Game 137: Sep 4, 1999 (L: 12-3)
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My Commentary

Back to putting my head in the sand.  Blech!  What exposure on national television.  :(

And Jeff Fassero is starting tomorrow and I'll be at the game.  I can't hide my head in the sand, I'll have to watch it.  :)

-- Joe Siegler

Game Recap

ARLINGTON, TEXAS (TICKER) -- Rookie Liu Rodriguez drove in a career-high three runs and Brook Fordyce matched a personal best with four hits as the Chicago White Sox snapped a five-game losing streak with a 12-3 triumph over the Texas Rangers.

Rodriguez, who entered the game with four RBI in 53 at-bats, nearly matched his entire season's output with an RBI single in the third and a two-run single in Chicago's seven-run seventh. Fordyce had two doubles, including one in the ninth that scored Greg Norton and capped the White Sox's 15-hit attack.

"Everyone felt Liu was a good player for us, but going to the big leagues from Double-A and not playing, it's difficult to maintain consistency," White Sox manager Jerry Manuel said. "He's back now and is a solid, fundamental player. He knows how to play the game."

Carlos Castillo (2-2) notched the victory with two hitless innings as Chicago's bullpen tossed four scoreless frames.

The Rangers got another home run from Rafael Palmeiro, who took over the league lead from Ken Griffey Jr. with 42. Palmeiro's two-run blast was his 25th at home, establishing a team record. Juan Gonzalez held the previous mark with 24 in 1993.

The White Sox have won five of the eight meetings between the teams this season. Carlos Lee singled in the seventh to extend his hitting streak to a career-high 13 games.

Chicago lost second baseman Ray Durham to a strained left hamstring in the first inning. The White Sox already were without first baseman Frank Thomas, who is nursing a bruised ankle.

"It was nice to see us put some runs on the board," Manuel added. "Anytime you score this many runs with those guys out, you have to be somewhat surprised."

Texas starter Esteban Loaiza (7-3) allowed five runs and six hits over 6 1/3 innings. He walked two and struck out two and has dropped two in a row after winning seven straight.

"Overall, I thought Loaiza threw the ball well," Rangers manager Johnny Oates said. "He got away with a couple of pitches but there weren't that many balls that were hit hard. He gave up the flare and couldn't get out of the seventh inning."

The Rangers took a 1-0 lead in the first on an RBI single by Rusty Greer but Chicago scored twice in the third. Texas regained a 3-2 lead on Palmeiro's homer in the bottom of the frame.

It remained a one-run contest into the seventh, when the White Sox strung together six straight hits to break open the game. Greg Norton led off with a single and was bunted over. Fordyce singled and Mike Caruso doubled to finish Loaiza.

Tim Crabtree came on and surrendered a two-run single to Rodriguez that put the White Sox on top, 5-3. Lee and Magglio Ordonez singled before a double by Paul Konerko made it 8-3. After Danny Kolb relieved Crabtree, Norton ripped an RBI single.

"You can put this loss on my shoulders," Crabtree said. "Even though Loaiza took it, I came into a 3-3 game and couldn't hold it. If I had, it might have been a different story. Today was just one of those games. I just made a couple of pitches that put us in a hole and we didn't come back."

Chicago tacked on a run in the eighth before RBI doubles by Norton and Fordyce in the ninth capped the scoring.

Recap #2

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) -- The Chicago White Sox scored their most runs since May 15. And they did it with Frank Thomas and Ray Durham on the bench for most of the game. 

Liu Rodriguez hit a tiebreaking two-run single in a seven-run seventh inning and the White Sox routed the Texas Rangers 12-3 Saturday, stopping a five-game losing streak. 

Thomas missed the game because of a bruised ankle and Durham was lifted in the second inning after aggravating a strained left hamstring.

"We finally put some runs on the board," White Sox manager Jerry Manuel said. "Anytime you get that many runs without guys like (Thomas and Durham), it's good." 

Brook Fordyce was 4-for-5, matching his career high for hits. Greg Norton was 3-for-4, singling twice in the seventh, and Rodriguez drove in three runs. 

