Greg Hibbard was just tough enough when he had to be.
Hibbard`s four relievers were just good enough to hold the Royals scoreless from the sixth to the finish.
And Steve Sax`s drive just managed to reach the seats in left field for a two-run homer.
That`s how the White Sox managed to edge Kansas City 3-2 Saturday night in front of 41,344 at Comiskey Park. That, plus some sparkling defensive plays by Robin Ventura at third base.
Outhit 10-6, the Sox bunched four hits for all of their runs in the fifth when they went from a 1-0 deficit to a 3-1 lead. Dale Sveum doubled. Sax hit his third homer of the season. Tim Raines doubled. Frank Thomas drove home Raines with a single to center. Here ended the offense.
”I didn`t think Sax hit it that good,” said manager Gene Lamont. ”It fooled me.”
”I wasn`t sure,” said Sax. ”I guess the ball was carrying pretty good tonight.”
Sax, used to hitting in the .300 neighborhood, has hit at a .273 clip (21 for 77) over his last 18 games to lift his average to .235.
”I`ll be the first to tell you I`ve had a brutal year,” said Sax. ”But I can`t undo that. I can just go out in the next month or month and a half and try to make an impact.”
Hibbard, improving his record to 9-5, was lifted by Lamont in the sixth after Mike Macfarlane lined a 2-0 pitch into the left-field stands to cut the Sox`s lead to 3-2. From that point on Terry Leach, Wilson Alvarez, Bobby Thigpen and Scott Radinsky combined to blank the Royals on four hits.
”I wish I could have gone longer, but our bullpen had not thrown in a while, and their arms were strong,” said Hibbard.
Hibbard probably saved his pitching victory in the third when he blanked the Royals after singles by Jeff Conine and Brian McRae put runners on second and third with nobody out.
First, Hibbard fanned shortstop David Howard, who singled his next three times at bat. Then Ventura gloved Gregg Jefferies` bounder and threw out Conine on a fielder`s choice at the plate. Finally, Hibbard got Wally Joyner on a harmless bouncer to Sax at second.
”When the count got to two strikes on Howard, I knew I`d either walk him or strike him out,” said Hibbard. ”I would have walked Jefferies if I couldn`t get him on a ground ball. I got just what I wanted. It went right to Robin and he made a good play. That was a turning point.”
Lamont said he hooked Hibbard because ”he was getting some pitches up, and because of Macfarlane`s home run, and because the bullpen was well-rested.”
”Macfarlane is a good low-ball hitter,” said Hibbard. ”When I fell behind 2-0, I didn`t want to walk him. It was a low pitch. Give him credit.” Twelve of Hibbard`s 75 pitches were swinging strikes, indicating he had good stuff-maybe too good.
”I had a good sinker in to lefties and a good change. Most of the swinging strikes were on those pitches,” said Hibbard. ”But I want them to hit it. I want them to hit it in play, preferably on the ground.”
Kansas City took a 1-0 lead in the fourth when Macfarlane walked and came around on singles by Juan Samuel and Conine.
Ventura made another outstanding defensive play in the seventh when he dived to smother Jefferies` bid for a double after Howard had singled. Raines caught George Brett`s drive at the left-field wall in the eighth. In the ninth, the Royals made two hits, and Raines caught Joyner`s hard-hit liner in left.
”We had an opportunity to win it in the ninth,” said Royals manager Hal McRae. ”Raines made a nice catch on Joyner`s line drive.
”The third inning when we had men on second and third and nobody out and didn`t score made the difference in the game,” McRae said. ”Each bullpen did a good job. It was like the seventh game of the World Series with both teams running guys in and out.”
Hipolito Pichardo (7-5) was the loser. Like the White Sox, the Kansas City bullpen blanked the opponent the last four innings.
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Next: Vs. Kansas City, Sunday 1:35 p.m., SportsChannel
