White Sox hand loss to defending champs

CHICAGO -- The winning socks came from the White Sox. Now, maybe it's their turn to end a long championship drought.

A.J. Pierzynski homered twice, Paul Konerko, Juan Uribe and even Scott Podsednik also connected, and Chicago scored five times in the first inning Tuesday en route to a 14-2 rout of the World Series champion Red Sox in their playoff opener.

Jose Contreras pitched effectively into the eighth inning, ending Boston's eight-game postseason winning streak that carried the team to its first title in 86 years last season.

The White Sox hope to end a drought that's even longer, dating way back to the days of Shoeless Joe Jackson and their most recent World Series crown in 1917, the last time they won any playoff series at all.

Game 2 in the best-of-five series is Wednesday at U.S. Cellular Field with Chicago's Mark Buehrle facing Boston's David Wells.

Yankees 4, Angels 2

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Mike Mussina's elbow held up just fine, and rookie Robinson Cano provided all the offense New York needed with a huge hit in his postseason debut.

Mussina pitched scoreless ball into the sixth inning, Cano lined a three-run double in the first and the Yankees beat Bartolo Colon again, defeating the Los Angeles Angels 4-2 in Game 1 of their AL division series Tuesday night.

Mariano Rivera saved it for the Yankees.

Darin Erstad's RBI single cut it to 4-2 in the ninth, only the 10th earned run Rivera has allowed in 71 career postseason appearances. But the right-hander got pinch-hitter Casey Kotchman on a popup with a runner on first to seal the victory.

New York produced all its offense with two outs and wasted little time getting to Colon, a 21-game winner and leading contender for the AL Cy Young Award.

The Angels' ace threw only one ball in his first 13 pitches, but allowed three straight two-out singles in the first to the middle of New York's order -- Jason Giambi, Gary Sheffield and Hideki Matsui -- prompting a visit from pitching coach Bud Black. Cano then lined a double to left, clearing the bases.

-- From wire reports