ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) -- Jose Valentin finally feels like he's getting in a groove.

	Jose Valentin Third Base Chicago White Sox Profile
	2002 SEASON STATISTICS GM HR RBI R SB AVG 99 17 58 44 3 .244

Valentin homered twice, including his sixth career grand slam,
and drove in six runs to power the Chicago White Sox to a 12-3 win over the Texas Rangers on Tuesday night.

"Not only the two home runs, but I'm swinging the bat better,'' said Valentin, who, since an 0-for-13 slump, is 8-for-17 with three doubles and three homers. "It was one of those days where I got a pitch to hit and didn't miss it.''

The switch-hitter even hit his slam right-handed, his first
homer and first RBI in 35 at-bats from that side of the plate this
season. That slam, on the third pitch thrown by reliever Dennys
Reyes, put Chicago up 7-0 in the fourth.

"That was a surprise with him batting right-handed,'' said
White Sox manager Jerry Manuel. "I was actually hoping he might
look at that (2-0) pitch.''

Instead, Valentin hit a 372-foot homer into the left-field stands.

When he batted left-handed against Van Poppel in the eighth, he hit a 428-foot shot down the right-field line.

It was the 11th multihomer game for Valentin, who homered from
both sides of the plate in the same game for the third time. His
six RBI matched a career high.

Valentin also drove in a run when he reached on a grounder in the first.

Paul Konerko added a three-run homer in the ninth off Van
Poppel. Magglio Ordonez and Aaron Rowand each had RBI doubles for
the White Sox, who have won five of its last six games but are
still 13 games behind AL Central-leading Minnesota.

Rowand, who took over as the everyday center fielder on July 27,
went 4-for-4. He reached base in all six of his plate appearances.

Gary Glover (5-5) worked eight innings, a career high, allowing
three runs on five hits. He struck out seven and walked one.

"He maintained a good delivery pretty much through the game,'' Manuel said. "He was getting stronger.''

Mark Johnson led off the Chicago fourth with a single and scored on Rowand's double. Then with two outs, Joaquin Benoit (2-2) walked Ordonez and hit Konerko with his 100th pitch to load the bases for Valentin.

After Alex Rodriguez started the Texas fourth with a single, Rafael Palmeiro hit his 31st homer. An out later, Carl Everett hit his 13th homer and extended his hitting steak to 10 games.

Benoit, whose first career victory came May 9 against the White
Sox, gave up six runs on five hits. He also walked six, and had the
hit batsman, while throwing just 52 of his 100 pitches for strikes.

"I was in the normal routine, the strike zone was just not there for me. I couldn't find it,'' said Benoit, the 23-year-old rookie being given a chance in the Texas rotation. `

Benoit's troubles started right away. He threw 38 pitches in the first, a 20-minute ordeal in which the White Sox took a 2-0 lead.

Rowand drew a one-out walk, moved to third on Frank Thomas' single and scored when Ordonez doubled to left. After Konerko walked, Valentin hit a groundball on which Konerko was thrown out at second.

The White Sox got another run when Van Poppel, after replacing Reyes with two outs in the seventh, loaded the bases with a hit batsman and a walk before throwing a wild pitch that allowed Joe Crede to score.

Game notes
Valentin's last grand slam was June 18, 2000, at the New York Yankees. ... Palmeiro, who had 15 homers his last 39 games, ranks 20th on the all-time list with 478 career homers. Next on the list is Sammy Sosa, at 490 and counting. ... Ordonez has 97 RBI,
just three shy of reaching 100 for the fourth straight season. He
is hitting .398 (41-of-103) over his last 26 games, and is a .425
career hitter (31-of-73) at The Ballpark in Arlington. ... The
Rangers are 17-27 against the AL Central, their worst record ever.
Wednesday's game against the White Sox is their last against a
Central team this season.