Whitesoxclub.com | Chicago White sox News, whitesox Scores, Game Recaps & Commentary - <div>The Kool-Aid was passed out in buckets throughout spring training and again hours before the White Sox finally opened the 2009 season a day late. </div>Manager Ozzie Guillen spoke of ''a couple new surprises'' and a ''new, balanced look.'' General manager Ken Williams pointed to a ''speedier lineup'' and players willing to ''fight in every at-bat.'' All nice little Baseball philosophies to throw around while the games had no meaning. But this is still the South Side, and that means grip, rip and hope to hear the fireworks. And no one on the roster is better at that than designated hitter Jim Thome. Kansas City Royals reliever Kyle Farnsworth became Thome's latest victim in the Sox' 4-2 victory Tuesday in front of a crowd of 37,449 at U.S. Cellular Field. Trailing 2-1 and looking lifeless most of the day, the Sox offense finally set the table for Thome in the eighth inning. His 400-foot shot over the center-field wall cleared the table, putting the Sox in front for the first time. ''We have guys in the middle of the lineup, and even in the bottom, that can hit the long ball,'' Thome said when asked about old habits dying hard. ''But we have guys that can do some other things, too. You'll see other parts of our game come out this year as we go on.'' Just not on Tuesday. ''The three-run homer in the eighth, that's a little different style of play that we've been touting,'' first baseman Paul Konerko said with a grin on his face. ''That's us. You still have to bang in the American League. ''The last game it seems we played here was the one-game playoff [against Minnesota], where Jim came up huge again. It was very similar to that game, where we had nothing going all day and then bang, three outs and we win.'' Not that the new ''fundamentally sound'' lineup didn't have anything to do with Thome's heroics. Josh Fields started the rally in the eighth by laying down a perfectly placed bunt. ''It was my call,'' Fields said. ''I felt that was my best chance to get on base and get something going. I noticed [third baseman Alex Gordon] was backing up later in the count. I felt good with it as we were practicing in spring training, so I figured I might as well give it a shot.'' In all-too-typical Sox fashion, however, DeWayne Wise twice failed to get down a bunt, eventually popping out to center field. Chris Getz's hit-and-run single put Fields at third, again giving the Sox a great opportunity, but Carlos Quentin struck out to put the rally in jeopardy. That is, until Thome delivered with his 542nd career homer. ''Jimmy is a workaholic,'' Guillen said. ''He prepares so hard to get himself ready in spring training, he deserves that. There's not going to be panic with the game on the line because he's a veteran player. Lazy people should be home and people that work hard should be in this game, and Jimmy is one of those guys.'' So for now, maybe it is the same old Sox . Not that anyone was complaining afterward. ''Yeah, that game looked a lot like games that we have won,'' Konerko said, ''but we do have some more athletic guys. That will show through over the course of 162 games.'' Well, maybe over the final 161. THE RECAP AT THE PLATE Chris Getz had a nice debut as the regular second baseman, going 2-for-4, but the afternoon belonged to Jim Thome. The biggest of his three hits was a three-run homer in the eighth that knocked the breath out of the Royals. It was Thome's third home run in his last two Opening Day games. ON THE MOUND A shaky Mark Buehrle battled with control problems all day, but the bullpen picked him up. Clayton Richard and Octavio Dotel (1-0) combined to pitch three scoreless innings to keep the Sox close, and after Thome's homer, closer Bobby Jenks cleaned up in the ninth for his first save. PIVOTAL POINT The game could have gotten out of hand in the fifth with Buehrle on the ropes, but with the bases loaded and no outs, Josh Fields nabbed a ground ball at third base and made a perfect throw for the force out at home. The Royals did score a run in the inning, but it could have been much worse. BOX SCORE Kansas City AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Crisp cf 5 0 1 0 0 1 .200 Dejesus lf 5 0 1 0 0 1 .200 Teahen 2b 3 0 1 0 1 0 .333 Guillen rf 4 1 1 0 1 0 .250 Jacobs 1b 3 0 0 0 0 1 .000 Butler dh 4 0 0 0 0 1 .000 Gordon 3b 4 1 1 2 0 0 .250 Olivo c 4 0 2 0 0 2 .500 Aviles ss 3 0 0 0 1 2 .000 Totals 35 2 7 2 3 8 WHITE SOX AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Wise cf 4 0 0 0 0 3 .000 Getz 2b 4 1 2 0 0 0 .500 Quentin lf 4 0 0 0 0 1 .000 Thome dh 4 2 3 3 0 0 .750 Dye rf 4 0 2 0 0 0 .500 Konerko 1b 3 0 1 0 0 1 .333 Pierzynski c 3 0 1 0 0 0 .333 A.Ramirez ss 3 0 0 0 0 1 .000 Fields 3b 3 1 2 1 0 1 .667 Totals 32 4 11 4 0 7 Kansas City 010 010 000--2 7 0 WHITE SOX 010 000 03x--4 11 0 LOB--Kansas City 11, SOX 4. 2B--Teahen (1), Olivo (1), Getz (1). HR--Thome (1), off Farnsworth; Gordon (1), off Buehrle. RBI--Gordon 2 (2), Thome 3 (3), Fields (1). CS--Dye (1). Runners left in scoring position--Kansas City 6 (Crisp, Dejesus 2, Jacobs, Butler, Olivo); SOX 1 (Thome). Runners moved up--Crisp, Dejesus, Quentin. Kansas City IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Meche 7 7 1 1 0 6 91 1.29 Farnsworth L, 0-1 1 4 3 3 0 1 24 27.00 WHITE SOX IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Buehrle 5 6 2 2 3 3 97 3.60 Richard 2 0 0 0 0 1 21 0.00 Dotel W, 1-0 1 0 0 0 0 3 21 0.00 Jenks S, 1-1 1 1 0 0 0 1 11 0.00 BS--Farnsworth (1). HBP--by Buehrle (Jacobs), by Buehrle (Teahen). WP--Dotel. Umpires--Home, Gary Darling; First, Bill Hohn; Second, Bruce Dreckman; Third, Paul Emmel. T--2:32. A--37,449 (40,615). HOW THEY SCORED Royals SECOND Butler grounded out. Gordon homered to center on a 1-0 count. One run. Royals 1, White Sox 0. White Sox second Thome singled. Dye singled, Thome to second. Konerko singled, Thome to third, Dye to second. Pierzynski popped out. Ramirez popped out. Fields singled, Thome scored, Dye to third, Konerko to second. One run. White Sox 1, Royals 1. Royals fifth Teahen doubled. Guillen singled to left, Teahen to third. Jacobs was hit by a pitch, Guillen to second. Butler grounded into fielder's choice, Teahen out, Guillen to third, Jacobs to second. Gordon grounded into fielder's choice, Guillen scored, Jacobs to third, Butler out. One run. Royals 2, White Sox 1. White Sox eighth Farnsworth pitching. Fields bunt single. Wise flied out. Getz singled to right, Fields to third. Quentin struck out. Thome homered to center on a 2-1 count, Fields scored, Getz scored. Three runs. White Sox 4, Royals 2. CHARTING THOME Jim Thome hit his 542nd career home run Tuesday, moving six shy of 13th on the all-time list: 10. Rafael Palmeiro 569 11. Reggie Jackson 563 12. Alex Rodriguez 553 13. Mike Schmidt 548 14. Jim Thome 542