The White Sox had 15 hits and matched the season-high 12 runs they scored in May against the New York Yankees. 

"It was contagious," Norton said. "It snowballed. Anytime we had a runner in scoring position, we seemed to get a hit." 

Rafael Palmeiro's league-leading 42nd homer, a two-run drive in the third, put Texas ahead 3-2 and moved him one ahead of Seattle's Ken Griffey Jr. But the White Sox rallied in the seventh against Esteban Loaiza (7-3). 

Norton led off with a single, Craig Wilson sacrificed and Mike Caruso's double tied the score. 

Rodriguez blooped reliever Tim Crabtree's first pitch to left for a a 5-3 lead. Magglio Ordonez followed with an RBI single, Paul Konerko hit a two-run double and Norton's RBI single made it 9-3. 

Chicago had eight hits in the inning, a season high. The White Sox matched their most runs in an inning this year. 

Brian Simmons added an RBI groundout in the eighth. Norton doubled in a run in the ninth and Fordyce had a run-scoring double. 

Carlos Castillo (2-2) pitched two hitless innings in relief of Jaime Navarro, who allowed three runs and seven hits in five innings. Navarro threw 126 pitches during a rare afternoon game at Arlington, with the gametime temperature at 100 degrees. 

"The only mistake I made was to Palmeiro," Navarro said. "I just wanted to keep it close until the guys could come back. It was hot, but I've pitched when it was 110 degrees." 

Loaiza, who has lost two straight starts after winning seven in a row, gave up five runs and six hits in 6 1/3 innings. 

"Overall, I thought he threw the ball well," Rangers manager Johnny Oates said. "He got away with a couple of pitches, but there weren't that many balls that were hit hard." 

Rusty Greer's RBI single put Texas ahead in the first, but Chicago took a 2-1 lead in the third on a run-scoring throwing error by third baseman Todd Zeile and Rodriguez's RBI single. 

GAME NOTES: Palmeiro has 25 homers at home this year, a team record. He has 356 career homers and ranks 52nd all-time, two behind Yogi Berra. ... Texas has 196 homers, third-most in club history. The team record of 221 was set in 1996. ... Norton's ninth-inning double was his first extra-base hit this season against a left-hander. ... Crabtree gave up four runs and four hits and didn't register an out, giving up a run for the first time in nine outings. That snapped a string of 6 1/3 scoreless innings. 

Photos
(Click on any of them for a larger image)

Pudge goes after a foul...	..and then talks to a fan about it	Pudge is out trying to steal second...	Tom Goodwin balancing	Mighty Raffy does it again

Box Score

Line Score
AL  FINAL
                    1  2  3   4  5  6   7  8  9     R  H  E
                    -  -  -   -  -  -   -  -  -     -  -  -
CHI WHITE SOX       0  0  2   0  0  0   7  1  2    12 15  0
TEXAS               1  0  2   0  0  0   0  0  0     3 11  1   (FINAL)

BATTERIES:  CHA - JAIME NAVARRO, CARLOS CASTILLO (6TH), JESUS
                  PENA (8TH), BILL SIMAS (9TH) AND BROOK FORDYCE
            TEX - ESTEBAN LOAIZA, TIM CRABTREE (7TH), DANNY KOLB
                  (7TH), MATT PERISHO (8TH) AND IVAN RODRIGUEZ

             WP - CARLOS CASTILLO (2-2)
             LP - ESTEBAN LOAIZA (7-3)
           SAVE - NONE

HOME RUNS:  CHA - NONE
            TEX - RAFAEL PALMEIRO (42) OFF NAVARRO IN THE 3RD, 1 ON

     TIME:  3:28     ATT:  29,279

PROBABLES:  CHA - JIM PARQUE (9-11, 4.72)
            TEX - JEFF FASSERO (4-14, 7.60)

