The back-to-back losses to Boston Tuesday and Wednesday were the first for the White Sox since June 19 and 20. Even when things were going poorly, they avoided losing too many in succession. Their worst streak in a season of streaks is five.
”A lot of the teams in our division went on a gigantic winning streak,” said manager Jeff Torborg. ”Texas won 15, then they lost eight in a row. Minnesota won 15 in a row and lost something like nine out of 10. Fortunately, when we were not playing consistently, we were not losing seven, eight, nine, 10 in a row.”
Jack McDowell has won four times after a loss, Charlie Hough three, Alex Fernandez and Melido Perez once each, relievers 13 times.
No deal: Trade talk turned quiet on Thursday`s off day. ”I really haven`t had a chance to get into anything in a day and a half,” said GM Ron Schueler, who has been at work in the community.
The Expos, who have Ron Darling and ”Oil Can” Boyd available, remain in the picture. The Brewers, who have Chris Bosio and Dan Plesac on the market, never were. Nothing is imminent-except for a decision on Ron Kittle, which Schueler said will come ”within the next two or three days.”
Good deal: The way it has worked out, with Sunday`s trade of Cory Snyder, is like this: Eric King and Shawn Hillegas to the Indians for Mike Huff, minor-league outfielder Shawn Jeter and another minor-leaguer down the road.
Schueler called the initial Snyder trade ”a mistake,” but maybe it wasn`t.
King (4-5) is disabled, and in his first rehab assignment Tuesday in Colorado Springs, he gave up seven runs on five hits and two walks in 1 1/3 innings. Hillegas, after a good first couple of months in Cleveland, has given up four homers, three of them three-run shots, in his last 3 1/3 innings.
Bad day: Snyder, by the way, got his first start for the Blue Jays Tuesday. He threw out a runner trying to stretch a single into a double-and struck out four times.
