CHICAGO — Joe Borchard set a small crowd abuzz with the longest homer in the 14-year history of U.S. Cellular Field.
But some small ball — a bunt and aggressive baserunning by Timo Perez — were just as big Monday in helping the Chicago White Sox beat the Philadelphia Phillies 9-8 in a wild interleague makeup game.
"I just put my head down and started running. I could feel it was going a long way. I didn't know how far it would go," Borchard said.
The second-inning drive to right-center off Brett Myers cleared the bleachers and landed in the middle of a concourse — an estimated 504 feet from the plate. The previous longest homer at the ballpark that opened in 1991 as new Comiskey Park, was a 495-foot shot by Frank Thomas two years ago against the Twins.
"Complete shock," Borchard said after learning of his feat.
"He crushed it," Myers said. "It definitely was an impressive shot."
The White Sox took a 7-6 lead with two runs in the sixth off Roberto Hernandez (2-5) to make a winner of Mark Buehrle (12-8).
Aaron Rowand hit a two-out RBI single off Hernandez to tie it and scored the go-ahead run when third baseman David Bell and Hernandez collided trying to field Perez's bunt single.
"I think Timo caught David Bell back and actually over a little bit in the hole. It was a good move on his part," Rowand said. "I had a feeling he might try it. We were thinking along the same lines and it worked out."
Rowand made it 9-6 in the eighth with his 20th homer, a two-run shot off Todd Jones.
Jim Thome hit a two-out, two-run homer in the ninth off Shingo Takatsu, but the Chicago closer struck out Doug Glanville for his 14th save in 15 chances.
TIGERS 9, ROYALS 1: At Kansas City, Mo., Craig Monroe homered twice and drove in five runs, and Nate Robertson threw his first career complete game in the Detroit Tigers' 9-1 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Monday night.
Ivan Rodriguez added a two-run homer for the Tigers, who snapped a four-game losing streak and sent the Royals to their 10th loss in 12 games.
Robertson (12-7) allowed one run and six hits in becoming the first Tigers left-hander to win 12 games in seven years. He had seven strikeouts and no walks.
Monroe gave the Tigers a 2-0 lead in the second with his second homer in two games, sending a 1-1 pitch from Mike Wood (2-7) to left.
Rodriguez, who missed the previous three games with flulike symptoms, hit a two-run shot off Wood in the third to make it 4-0. It was Rodriguez's 17th homer and the 1,000th run he has scored in his career.