When your starting pitcher gives up 13 hits and the manager praises him, it`s time to come home.
So the White Sox did, but not until their long, strange trip ended with a 5-3 loss to the Kansas City Royals Thursday night in Royals Stadium.
The Sox finished their dirty dozen tour with six wins and six losses, but it wasn`t easy. They started with three straight defeats in Boston, went on to five straight wins in Milwaukee and wound up with three boppings in four nights here.
The loss knocked the Sox four games back of first-place Oakland in the West Division. The Sox trailed by just two games when they checked into their first hotel back on July 30.
”I don`t care how far out we are,” Torborg said. ”We`ve just got to bounce back tomorrow.”
The Sox would like to invite the Brewers down for the weekend, but the schedule dictates that third-place Texas visits, beginning with a twi-night double-header Friday in Comiskey Park.
And that`s why Adam Peterson was allowed to give up 13 hits, and why his manager thanked him for it.
”That kid busted his tail to save our bacon,” Torborg said. ”We were in big trouble. We had no long man.”
Torborg was saving his pitchers for Friday`s double-header, which will involve the small business of Nolan Ryan, set to pitch the second game against Wayne Edwards, who makes his first major-league start. Jack McDowell faces Craig McMurtry in the opener.
The White Sox still own baseball`s second-best record, 64-44, and they`re still 12 games above .500 on the road.
But that didn`t make three losses to one of the West Division`s doormats easier to take.
”I told you guys I was worried about this trip,” Torborg said. ”This club (the Royals) showed me some character. This club has done so much with so much adversity.”
For six innings, the Sox looked like a team that had ordered one room service meal too many. Then they came alive in the seventh to slice a 5-0 lead to 5-3.
The spark came from rookie Frank Thomas, who drilled his second single of the night to open the inning (he finished 2 for 4 and is hitting .308).
Thomas is a power hitter, but on both hits he showed the ability to slap the outside pitch through the right side of the infield.
”Frank Thomas is going to be an impact player,” Torborg said.
Robin Ventura, dropped to the No. 7 spot as Torborg juggled his batting order, flied to left, but then Scott Fletcher bounced an artificial turf hit over second base to put runners at first and second.
Ozzie Guillen`s double and Phil Bradley`s third single made it 5-3.
Royal manager John Wathan immediately called on Steve Farr, who induced Lance Johnson to bounce into a double play. Torborg disagreed, but first base umpire Larry Young wouldn`t budge.
”I just went out there and told him I thought he missed it,” Torborg said. ”What good does it do to go out and jump up and down and make a fool of myself?”
Peterson made a makeshift hero of himself in the third poor outing by a Sox starter in the series.
Melido Perez and Greg Hibbard each were bounced in 2 1/3 innings. Peterson got beyond the third, but only at a cost to his earned-run average. It jumped to 3.86 from 3.52.
Twelve of the first 24 Kansas City batters reached base, but Peterson was left to fend for himself.
”He used me as long as he could,” Peterson (2-4) said. ”All I had was a fastball. I wasn`t able to locate any of my other pitches. You can`t get away with that in the big leagues. I was able to hang in there and save a couple of guys.”
Ken Patterson finished with 1 2/3 innings, stretching the bullpen`s streak of scoreless innings to 17.
Peterson allowed a hit in every inning until he was lifted in the seventh, but he shut the Royals out the last three innings.
The Royals unloaded on Peterson early and often. Their second batter, Bill Pecota, tripled to left field and came in on George Brett`s grounder.
Three singles in the third made it 2-0, but the Royals blew the game open in the fourth.
With one down, Kurt Stillwell singled and scored the Royals` third run on Brian McRae`s double. A walk to Seitzer set the table for Brett, who lined a two-out double to right field to make it 5-0.