The Kool-Aid was passed out in buckets throughout spring training and again hours before the White Sox finally opened the 2009 season a day late.

Manager Ozzie Guillen spoke of ''a couple new surprises'' and a ''new, balanced look.'' General manager Ken Williams pointed to a ''speedier lineup'' and players willing to ''fight in every at-bat.''

All nice little Baseball philosophies to throw around while the games had no meaning.

But this is still the South Side, and that means grip, rip and hope to hear the fireworks. And no one on the roster is better at that than designated hitter Jim Thome.

Kansas City Royals reliever Kyle Farnsworth became Thome's latest victim in the Sox' 4-2 victory Tuesday in front of a crowd of 37,449 at U.S. Cellular Field.

Trailing 2-1 and looking lifeless most of the day, the Sox offense finally set the table for Thome in the eighth inning. His 400-foot shot over the center-field wall cleared the table, putting the Sox in front for the first time.

''We have guys in the middle of the lineup, and even in the bottom, that can hit the long ball,'' Thome said when asked about old habits dying hard. ''But we have guys that can do some other things, too. You'll see other parts of our game come out this year as we go on.''

Just not on Tuesday.

''The three-run homer in the eighth, that's a little different style of play that we've been touting,'' first baseman Paul Konerko said with a grin on his face. ''That's us. You still have to bang in the American League.

''The last game it seems we played here was the one-game playoff [against Minnesota], where Jim came up huge again. It was very similar to that game, where we had nothing going all day and then bang, three outs and we win.''

Not that the new ''fundamentally sound'' lineup didn't have anything to do with Thome's heroics. Josh Fields started the rally in the eighth by laying down a perfectly placed bunt.

''It was my call,'' Fields said. ''I felt that was my best chance to get on base and get something going. I noticed [third baseman Alex Gordon] was backing up later in the count. I felt good with it as we were practicing in spring training, so I figured I might as well give it a shot.''

In all-too-typical Sox fashion, however, DeWayne Wise twice failed to get down a bunt, eventually popping out to center field. Chris Getz's hit-and-run single put Fields at third, again giving the Sox a great opportunity, but Carlos Quentin struck out to put the rally in jeopardy.

That is, until Thome delivered with his 542nd career homer.

''Jimmy is a workaholic,'' Guillen said. ''He prepares so hard to get himself ready in spring training, he deserves that. There's not going to be panic with the game on the line because he's a veteran player. Lazy people should be home and people that work hard should be in this game, and Jimmy is one of those guys.''

