You have to love Fernando Valenzuela.
On a day when the thermometer was hitting 101 and the heat of 45,368 sweltering bodies helped turned the ballpark into a sauna, Valenzuela simply kicked back and enjoyed every blessed moment.
He trotted into left field and shagged flies for 40 minutes before the game, then strolled to the mound and put in a full afternoon’s work, pitching eight spellbinding innings and allowing just two hits to lead the Baltimore Orioles to a 6-0 mugging of the White Sox.
The loss was the second in a row and the eighth in the last 13 games for the Sox, who continue to defy all odds-and their finest failures-by hanging on to first place in the American League West, one game ahead of Kansas City and Texas.
Regardless of what they do Sunday afternoon in the finale of this series, the Sox are guaranteed of being no worse than tied for first place in the AL West at the All-Star break.
“Some people say the break will do us good, but I’m not sure that’s the case,” said Sox manager Gene Lamont. “All I know is we need to play more consistent baseball.”
That . . . and stay away from left-handers.
The loss to Valenzuela gives the Sox a 10-17 record against left-handed starters. No other team in the AL has lost more times to lefties this year.
But this was more than a loss. It was a shutout, the 10th in the first 85 games for a team that is supposed to be loaded with fearsome hitters. The Sox were shut out only 11 times all last season. If they keep going at this pace, they will be shut out 19 times this season.
“I look at our lineup and I think we should be consistent, but it just isn’t happening,” Lamont said. “The key to consistency is offense, and we just haven’t done it this year.”
The Sox have had some solid hitting this season. Frank Thomas, Tim Raines and Lance Johnson are all hitting .300 or better. Ron Karkovice, Joey Cora, Ozzie Guillen and Ellis Burks are all hitting above their career averages.
And the pitching, barring a series of notable failures, has ranged from reliable to good most of the season.
Still, the Sox are struggling with the label of underachievers.
“I don’t think chemistry is a problem with this team,” Lamont said. “I don’t know what it is. But I do know we have to get going in the second half. And I really believe it will happen.”
If it does, though, the Sox will have to turn things around against left-handed pitchers. If they had only gone 13-14 against left-handed starters the first half of the season, they would be nine games over .500 at this point instead of 44-41.
A few of the left-handers who have handcuffed the Sox the first half of the season have been sterling pitchers. Guys like Randy Johnson, Jimmy Key and Mark Langston.
But far too many of the lefties have been less-than-intimidating pitchers on the downsides of their careers. Guys like Jim Deshaies, Jamie Moyer and Valenzuela.
Valenzuela, 32, was given up for dead by the baseball world and considered almost a joke when he made the Baltimore roster this year.
Nobody is laughing any more. Least of all the Sox.
His eight shutouts innings Saturday gave him a streak of 23 2/3 scoreless innings. He is the first Baltimore pitcher since Jim Palmer in 1978 to go three consecutive starts without allowing a run.
Moyer, the former Cub who couldn’t find a job in the big leagues last year, has a streak of 17 consecutive scoreless innings. He is scheduled to start Sunday against the Sox.
“I don’t pay any attention to the scoreless streak,” said Valenzuela, who left the field to standing ovations after the sixth, seventh and eighth innings Sunday.
“I just want to help the team win games. I want to be consistent and keep the club in the games.”
He was all of that and more against the Sox.
Valenzuela (4-7) gave up a single to Cora with one out in the first inning, and then held the Sox hitless until Craig Grebeck singled with two outs in the eighth.
In between he walked four, struck out three and won the hearts and smiles of the festive crowd.
“I don’t care how old he is,” said Baltimore manager Johnny Oates. “He can be 62 and pitch if he pitches the way he did today.”
Wilson Alvarez (8-5), a fellow left-hander, started for the Sox and was charged with the loss.
Alvarez scattered nine hits and came within one out of a complete game before wilting in the heat in the eighth inning and giving up a single, a double, two walks and three runs.
The Orioles had jumped to a 2-0 lead off Alvarez in the fourth inning on a single by Mike Devereaux and a homer by catcher Chris Hoiles, his second in as many games and his 18th of the season.
Baltimore made it 3-0 with an unearned run in the fifth, thanks to a throwing error by Alvarez on a pickoff play.
“It helps when you get some run support like I did today,” Valenzuela said. “It just feels so good to be here.”
It shows, too.
