Game 34: White Sox Strike Early, Often---Trounce Tigers, 13-3

Chicago (May 23) - You had a feeling it wasn't going to be the Tigers' night when White Sox second baseman Jorge Orta slammed a rare home run, a two-run shot, in the second inning. You got that feeling even more when Orta added a second homer in the fifth.

When shortstop Bucky Dent hit an even rarer homer in the sixth, it was ollie ollie oxen free.

The White Sox started the game hitting and never really stopped, cruising to a 13-3 win over the Tigers at Comiskey Park tonight.

Chisox batters rapped out 22 hits, including four home runs. They got nine hits and four runs off reliever John Hiller in just 2.1 innings.

This was never a contest.

The White Sox led, 4-0, after two innings. They led 9-3 after six frames, then they poured on four more runs in the eighth.

The 22 hits were a season high for Chicago, and they hadn't had 20+ hits since 1972.


Orta was 4-for-5 for Chicago with two homers, four runs scored and three RBI


This game had one statistical oddity. Both no. 2 hitters---Gary Sutherland and Orta---played second base and both were 4-for-4 after their first four at-bats.

Lerrin LaGrow (1-6) turned in yet another poor start for Detroit, not getting out of the fifth inning after he surrendered back-to-back homers to Orta and Carlos May to lead off the inning.

LaGrow's ERA jumped to 5.93 after seven starts.

Tom Walker and Hiller were both ineffective in relief as the Tigers (14-20) lost for the fifth time in six games. They are 3-8 in their last 11 games.

"Just gotta keep your head down and plow forward," manager Ralph Houk said. "Baseball is a long season. You're going to get your brains beat in from time to time."

The White Sox sprayed hits all over Comiskey's diamond: bloops, line drives, ground balls, you name it. Of their 22 hits, 16 were singles, and they all seemed to be of the seeing eye variety.

"I stunk," LaGrow said. "I set the pace. I've been bad all season. It's gotta stop."

Chicago catcher Brian Downing, the no. 9 hitter, was the other White Sox batter who had four hits (all singles). May and Tony Muser had three hits each.

Notes: SS Tom Veryzer returned to the lineup after missing eight games with a sore ankle. He went 0-for-4...Deron Johnson was the only Chicago hitter who went hitless...Sutherland had been in a 3-for-30 slump before going 4-for-5 tonight...Dent's last home run came on September 21 of last year. Orta had never hit two home runs in a game prior to tonight.

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Tigers record: 14-20 (actual 16-18)
Home: 7-11
Away: 7-9
Last 10: 3-7