Box Score
CHI WHITE SOX (12) AT TEXAS (3) - FINAL

CHI WHITE SOX          ab  r  h rbi bb so lob   avg
Durham 2b               0  0  0  0   1  0   0  .304
 M Caruso ss            4  2  1  1   0  0   2  .261
L Rodriguez ss-2b       4  1  2  3   1  0   1  .228
Ca Lee lf               4  1  1  0   0  1   2  .314
 Br Simmons lf          1  0  0  1   0  0   1  .234
M Ordonez rf            5  1  2  1   0  1   2  .300
Konerko dh              5  2  2  2   0  0   3  .295
Singleton cf            5  0  0  0   0  0   0  .308
Norton 1b               4  2  3  2   1  0   0  .241
C Wilson 3b             3  0  0  0   0  2   2  .229
B Fordyce c             5  3  4  1   0  0   1  .298

Totals                 40 12 15 11   3  4  14

BATTING: 2B - B Fordyce 2 (21, Loaiza, Perisho); M Caruso (11,
Loaiza); Konerko 2 (24, Crabtree, Perisho); Norton (20, Perisho).
S - M Caruso, C Wilson 2. RBI - L Rodriguez 3 (7), M Caruso (32),
M Ordonez (107), Konerko 2 (68), Norton 2 (43), Br Simmons (6),
B Fordyce (36). 2-out RBI - Norton, B Fordyce. Runners left in
scoring position, 2 out - Konerko 1, B Fordyce 1, M Caruso 1.
Team LOB - 7.

FIELDING: DP: 1 (M Caruso-L Rodriguez-Norton).

TEXAS                  ab  r  h rbi bb so lob   avg
Mclemore 2b             5  1  1  0   0  1   2  .282
I Rodriguez c           2  0  1  0   2  0   0  .327
 a-Sc Green ph          1  0  1  0   0  0   0  .500
Greer lf                5  1  2  1   0  0   2  .303
J Gonzalez rf           5  0  1  0   0  0   4  .311
R Palmeiro dh           3  1  2  2   1  0   0  .339
 Shave pr               0  0  0  0   0  0   0  .254
Zeile 3b                4  0  0  0   1  2   7  .302
L Stevens 1b            3  0  0  0   1  2   4  .289
Clayton ss              4  0  1  0   0  1   1  .268
T Goodwin cf            4  0  2  0   0  0   2  .243

Totals                 36  3 11  3   5  6  22

a-singled for I Rodriguez in the 9th.

BATTING: 3B - T Goodwin (6, Navarro). HR - R Palmeiro (42, 3rd
inning off Navarro 1 on, 1 out). RBI - Greer (90), R Palmeiro 2 (132).
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out - L Stevens 2, T Goodwin 1,
J Gonzalez 1. GIDP - Zeile.  Team LOB - 12.

BASERUNNING: SB - Mclemore (14, 2nd base off Navarro/B Fordyce);
I Rodriguez (24, 2nd base off Navarro/B Fordyce).
CS - I Rodriguez (10, 2nd base by Navarro/B Fordyce).

FIELDING: E - Zeile (23, throw).

CHI WHITE SOX                ip       h   r  er  bb  so  hr    era
Navarro                       5       7   3   3   4   3   1   6.27
C Castillo (W, 2-2)           2       0   0   0   1   1   0   6.53
J Pena                        1       1   0   0   0   2   0   2.31
Simas                         1       3   0   0   0   0   0   3.90

TEXAS                        ip       h   r  er  bb  so  hr    era
Loaiza (L, 7-3)               6 1/3   6   5   4   2   2   0   4.55
Crabtree                      0       4   4   4   0   0   0   3.31
Kolb                            2/3   1   0   0   0   0   0   4.13
Perisho                       2       4   3   3   1   2   0  13.50

Crabtree pitched to 4 batters in the 7th.

WP - Crabtree, Perisho. HBP - R Palmeiro (by Navarro).
Pitches-strikes: Loaiza 95-65; Crabtree 10-7; Kolb 12-7; Perisho 39-26;
Navarro 126-70; C Castillo 40-28; J Pena 18-11; Simas 16-11.
Ground balls-fly balls: Loaiza 8-9; Crabtree 0-0; Kolb 2-0;
Perisho 4-0; Navarro 6-5; C Castillo 2-3; J Pena 1-0; Simas 2-1.
Batters faced: Loaiza 28; Crabtree 4; Kolb 3; Perisho 11; Navarro 26;
C Castillo 7; J Pena 4; Simas 5.

