Steve Rosenberg and Donn Pall learned lessons in this 74,000-seat schoolroom Saturday night.
Rosenberg learned to mind his tempo. Pall learned to mind his elders.
The White Sox, behind Rosenberg`s six strong innings, beat the Cleveland Indians for the second straight evening, this time 4-3 in front of 14,469 people scattered about Cleveland Stadium.
Scott Fletcher and Ivan Calderon each contributed clutch two-out RBI doubles. Calderon also singled in a run, as did Russ Morman, whose bouncing single in the eighth provided what turned out to be the margin of victory.
But this was a pitchers` event more than anything else.
First, Rosenberg.
Utilizing a slower tempo and a more compact leg kick-the result of hours of mind-cluttering drills-the young left-hander had one of his best outings since he came out of the bullpen in late May. He gave up four hits, one off his glove, struck out six and was in command throughout.
The leg action, manager Jeff Torborg`s idea, is patterned after Nolan Ryan`s.
”I asked him if I was going to get his fastball along with his windup,” Rosenberg said. ”I guess not.”
Actually, he was doing his Ryan impression in the first inning, then lost it in the second.
”But his tempo was perfect,” Torborg said. ”He got away with it.”
In the third, the Indians got away with their only run off him when Brad Komminsk singled home Felix Fermin, who had tripled.
But Rosenberg (4-9) struck out Joe Carter to end the inning-four of his six strikeouts ended innings-and was never in trouble again.
Now, Pall.
The Sox led 3-1 when Torborg switched to the reliever to start the seventh.
”We worked him (Rosenberg) so hard in between starts, we knew he was going to get a little tired,” Torborg said. Rosenberg didn`t argue.
Pall struggled a bit in the seventh, Morman`s RBI hit gave him some extra cushion in the Sox eighth, and Pall needed it.
He walked Komminsk to start the eighth, got Carter on a fly to left, went 1-2 on Brook Jacoby, then grooved a forkball. Jacoby hit it six miles into the left-field seats.
Pall was appalled.
”I shook off Pudge again,” he said, clearly embarrassed. Carlton Fisk wanted a fastball in. Pall wanted the forkball.
”Bad things happen every time I do that. From now on, whenever I want to shake him off, I told him, `Walk out to the mound, take your glove, smack me upside the head, don`t say a word, go back to the plate and call the pitch again.` ”
Pall still wound up with four strikeouts in two innings. Bobby Thigpen pitched the ninth for his 28th save.
But this was a huge night for Rosenberg, who had gone six starts without a victory.
”I never really doubted my ability,” said Rosenberg. ”I knew I could pitch here. I`ve done it.
”It`s just a matter of being more consistent. And this, with the leg kick, is going to help.”
