Get the radar gun ready. Jim Parque is close to coming home.
Though Parque has struggled since being optioned to Triple-A Charlotte, plans are already in the works to give him his old spot in the rotation. Parque, who is 0-3 with a 6.75 earned-run average, is scheduled to start for Charlotte on Wednesday, but may be called up afterward to pitch against Seattle next week at Comiskey Park.
The experiment of three inexperienced starters in the rotation isn’t working as expected, forcing the Sox to give Parque another chance whether his velocity is back to normal or not.
“I hear he’s very close,” manager Jerry Manuel said. “Command is the key thing. He’s shown some command. He’s always shown that ability to fight. We probably need that command more than we need a velocity guy. We need someone to throw strikes because we have caught the ball better. If you’re not throwing strikes, [the defense] can’t catch it.”
Parque has thrown strikes, though he has also served up seven home runs in 22 2/3 innings. The inconsistency of Jon Garland, Dan Wright and Jon Rauch is beginning to wear on the Sox offense, which had given them adequate run support. Wright and Rauch are getting on-the-job training in the majors, which doesn’t bode well for a team that considers itself a pennant contender.
“If I’m not getting the job done, I shouldn’t be out there,” Rauch said after blowing an 8-3 lead Sunday.
Rauch is not getting the job done. Thus, he won’t be out there for long at this rate, though Manuel said he would start Friday in Oakland. Manuel said he needs his young pitchers to pitch into the sixth inning, at the very least, because the seven-man bullpen is already overextended.
“If they can get us deep into ballgames, whether they win or lose, that’s what we’re gearing for,” Manuel said. “If they go five innings and it’s a 10-8 ballgame, that’s not going to [work] because I don’t know if we’re going to be able to continue scoring runs at the pace we’re scoring runs.”
Learning curve: Few teams are able to contend with three youngsters in the rotation, no matter how much talent they may have.
“They’re learning,” catcher Sandy Alomar Jr. said. “They have good days and bad days. Right now we’re supporting those guys offensively, so it’s not a problem. If our offense goes cold, they’re going to have to do better than that. Garland is going to make improvements, and hopefully Danny Wright does.
“But you’ve also got Gary [Glover] waiting for a chance. He’s throwing strikes. You can move people around. [Manuel] can do that. You can’t go out every outing and give up six or seven runs, but I have faith in those guys. The velocity is there. It’s just the control.”
Glover, who competed for a starting job in the spring, has 7 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings since Opening Day. But Manuel said he’s not considering moving Glover into the rotation.
Lima time: Detroit pitcher Jose Lima was upset with Mark Buehrle on Sunday for yelling at him from the dugout during the Sox’s eight-run first.
“He said he wanted to take me out back and fight me,” Buehrle said. “He was staring at our guys and yelling. We were all just yelling back at him. I guess he was mad at Mark Johnson, thought he leaned into a [hit by pitch]. He wasn’t mad about the seven or eight hits he gave up, or all those runs. I was just sticking up for my teammates.”
Lima referred to Buehrle as “that blond guy.”