UMPIRES: HP--Dan Morrison. 1B--Larry Young. 2B--Fieldin
Culbreth. 3B--Marty Foster.
T--3:28.  Att--29,279.   Weather: 87 degrees, sunny.   Wind: 8 mph,
in from center.

AL       CHI WHITE SOX AT TEXAS
         NOTE:  CHICAGO'S RAY DURHAM LEFT THE GAME AFTER THE FIRST INNING
                DUE TO A STRAINED LEFT HAMSTRING.

AL       CHI WHITE SOX AT TEXAS
         NOTE:  CHICAGO'S CARLOS LEE SINGLED IN THE SEVENTH INNING TO
                EXTEND HIS HITTING STREAK TO 13 GAMES.

Game Log

Chi White Sox Starting Lineups -- Ray Durham 2B, Liu Rodriguez SS, Carlos Lee LF, Magglio Ordonez RF, Paul Konerko DH, Chris Singleton CF, Greg Norton 1B, Craig Wilson 3B, Brook Fordyce C, Jaime Navarro RHP.

Texas Starting Lineups -- Mark Mclemore 2B, Ivan Rodriguez C, Rusty Greer LF, Juan Gonzalez RF, Rafael Palmeiro DH, Todd Zeile 3B, Lee Stevens 1B, Royce Clayton SS, Tom Goodwin CF, Esteban Loaiza RHP.

Umpires -- Morrison (HP), Young (1B), Culbreth (2B), Foster (3B).

Gametime Weather: 87 degrees, Sunny, wind in from center at 8 mph.

CHI WHITE SOX 1ST: Durham walked. L Rodriguez bunted into fielder's choice to first, Durham out at second. Ca Lee struck out swinging. M Ordonez singled to right, L Rodriguez to third. Konerko grounded out to pitcher. (0 Runs, 1 Hit, 0 Errors) CHI WHITE SOX 0, TEXAS 0.

TEXAS 1ST: Mclemore singled to center. Mclemore stole second. I Rodriguez walked. Greer singled to right, Mclemore scored, I Rodriguez to third. Greer to second advancing on throw. J Gonzalez popped out to shallow center. R Palmeiro hit by pitch. Zeile struck out swinging. L Stevens grounded into fielder's choice to second, R Palmeiro out at second. (1 Run, 2 Hits, 0 Errors) CHI WHITE SOX 0, TEXAS 1.

CHI WHITE SOX 2ND: Singleton grounded out to first. Norton lined out to shortstop. C Wilson struck out looking. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors) CHI WHITE SOX 0, TEXAS 1.

TEXAS 2ND: L Rodriguez at second. M Caruso at short. Clayton flied out to deep center. T Goodwin tripled to right. Mclemore grounded out to second. I Rodriguez walked. I Rodriguez caught stealing, catcher to shortstop. (0 Runs, 1 Hit, 0 Errors) CHI WHITE SOX 0, TEXAS 1.

CHI WHITE SOX 3RD: B Fordyce doubled to left center. M Caruso sacrificed B Fordyce to third, B Fordyce scored, M Caruso safe at third on 3rd baseman Zeile's throwing error. L Rodriguez singled to left, M Caruso scored. Ca Lee popped out to second. M Ordonez popped out to third. Konerko flied out to center. (2 Runs, 2 Hits, 1 Error) CHI WHITE SOX 2, TEXAS 1.

TEXAS 3RD: Greer singled to left center. J Gonzalez fouled out to first. R Palmeiro homered to right, Greer scored. Zeile walked. L Stevens struck out swinging. Clayton singled to left, Zeile to second. T Goodwin flied out to center. (2 Runs, 3 Hits, 0 Errors) CHI WHITE SOX 2, TEXAS 3.

