed inside. He wouldn't comment on the rant, but the manager said it wasn't just about the loss.

"There was one thing that sticks out to me right now that's going on, and that was the straw that broke the camel's back," Leyland said, without revealing the issue.

Joe Crede and Paul Konerko hit grand slams to back Javier Vazquez's strong start. Konerko's homer came in the third off Kenny Rogers and Crede's grand slam, his second this season, came in the fifth against Zach Miner as the White Sox won for the fifth time in six games over Detroit, the preseason favorite to win the AL Central.

"We got Detroit at the right time," White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said. "Those guys are going to wake up sooner or later. They have unbelievable talent."

Chicago has a 5½-game lead in the division over the Tigers. The White Sox have outscored Detroit 46-12 this season, despite the Tigers adding slugging third baseman Miguel Cabrera to an already powerful lineup.

"Where we're at makes sense because that's the way we've played," Leyland said. "It's not surprising that we're 2-10. We've been shut out four times. ... I didn't think we'd get shut out four times all year, to be honest with you."

Detroit has been shutout out twice as many time as any other major league team -- one more time than they were blanked all of last year.

"We're just in a funk," Leyland said. "Can I get them out of the funk? No, I don't think so. They have to get themselves out of it."

It was the third time the White Sox have hit two grand slams in one game. The previous time Chicago did it was May 19, 1996, when Darren Lewis and Robin Ventura homered at Detroit. The first time was Sept. 4, 1995, when Ventura hit two grand slams in a game at Texas.

"It was kind of wild," Konerko said. "You don't see many grand slams, and especially with the weather. The weather was kind of brutal out there."

On a cold and windy day, Rogers (0-3) gave up seven runs, seven hits and four walks in four-plus innings. He once again pitched with no run support; the Tigers haven't scored a run in his three starts this season. Not that he helped much.

"We're not a very good team right now," Rogers said. "We're as bad a team as there is right now in every facet, myself as much as anyone. I'm supposed to be consistent and I was very uncomfortable out there and inconsistent."

Chicago has started to erase the bad taste from last season with its strong start, and Crede is part of the reason why. The third baseman is hitting .341 with four homers and 15 RBIs, with most of his production coming in the last week. He had to work himself into shape in spring training after missing much of last season with back surgery.

"He's Joe," Guillen said. "We're lucky enough to have Joe back. Last year we missed him a lot. We missed his bat and his glove. You see his RBIs, but he also had RBIs in the field, saving runs with his defense."

Vazquez (2-1) won his second straight start, scattering five hits in seven innings while striking out nine without a walk.

Trailing 1-0 in the third, Rogers walked Nick Swisher and Orlando Cabrera reached on an infield single. Jim Thome walked and Konerko took an 0-1 fastball to center for a 405-foot homer, his first grand slam since Oct. 23, 2005.

"It's a credit to the guys in front of us that were getting on base," Konerko said. "In my case, Orlando hustled down the line, drawing a bad throw to get on base and then Jimmy has a heck of an at-bat and draws a walk. It's all those little things where it didn't look like it was going anywhere and then, bang, grand slam."

Rogers didn't make it out of the fifth, getting pulled for Miner after Cabrera's double and Thome's bloop single. Konerko struck out, Jermaine Dye hit an RBI double and A.J. Pierzynski was intentionally walked. Thome scored on a wild pitch and Miner walked Carlos Quentin to set up Crede's sixth grand slam, a 393-foot shot to left.

Crede had hit two grand slams in a season once before.

"High school, senior year," he said of his days at Fatima High School in Westphalia, Mo. "I can't recall a time since A-ball that I've started out feeling this good, this early."

Not so for the Tigers. On Thome's single in the fifth, Cabrera tripped on the third base umpire's foot and missed a chance for an easy catch.

"That tells you how bad it's been going for us," Leyland said. "He stepped on the umpire's foot and slipped."

Game notes
Tigers OF/3B Brandon Inge started at catcher for Ivan Rodriguez, marking his third position in the first two weeks of the season. He started at third base Saturday and has made seven starts in center field. ... Crede hit a grand slam on April 7 against the Twins. ... Konerko also had an RBI single in the first. ... Vazquez is 4-0 against Detroit since 2007 and the White Sox are 42-20 against them since 2005. ... Rogers hasn't started 0-3 since 1991.