So for now, maybe it is the same old Sox . Not that anyone was complaining afterward.

''Yeah, that game looked a lot like games that we have won,'' Konerko said, ''but we do have some more athletic guys. That will show through over the course of 162 games.''

Well, maybe over the final 161.

THE RECAP

AT THE PLATE

Chris Getz had a nice debut as the regular second baseman, going 2-for-4, but the afternoon belonged to Jim Thome. The biggest of his three hits was a three-run homer in the eighth that knocked the breath out of the Royals. It was Thome's third home run in his last two Opening Day games.

ON THE MOUND

A shaky Mark Buehrle battled with control problems all day, but the bullpen picked him up. Clayton Richard and Octavio Dotel (1-0) combined to pitch three scoreless innings to keep the Sox close, and after Thome's homer, closer Bobby Jenks cleaned up in the ninth for his first save.

PIVOTAL POINT

The game could have gotten out of hand in the fifth with Buehrle on the ropes, but with the bases loaded and no outs, Josh Fields nabbed a ground ball at third base and made a perfect throw for the force out at home. The Royals did score a run in the inning, but it could have been much worse.

BOX SCORE

Kansas City AB R H BI BB SO Avg.

Crisp cf 5 0 1 0 0 1 .200

Dejesus lf 5 0 1 0 0 1 .200

Teahen 2b 3 0 1 0 1 0 .333

Guillen rf 4 1 1 0 1 0 .250

Jacobs 1b 3 0 0 0 0 1 .000

Butler dh 4 0 0 0 0 1 .000

Gordon 3b 4 1 1 2 0 0 .250

Olivo c 4 0 2 0 0 2 .500

Aviles ss 3 0 0 0 1 2 .000

Totals 35 2 7 2 3 8

WHITE SOX AB R H BI BB SO Avg.

Wise cf 4 0 0 0 0 3 .000

Getz 2b 4 1 2 0 0 0 .500

Quentin lf 4 0 0 0 0 1 .000

Thome dh 4 2 3 3 0 0 .750

Dye rf 4 0 2 0 0 0 .500

Konerko 1b 3 0 1 0 0 1 .333

Pierzynski c 3 0 1 0 0 0 .333

A.Ramirez ss 3 0 0 0 0 1 .000

Fields 3b 3 1 2 1 0 1 .667

Totals 32 4 11 4 0 7

Kansas City 010 010 000--2 7 0

WHITE SOX 010 000 03x--4 11 0

LOB--Kansas City 11, SOX 4. 2B--Teahen (1), Olivo (1), Getz (1). HR--Thome (1), off Farnsworth; Gordon (1), off Buehrle. RBI--Gordon 2 (2), Thome 3 (3), Fields (1). CS--Dye (1). Runners left in scoring position--Kansas City 6 (Crisp, Dejesus 2, Jacobs, Butler, Olivo); SOX 1 (Thome). Runners moved up--Crisp, Dejesus, Quentin.

Kansas City IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA

Meche 7 7 1 1 0 6 91 1.29

Farnsworth L, 0-1 1 4 3 3 0 1 24 27.00

WHITE SOX IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA

Buehrle 5 6 2 2 3 3 97 3.60

Richard 2 0 0 0 0 1 21 0.00

Dotel W, 1-0 1 0 0 0 0 3 21 0.00

Jenks S, 1-1 1 1 0 0 0 1 11 0.00

BS--Farnsworth (1).

HBP--by Buehrle (Jacobs), by Buehrle (Teahen). WP--Dotel.

Umpires--Home, Gary Darling; First, Bill Hohn; Second, Bruce Dreckman; Third, Paul Emmel. T--2:32. A--37,449 (40,615).

HOW THEY SCORED

Royals SECOND Butler grounded out. Gordon homered to center on a 1-0 count. One run. Royals 1, White Sox 0.

White Sox second Thome singled. Dye singled, Thome to second. Konerko singled, Thome to third, Dye to second. Pierzynski popped out. Ramirez popped out. Fields singled, Thome scored, Dye to third, Konerko to second. One run. White Sox 1, Royals 1.

Royals fifth Teahen doubled. Guillen singled to left, Teahen to third. Jacobs was hit by a pitch, Guillen to second. Butler grounded into fielder's choice, Teahen out, Guillen to third, Jacobs to second. Gordon grounded into fielder's choice, Guillen scored, Jacobs to third, Butler out. One run. Royals 2, White Sox 1.

White Sox eighth Farnsworth pitching. Fields bunt single. Wise flied out. Getz singled to right, Fields to third. Quentin struck out. Thome homered to center on a 2-1 count, Fields scored, Getz scored. Three runs. White Sox 4, Royals 2.

CHARTING THOME

Jim Thome hit his 542nd career home run Tuesday, moving six shy of 13th on the all-time list:

10. Rafael Palmeiro 569

11. Reggie Jackson 563

12. Alex Rodriguez 553

13. Mike Schmidt 548

14. Jim Thome 542