Long after this one was over, Gene Lamont was still miffed by his first-ever ejection as a big-league manager, Jack McDowell was tossing yet another verbal grenade at American League umpires and Lance Johnson was adjusting to life without a hitting streak.
The rest of the White Sox? Their weary faces were those of players who knew the rest of the season would be a test of professionalism and little more.
With Rickey Henderson driving in both Oakland runs, the A`s took the final game of this last-gasp series, beating the Sox 2-1 Wednesday afternoon in front of 34,767 at Oakland-Alameda County Stadium.
Henderson`s leadoff homer off McDowell put the A`s ahead in the first. His fly ball drove in the winning run off McDowell in the ninth.
In between were lost opportunities by the Sox and a couple of misplays that hurt. In short, it was in some respects a one-game clinic on what has kept the Sox from being a great team in 1992.
They arrived in Oakland trailing the A`s by nine games and needing a sweep or, minimum, two out of three. They go home 10 games out.
A naive soul asked Lamont if his team`s backs were to the wall.
”When we came in here, our backs were to the wall, as far as I was concerned,” Lamont said. ”Losing two out of three-I don`t know if there`s such a thing as having our backs more to the wall, but it`s tougher, that`s for sure.”
Henderson`s homer, his third leading off a game this season and his 53rd lifetime, came on a 2-2 pitch from McDowell.
”He`s got a strike zone about this big,” said McDowell (15-7), his fingers indicating the depth of a medium-size pea, ”and they keep letting him get away with it. If you throw something over the plate, he`s going to be right on it.
”A couple of pitches early in the count that I thought were right there weren`t (called). You get into a situation where you have to throw him a strike, and he hit the ball well.”
McDowell and plate umpire Al Clark were not cordial early. Afterward, McDowell and crew chief Larry Barnett went at it.
”It`s a joke,” said McDowell. ”It`s a joke. Like it`s their game-they all want to show off their game.”
It wasn`t just McDowell.
With one out in the top of the ninth, Joey Cora, trying to steal second, was called out by Greg Kosc. Replays showed, at the very least, room for doubt. Lamont came out to express that doubt. Kosc tossed him almost instantly.
Lamont-a veteran basketball ref who isn`t fond of showing up fellow officials-tried to rip himself.
”That`s not the time to get kicked out of a game,” said Lamont, who really didn`t explode until Kosc gave him the quick thumb.
In any event, starter Kevin Campbell and the usual succession of relievers held the Sox scoreless through seven innings that featured three double plays, two by Johnson, whose streak ended at 25, third-longest in Sox history. His other two at-bats were walks, one intentional.
In the seventh, the Sox had runners on first and second against Jeff Parrett with nobody out. But Ron Karkovice, in to run at second, was picked off by Terry Steinbach before Cora could get his bunt down. That killed that inning.
In the eighth, singles by Frank Thomas and George Bell off Parrett put Sox on first and third for Robin Ventura. Tony LaRussa switched to lefty Rick Honeycutt, and Ventura hit a bouncer slow enough toward second base to get Thomas home.
LaRussa went to Dennis Eckersley (5-0), who got Karkovice on a fly ball that stranded Sox on second and third. Cora`s nonsteal of second in the ninth inning quashed that glimmer.
Then came the Oakland ninth.
Jerry Browne singled. With Browne breaking, Mike Bordick hit a chop toward third that Ventura charged. He threw to second.
”I thought we had a shot,” said Ventura. They didn`t. Browne was in easily ahead of the throw.
Eric Fox, the next batter, put down a bunt. McDowell moved in, fielded it, looked to third, saw no play, then threw high to Cora covering first for an error.
The bases were full. If McDowell gets Fox at first, Henderson is walked intentionally. Instead, McDowell has to pitch to him.
Johnson made a nice catch, with his back to the infield, on Henderson`s deep fly.
No need to throw.
”He can rise to the occasion,” Lamont said of Henderson, who stopped by the Sox clubhouse afterward to shake some hands. ”He looks really tough in big situations.”
He was.
The clinic was over.
