The White Sox swept their three-game series over the Milwaukee Brewers 7-5 in Comiskey Park on Tuesday and ran their current winning streak to four games.
The Sox averaged 9.7 runs per game in the series against Milwaukee and 10.3 runs per game in the four-game streak that includes the finale of the home series against the St. Louis Cardinals.
A crowd of 18,542 saw veteran left-hander Mike Sirotka and substitute third baseman Greg Norton crowd into the spotlight usually occupied by Frank Thomas, Magglio Ordonez and cohorts.
Sirotka (9-7) successfully worked his way out of trouble and limited the Brewers to six hits in the eight innings he worked. He set a career high with 10 strikeouts.
Norton, batting 4 for 40 (.100) over his last 16 games, made his first start in a week at third base. He replaced Herbert Perry, a .318 hitter, who rested his sore legs.
“Norton has worked hard,” said manager Jerry Manuel. “He has to be ready to go. This is his opportunity.”
Opportunity knocked more than once for Norton and he answered with gusto. Despite making an error, he made slick plays afield and had RBI doubles in his first two times at bat.
The doubles came in the second and third innings when the Sox scored five runs. Norton was hit with a pitch his third time at the plate in the fifth inning when the Sox scored two runs on Brewer errors.
Norton didn’t have to wait long to find action . . . or have the action find him. He charged Marquis Grissom’s first inning dribbler and, aided by a neat tag by Paul Konerko at first, threw out the speedy Milwaukee outfielder.
Norton bobbled Raul Casanova’s second inning grounder for an error, enabling the Brewers to load the bases with one out. However, Sirotka pitched out of the jam, fanning Luis Lopez with a slow, sweeping curve and getting Henry Blanco on a check-swing roller to Konerko.
Norton drove home the game’s first run in the Sox second. He drilled a towering two-out double to deep center to score Carlos Lee, who had walked.
Sirotka worked out of more trouble in the third. After the first two Brewers reached, Jose Valentin started and Durham turned a double play. Sirotka then struck out Charlie Hayes.
The Sox batted around in the third, scored four times and took a 5-0 lead. Wright issued three walks, and all three scored. Thomas doubled home the first run. Chris Singleton singled home two more. Norton’s second double of the night earned him his second RBI.
Sirotka stranded two more baserunners when he whiffed Blanco to end the fourth.
Norton refused to get out of the spotlight. He made a diving stop of Belliard’s bounder to open the fifth and Konerko didn’t even have to tag the runner as he grabbed Norton’s strike to first.
The White Sox turned from sluggers to daring opportunists when they scored twice, making it 7-0, in the fifth. With two out and Singleton on first, Lee singled to left and the fun began.
Singleton raced to third on Lee’s single and continued home when James Mouton in left made a bad throw. Lee kept on running and came all the way home when Wright’s bad throw became the second error on the play.
