elrockinMT Posted June 20, 2004 Share Posted June 20, 2004 Sox keep it rolling Berry sparks club with bat, glove as team moves to 2-0 on season By SCOTT MANSCH Tribune Asst. Sports Editor -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRIBUNE PHOTO BY LAILANI UPHAM O'DONNELL Great Falls base runner Berry Boomer slides into home Saturday in the White Sox's game against the Missoula Osprey at Legion Park. Boomer Berry didn't think his performance Saturday night was anything spectacular. "That's what I'm supposed to do as a leadoff hitter," he said after reaching base three times and scoring a run as the Great Falls White Sox defeated the Missoula Osprey 5-3 in a Pioneer League game. The son of former major-leaguer Ken Berry also sparkled defensively, turning in a diving stop and contributing to a pair of double plays as the White Sox won in crisp fashion before a crowd of 2,865. "Playing well defensively, that's what we have to do," Berry said. "Melvin Perez really had a great game at third base." The White Sox improved to 2-0 on the season thanks to errorless defense, efficient relief pitching and a three-run third inning. "It was the kind of win that will make us come together as a team," said catcher Matt Deuchler, whose RBI single capped the third-inning uprising and brought the Sox back from an early 2-0 deficit. "We got good pitching and good defense, and that's what you need." Perez displayed soft hands on several key plays at third and Berry made a superb diving stop to short-circuit a Missoula rally in the sixth as Great Falls defeated manager Jim Presley's Osprey for the second night in a row at Legion Park. "We didn't give them any extra outs," said Great Falls skipper John Orton. "It was another good game for us." The Osprey got a two-run double by Wilkin Castillo in the top of the third inning, but the White Sox answered in the home half of the frame. Perez singled and Jhonny Rivera skied a deep blast to left-center that caromed off the wall for a triple. The swift Rivera ran through the stop sign at third, though, and was tagged out. "I'll take the blame for that one," Orton said. "Miscommunication. I was watching the play and didn't realize he was right on top of me." Berry then singled, and Derrick McNeil sacrificed. Deuchler's single tied the game, and Chris Kelly later delivered an RBI hit of his own. Great Falls added an unearned run in the fourth when, after two outs, the Osprey made three quick errors -- two by shortstop Juan Olivares. It was the kind of defensive lapse that hasn't affected the White Sox yet this season. Starter Sony Suarez made the lead stand up, although he yielded a run in the sixth on Javier Brito's run-scoring single. "He walked the first hitter he faced in the third, but that was the only thing I didn't like about his performance," said Great Falls pitching coach Richard Dotson. "He threw a lot of strikes." So did the bullpen. J.D. Johnson worked an inning of hitless relief, thanks in part to Berry's sparkling play to rob Ricardo Sosa of a hit in the sixth. Lefty Sean Thompson came on for the Sox in the seventh, and immediately benefited as Berry turned Francisco Rodriguez's one-on, one-out liner into a double play. In the eighth, Missoula's Castillo led off with a perfect bunt single. But Matos grounded sharply to Perez, and the slick-fielding third baseman turned it into an around-the-horn double play. Right-hander Matt Zaleski, a 30th-round pick in the recent draft out of Indiana State, made his first professional appearance a memorable one by striking out the side in the ninth en route to the save. "All our relievers did the job," said Dotson. Kelly, who had three hits and two RBIs as Great Falls won its season opener on Friday, had two hits and two more RBIs on Saturday. The teams conclude the series this afternoon at 4 at Legion Park. NOTES: It's Tribune Family Day at the ballpark today. A coupon from the newspaper enables a family of four to get into the game, plus receive four hot dogs and four soft drinks for a total of $10 ... Travis Doyle, a left-hander from Grand Rapids (Mich.) CC who was a 22nd-round pick in the 2003 draft, is scheduled to make the start for the White Sox. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dasox24 Posted June 20, 2004 Share Posted June 20, 2004 Is this guy related in any way to the guy from the Berry/Barry incident? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Socks Posted June 20, 2004 Share Posted June 20, 2004 Now, that is funny. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xero Posted June 21, 2004 Share Posted June 21, 2004 Ha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elrockinMT Posted June 22, 2004 Author Share Posted June 22, 2004 Is this guy related in any way to the guy from the Berry/Barry incident? That's not even a little bit funny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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