"Dayan Viciedo knows how to make an entrance. After blooping a single to center field in his first at-bat on Sunday, the 22-year-old slugger lined a three-run homer to center, dramatically breaking a scoreless tie and sending the Sox to a 9-3 victory against the Seattle Mariners.

With Viciedo making his long-awaited presence felt immediately and Adam Dunn being sent to the bench to get his mind and bat right for 2012, the Sox completed a three-game sweep that pushed them over .500 for the second time since April 16. They moved past the Cleveland Indians into second place and cut the AL Central-leading Detroit Tigers' lead to six.

Hitting a home run in his first game this season was one thing. The spectacle of the Dick Allen-type drive over a wall was another.

"That ball was hammered,'' Sox second baseman Gordon Beckham said. "I haven't seen too many balls hit like that this year.''

It was a rocket that energized but didn't shock the Sox dugout.

"I think we all knew what kind of talent he has,'' winning pitcher Gavin Floyd said."