CHI WHITE SOX 4TH: Singleton grounded out to second. Norton walked. C Wilson sacrificed Norton to second. B Fordyce grounded out to pitcher. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors) CHI WHITE SOX 2, TEXAS 3.

TEXAS 4TH: Mclemore struck out swinging. I Rodriguez singled to left. I Rodriguez stole second. Greer grounded out to second. J Gonzalez flied out to shallow right. (0 Runs, 1 Hit, 0 Errors) CHI WHITE SOX 2, TEXAS 3.

CHI WHITE SOX 5TH: M Caruso grounded out to first. L Rodriguez popped out to shallow left. Ca Lee flied out to deep left center. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors) CHI WHITE SOX 2, TEXAS 3.

TEXAS 5TH: R Palmeiro grounded out to first. Zeile grounded out to third. L Stevens walked. Clayton grounded into fielder's choice to shortstop, L Stevens out at second. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors) CHI WHITE SOX 2, TEXAS 3.

CHI WHITE SOX 6TH: M Ordonez lined out to shortstop. Konerko flied out to center. Singleton flied out to right center. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors) CHI WHITE SOX 2, TEXAS 3.

TEXAS 6TH: Carlos Castillo relieved Jaime Navarro. T Goodwin grounded out to second. Mclemore flied out to right center. I Rodriguez grounded out to third. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors) CHI WHITE SOX 2, TEXAS 3.

CHI WHITE SOX 7TH: Norton singled to right. C Wilson sacrificed Norton to second. B Fordyce singled to left, Norton to third. M Caruso doubled to left, Norton scored, B Fordyce to third. Tim Crabtree relieved Esteban Loaiza. L Rodriguez singled to left, B Fordyce and M Caruso scored. Ca Lee singled to right, L Rodriguez to second. M Ordonez singled to center, L Rodriguez scored, Ca Lee to second. Ca Lee to third, M Ordonez to second on Crabtree wild pitch. Konerko doubled to left center, Ca Lee and M Ordonez scored. Danny Kolb relieved Tim Crabtree. Singleton grounded out to second, Konerko to third. Norton singled to left, Konerko scored. C Wilson grounded out to third. (7 Runs, 8 Hits, 0 Errors) CHI WHITE SOX 9, TEXAS 3.

TEXAS 7TH: Br Simmons in left. Greer flied out to center. J Gonzalez flied out to left. R Palmeiro walked. Zeile struck out swinging. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors) CHI WHITE SOX 9, TEXAS 3.

CHI WHITE SOX 8TH: Matt Perisho relieved Danny Kolb. B Fordyce singled to center. M Caruso grounded out to second, B Fordyce to second. B Fordyce to third on Perisho wild pitch. L Rodriguez walked. Br Simmons grounded into fielder's choice to pitcher, B Fordyce scored, L Rodriguez out at second. M Ordonez struck out swinging. (1 Run, 1 Hit, 0 Errors) CHI WHITE SOX 10, TEXAS 3.

TEXAS 8TH: Jesus Pena relieved Carlos Castillo. L Stevens struck out swinging. Clayton struck out swinging. T Goodwin singled to right. Mclemore grounded out to second. (0 Runs, 1 Hit, 0 Errors) CHI WHITE SOX 10, TEXAS 3.

CHI WHITE SOX 9TH: Konerko doubled to deep left center. Singleton grounded out to second, Konerko to third. Norton doubled to left, Konerko scored. C Wilson struck out swinging. B Fordyce doubled to deep right, Norton scored. M Caruso grounded out to second. (2 Runs, 3 Hits, 0 Errors) CHI WHITE SOX 12, TEXAS 3.

TEXAS 9TH: Bill Simas relieved Jesus Pena. Sc Green hit for I Rodriguez. Sc Green singled to left center. Greer flied out to left. J Gonzalez singled to center, Sc Green to second. R Palmeiro singled to right, Sc Green to third, J Gonzalez to second. Shave ran for R Palmeiro. Zeile grounded into double play, shortstop to second to first, Shave out at second. (0 Runs, 3 Hits, 0 Errors) CHI WHITE SOX 12, TEXAS 3.