There may be no rational explanation for the West Coast jinx that has afflicted the White Sox for the last two years.
But as the Sox prepared to play the Anaheim Angels on Friday in the first game of a three-game series, manager Jerry Manuel gave it the old college try.
“One theory is a lot of the guys are from the West Coast,” Manuel said. “They have a lot of family coming, and it could be somewhat of a distraction, trying to do too much in front of their families.
“It’s something that throws you off your game just enough to where you don’t perform at the level you have committed to in other places. There is a time change as well, but I don’t think that’s it as much as having to make yourself available to family. Hopefully we can win three, and you guys can go figure out something else.”
The Sox came into Friday’s game with a 3-18 record on the West Coast since the start of 2001; they are 1-11 in California. They hit a combined .205 in those 21 West Coast games, recorded a 5.77 earned-run average and were outscored 126-76.
This year they have already been swept in a three-game series in Oakland and lost two of three in Seattle.
The Sox have six players who were either born in California or spent parts of their off-season here: Jon Garland, Rocky Biddle, Royce Clayton, Jeff Liefer, Aaron Rowand and Frank Thomas.
But strange things seem to happen every time the Sox head west. And it was much the same Friday during a disastrous third inning for starter Dan Wright. The right-hander gave up eight runs on seven hits in the third before being removed. The Angels, who entered the game with seven home runs at home all season, hit five before the sixth inning was over Friday night.
It was the fourth time in the last 13 games a Sox starter had been pounded into submission. Mark Buehrle and Todd Ritchie were shelled in back-to-back games in Oakland on April 27 and 28, losing by scores of 16-1 and 10-0. Jon Rauch was knocked out in a 10-run first by Seattle on May 2 in Comiskey Park, the day ex-Sox outfielder Mike Cameron tied a major-league record with four homers.
Friday’s carnage began when Adam Kennedy beat out an infield hit leading off the third. David Eckstein reached after Tony Graffanino fielded his bunt at third and hit second-base umpire Phil Cuzzi with the throw, and Darin Erstad beat out a bunt to load the bases.
Wright hit Troy Glaus with a pitch to force in the first Angels run, and Garret Anderson followed with a blooper to short center that Kenny Lofton lost in the lights. The ball fell in between Royce Clayton and Ray Durham as two runs crossed the plate. Clayton kicked the ball and was credited with an error after a career-best 63-game error-less streak , but the scoring decision was later reversed and Anderson credited with a two-run double.
Just when it seemed like it couldn’t get any worse, Brad Fullmer cranked a three-run homer to right, and Kennedy hit a two-run homer to make it 8-0. Matt Ginter eventually replaced Wright, but Ginter served up a two-run homer to Anderson.
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The outcome of the Sox-Angels game was unavailable until later editions because of its late start.
