Veteran Ivan Calderon`s power and rookie Sammy Sosa`s speed staked the White Sox to an early 4-0 lead Saturday, and they defeated the Cleveland Indians 8-2 at Comiskey Park.
Carlton Fisk chipped in with a two-run homer in the eighth.
Sox starter and winner Greg Hibbard (6-7) pitched 5 1/3 innings and received fine relief from Bill Long before a crowd of 13,198 fans in the next to last game of the season. Long came into the game in the sixth and retired the first eight men he faced, throwing only six called balls among his 29 pitches.
Calderon`s power featured the Sox` jumping into a 2-0 lead in their first time at bat against loser Rod Nichols.
Scott Fletcher singled with one out and scored when Calderon knocked his ninth triple of the season and 56th extra-base hit. Fisk knocked home Calderon with a single to left.
Steve Lyons made it four hits in a row with a single to right-center, but he damaged hopes for a really big inning when he was out by six feet trying to stretch the hit into a double.
Sosa`s great speed keyed another two-run spurt to a 4-0 lead in the second. With one out, Sosa singled, stole second on a pitchout, and and took third on a bellywhopper slide after Guillen`s fly to left. Dave Gallagher singled home Sosa, and Fletcher doubled home Gallagher.
The Indians made it 4-1 with a controversial run in the fourth. After Brook Jacoby led off with an infield single, Cory Snyder hit a roller to Fletcher at second. Baserunner Jacoby bumped Fletcher just as the ball arrived and it went through the Sox fielder. Interference was not called. Snyder was credited with an infield hit, and Jacoby scored on two ground outs.
The Sox scored an unearned run to go ahead 5-1 in the fourth. Robin Ventura reached on an infield single and continued to second on Felix Fermin`s bad throw. Gallagher`s two-out single drove home Ventura.
The Tribe chipped a run off the Sox lead, making it 5-2 and chasing Hibbard in the sixth. Jacoby singled, took third on Ventura`s throwing error and scored on pinch-hitter Mike Young`s single.
