 05/12/2002 9:27 pm ET
Closer, but still 0-for-California
Sox swept in Anaheim, finish 2-5 on road trip
By Glenn Rabney / Special to MLB.com
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- When you think of Southern California, you think of movies, but instead of the "feel good movie of 2002", the Chicago White Sox once again evoked images of Billy Wilder's "Lost Weekend."
Though the Sox looked better on Sunday than they did their first two games against the Anaheim Angels, their failure to capitalize on opportunities led to a 5-4 defeat, a three-game sweep and a four-game losing streak.
Combined with a three-game sweep at Oakland two weeks ago, the Sox have now lost six straight in California this season and are now 3-21 on the West Coast since the start of the 2001 season.
The White Sox handed the ball to right-hander Gary Glover, who lasted three innings and 57 pitches in his only previous start since being moved from the bullpen. After the way the Angels had manhandled the Sox in the previous two games, it didn't look promising.
While Glover wasn't able to shut down the Angels, he did well to keep the Sox close, giving up just three runs on four hits over four innings.
Unfortunately for Glover, he couldn't come through against the Angels' Tim Salmon, who hit a two-run home run in the second to erase Chicago's first lead of the series, and then added an RBI double in the fourth. Onn both occasions the men on base were there as a result of walks issued by Glover.
"I wasn't doing the best job, too many balls and I wasn't real thrilled with my performance," Glover said. "Salmon seemed to own me. Plus, (I threw him a) hanging slider. I might as well have put it on a tee for him."
Even with his lack of control, Glover was still a breath of fresh air considering the way the rest of the weekend went. As a converted reliever, he was on a tight pitch count and after four innings and 75 pitches he was through for the day.
"He gave us a shot, we just couldn't come through," said White Sox manager Jerry Manuel. "He reached his limit. Next time we'll stretch him out a bit more to about 100 pitches."
The fact that he was removing a pitcher because he had run out of gas and not because he was being used as batting practice by the Angels was a nice feeling for Manuel. And watching reliever
Antonio Osuna continue the effort, retiring all six batters he faced, was a nice change from the 11 runs and 19 hits the relief corps had given up the previous two games.
Not that everything was looking good to Manuel. Thanks to an RBI
single from Paul Konerko in the fifth and a solo home run by Tony Graffanino that led off the seventh, the Sox and Angels were tied at 3.
However, even with 11 hits, the glaring missed chances gnawed at Manuel more than the improvement shown by his lineup.
"We blooped a few balls," he said. "But we didn't do a great job."
Angels starter Jarrod Washburn pitched well though he didn't have his best stuff, giving up eight hits and a walk. But the Sox squandered a number of opportunities to grab the lead. In the fourth they had two on for Aaron Rowand, who popped up to first.
In the fifth they had the bases loaded with only one out, but after Konerko drove in one with a bloop single, Carlos Lee lined out to second baseman David Eckstein. Sandy Alomar, Jr. popped up to Eckstein to end the inning.
"I didn't come through when we needed it," said Lee. "A few hits when we had the chance and it's 6-4 instead of 4-4 in the bottom of the ninth."
Magglio Ordonez
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After the Angels took a 4-3 lead, Magglio Ordonez hit a pinch-hit home run to tie it in the eighth. In the top of the ninth, they got two men on via Troy Percival walks, but again couldn't capitalize.
The Angels, on the other hand, received a game-winning hit from Troy Glaus, who drove in David Eckstein with a two-out single in the bottom of the ninth off of Keith Foulke (0-2).
Foulke, who hasn't pitched in a save situation in the last 17 games, was first asked what kind of pitch Glaus hit, and then he added a self-analysis of his performance.
"Fastball and I pitched (terribly)", Foulke said.
He had a lot of company this weekend, all of whom are happy to be heading home. Manuel summed up the sentiment.
"I guess there's no place like home," he said. "And it's good to be getting out of Dodge."
Hopefully for the Sox, who now play 22 of the next 28 games at Comiskey Park, they are returning as the team with the best home record in baseball at 12-4, as opposed to the one that just found out that Disneyland is not always the happiest place on Earth.
Glenn Rabney is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
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