”Unreal,” said veteran infielder Scott Fletcher.
”Unbelievable,” observed bullpen ace Bobby Thigpen. ”But that`s the way we play. I hate to say it`s typical. He steps up and does it again. But he`s been hot. No, not just hot. He`s on fire.”
And so the White Sox, on Robin Ventura`s grand-slam home run with two outs in the ninth, in the most dramatic situation possible, came from behind at Comiskey Park Wednesday night and lengthened their winning streak to seven games with a 10-8 victory over the Texas Rangers.
It was the 25th time in 100 games this season that the Sox had won in their final at-bat.
”That shows the character of this club,” insisted Ron Kittle. ”These guys don`t quit.”
”You think a base hit, two runs in, and maybe we tie that baby,” said pitcher Charlie Hough. ”But boom-he launched it.”
It came off Goose Gossage on a two-ball, no-strike fastball.
”When he hit that ball, I just looked at it,” explained manager Jeff Torborg. ”And it was off the Goose, one of the greatest closers. I`m sorry it had to be off the Goose. He`s a great guy.”
It was Ventura`s first at-bat against Gossage.
”I knew who I was facing,” Ventura said later. ”There was a respect there. But I didn`t feel overmatched. If you feel overmatched, you aren`t likely to get a hit.”
Ventura also said he knew what to expect. He said the coaches had told him in a pregame meeting, ”If the Goose gets in, he`s going to come at you. That`s his style. He won`t try to trick you.”
It was the 12th home run for Ventura in July, and gave him 33 RBIs for the month.
”I don`t have any explanation for it,” said Ventura. He insisted he wasn`t swinging for the fences but was only trying for a single, which would have tied the score at 8.
Ventura was advised it was the 25th final-inning victory for the White Sox.
”We better knock it off and start getting some runs early,” he said, laughing.
It was a World Series finish, a photographers` delight. Ventura`s teammates rushed off the bench. Big Frank Thomas grabbed Ventura, propped him on his shoulders, and carried him halfway into the dugout.
”Frank was really excited,” Ventura said. ”I couldn`t get on the ground. When someone is that strong, you don`t fight it that much.”
Whatever, it was certainly another miracle victory. And better yet, it took Melido Perez, the newly converted middle reliever, off the hook.
”Melido`s our MVP,” said Hough. ”He`s our forgotten hero.”
Perez had failed as a starter, a 5.77 earned-run average for 39 innings. Going into Wednesday`s action, he had made 18 appearances out of the bullpen: 1.01 ERA embracing 49 innings.
Unlike the closer, the middleman must pace himself. The late man, on average, faces four or five batters. The long man is expected to work three or four innings, sometimes more.
Perez, in his previous appearance Saturday, worked seven scoreless innings. The demand varies. The time before he pitched 1 1/3 innings; the time before that, four.
”Melido has been the key, from the day he went to the bullpen,” Hough said. ”He`s come into a lot of games when it seemed like we were going to lose. But he takes us into the eighth, and bingo, we score.
”He just doesn`t get much credit because he`s not in at the finish. Somebody gets the big hit, the winning hit, and Thiggy gets the side out and everybody seems to forget Melido.”
Hough paused.
”He`s really shown me something. No, not just me. He`s impressed the whole ballclub. Lots of games are decided between the fifth and eighth inning. Melido comes in and works three, four innings without giving up a run-that`s the big reason we`ve won so many close games.”
Perez expressed disappointment when Torborg dropped him from the rotation on May 26. He now admits the transfer has been to his advantage.
”It`s tougher (than starting) because I`ve got to be ready every day,”
Perez said. But he conceded that, with each success, he`s become more comfortable working out of the bullpen.
In addition, there is this plus:
”Maybe, before, I worried too much the day before I started. In the bullpen there is no time to think. I`ve just got to come in and throw strikes.”
He came in and threw strikes Wednesday but was bombed for three home runs and would have been charged with the loss if not for Ventura`s grand slam.
”He`s entitled to a bad outing,” Ventura said later. ”He`s been sensational for us.”
And so hats off to both Melido and Ventura. Without them, the White Sox wouldn`t be in second place in the American League West, only three games out and charging.
As for me, I am beginning to believe.
Admittedly, the Sox don`t have the best personnel but, as author Tom Wolfe would say, ”They`re made of the right stuff.”
