|
RECAP
|
BOX SCORE
|
GAME LOG
CHICAGO (AP) – Nothing wrong with the Chicago White Sox's
offense that a visit from the Cleveland Indians won't cure.
Herbert Perry tied his career-high with four RBI and Frank
Thomas hit a two-run homer as the Chicago White Sox beat Cleveland
9-2 on Monday night for their first win since Opening Day.
|  | | Frank Thomas slams a two-run home run off Indians starter Chuck Finley. Chicago scored seven runs in Finley's two innings of work. |
"It's weird how one game can turn a series around," Perry
said. "(The Tigers) knocked the wind out of us. Tonight, we got
off to a really good start and never looked back.
"Hitting is contagious. You get the pitcher and the other
players on their heels and balls fall in line and line drives seem
to find holes."
The Indians got a big scare when reliever Steve Woodard was hit
on his right elbow by Thomas' line drive in the sixth inning.
Woodard had to be taken off the field on a stretcher, but two sets
of X-rays were negative.
Woodard was to spend Monday night at Palos Community Hospital
for observation. He'll go on the disabled list, and Indians general
manager John Hart said the team plans to call up Jake Westbrook
from Triple-A Buffalo.
"The game became secondary at that point," Indians first
baseman Jim Thome said. "When you see him out there and you can't
do anything about it, it's hard."
The race for the AL Central is heating up early this year, with
the White Sox and Indians playing five games in the first 10 days.
And Chicago has the early edge, thanks to a revived offense and an
effective outing by emergency starter Rocky Biddle (1-0).
Biddle, starting in place of Cal Eldred, who has a knotted
muscle at the base of his neck, gave up 10 hits but only two earned
runs. He came through with big pitches when he needed them, getting
three outs in a row to stop an Indians rally in the third.
"If we got another hit in the third and fourth inning, it would
have made a big difference in the game," Indians manager Charlie
Manuel said. "We hit the ball hard, but didn't get the big hits
with runners in scoring position."
Biddle also kept Cleveland's big bats quiet, shutting down Juan
Gonzalez and Thome. The sluggers went a combined 0-for-5 against
Biddle.
"Things went my way," Biddle said. "I could have walked Thome
(in the third). I had him 3-2 and I was trying for an inside
fastball. I left it out over the middle of the plate and he
happened to swing through it."
The White Sox, the defending AL Central champs, came into the
game batting .259 and with a four-game losing streak. But they
jumped on Chuck Finley (1-1) early and often, tagging him for seven
runs and seven hits in the first two innings.
Finley left after the second, his shortest outing since April
15, 1997, when he pitched two innings at New York.
"It looked like his stuff was there, but it looked like they
knew what was coming," Charlie Manuel said. "They just jumped out
there and took it to us. They earned those seven runs."
Magglio Ordonez lined a shot just over second baseman Roberto
Alomar's head into short center for an RBI single in the first.
After Carlos Lee drew a walk to load the bases with two outs, Perry
sent a shot to deep right for a three-run double.
The White Sox got three more in the second as Ray Durham tripled
and scored on Royce Clayton's single. That brought up Thomas, who
hit an 0-1 pitch from Finley over the fence in left-center for a
7-0 lead.
The White Sox added two more runs in the fifth on Perry's
sacrifice fly and an RBI single by Sandy Alomar Jr.
"We just haven't put a good game together until tonight,"
White Sox manager Jerry Manuel said. "That's how we won games last
year – get out to a good lead, call in the bullpen and hopefully
get some more runs."
Biddle, in the bullpen this year after making four starts last
season, got into a little trouble in the third, giving up a two-run
double to Jacob Cruz. But he got the next three batters, striking
out Thome and Ellis Burks to end the inning.
Game notes
Eldred missed his second start because of a nagging stiff
neck. He'll be re-evaluated Tuesday. ... Gonzalez finished 0-for-4
with one strikeout. Thome was 0-for-4 with three strikeouts. ...
After breaking an 0-for-10 slump Sunday, Clayton was 1-for-4 with a
walk. ... Durham went 4-for-5, tying his career high for hits.
 Send this story to a friend
| |
Indians reliever goes on DL after hit on arm by liner
RECAPS
Toronto 8
Tampa Bay 1
Chi. White Sox 9
Cleveland 2
NY Yankees 13
Kansas City 4
Minnesota 11
Detroit 5
NY Mets 9
Atlanta 4
Cincinnati 8
Pittsburgh 2
St. Louis 3
Colorado 2
Montreal 7
Chicago Cubs 5
Philadelphia 5
Florida 4
|
