White Sox rout Cubs in spring-training play

MESA, Ariz. – Paul Konerko hit two solo home runs and Jermaine Dye hit a three-run homer in the fourth inning Sunday as the Chicago White Sox beat the Chicago Cubs 13-2.\nKonerko homered off Cubs starter Rich Hill in the first inning and John Webb in the fifth. Dye sparked a four-run White Sox fourth with his three-run blast off reliever Juan Mateo. Rob Mackowiak hit a solo homer against Mateo later in the inning.\nKonerko’s homers were his first of the spring.\n“Usually I start out OK and then have a little dip somewhere in the middle and get worried and work harder,” he said. “But the last week (of spring), and more specifically the last couple of games, is when you get the feel.”\nDye’s three-run blast to left field was his second of the spring.\n“Like Paulie said, it’s just about getting feel and getting to see different pitches,” Dye said. “The results are good sometimes and sometimes they’re bad. That’s why you have spring training.”\nKonerko opened the scoring with two outs in the first inning. Hill, a lefty, struck out Brian Anderson and Robert Valido to start the game before giving up Konerko’s homer.\n“Just that one pitch, I kind of left it over the middle of the plate,” Hill said.\nThe homers by Dye and Mackowiak gave the White Sox a 5-0 lead in the fourth. In the bottom of the inning, Cubs first baseman Derrek Lee led off with his first homer of the spring.\nWhite Sox starting pitcher Jon Garland pitched three scoreless innings, giving up two hits while walking one and striking out one.\nThe game was played before 12,903 fans, a record for HoHoKam Park.\nThe Cubs are winless in Cactus League play this spring. The White Sox improved to 2-4.