THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: MAY 27TH/Good pitching in the 80s!

[StatManDu]

THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: MAY 27TH

 

For more, see www.whitesoxalmanac.com

 

1933: The White Sox and Yankees combined to score an American League record 15 runs in the eighth inning in New York’s 15-11 win in the Bronx. The Sox scored three in the top of the frame to take an 11-3 but the Yankees responded, thanks to a Bill Dickey grand slam, with 12 in their half.

 

1938: Detroit Tigers’ Hall of Famer-to-be Hank Greenberg landed the second home run in the center field bleachers at Comiskey Park in the White Sox 5-2 loss. Greenberg, who later became a White Sox executive during Bill Veeck’s first ownership with the club, victimized Frank Gabler in the third inning before 8,000 on the Southside. About a month earlier, Greenberg landed a homer on the Comiskey Park roof.

 

1956: Talk about helping your own cause! Jim Wilson drove in the winning run in the 15th inning to give himself and the White Sox a 5-4 victory over Cleveland in the first game of a doubleheader before 25,856 at Comiskey Park. The Sox forced extra innings on a Nellie Fox RBI which capped a a rally that started with two outs and none on in the bottom of the ninth. The Sox lost the nightcap 4-2.

 

1958: Early Wynn drove in two runs and pitched into the ninth in the White Sox 73 win over Washington before 8,372 at Comiskey Park. Sherm Lollar went 3-for-3 and Gerry Staley got the final out as the Sox won their second straight in a streak that would reach five.

 

1959: Larry Doby broke a 1-1 tie with an RBI single in the sixth as the White Sox topped Cleveland 5-1 before 6,883 at Comiskey Park. Earl Torgeson hit a two-run homer in the inning in helping the Sox stop a three-game skid. Early Wynn pitched 8.1 innings for his seventh victory before getting relief help from Gerry Staley.

 

1960: Russ Kemmerer fired 5.2 innings of shutout relief and was rewarded with a victory in the White Sox 7-4 triumph in Kansas City. Kemmerer took over for Billy Pierce after Pierce had given up four runs in seven hits in 3.1 innings. Kemmerer gave up four hits with four strikeouts and no walks in going the rest of the way. Al Smith, Nellie Fox and Gene Freese each drove in two runs as the Sox won for the second day in a row.

 

1966: The White Sox traded first baseman-outfielder Danny Cater to the Kansas City Athletics for utility infielder Wayne Causey.

 

1967: Joe Horlen tossed a three-hitter to improve to 6-0 and Ron Hansen hit a two-run homer in the White Sox 3-1 win over the Angels before 13,920 at Comiskey Park. The Sox staked their starter to a quick lead in the first when Pete Ward drove in Tommie Agee with a single. Horlen carried a two-hitter into the ninth before Jim Fregosi led off the frame with a homer. Horlen then got two fly outs and a ground outs to finish off the Angels.

 

1974: The White Sox made their Shea Stadium debut a successful one by beating the Yankees 5-3. The Yankees were playing in the Mets’ home while Yankee Stadium was being remodeled. Ed Herrmann went 3-for-3 and drove in the winning run and Pat Kelly was 2-for-5 with two RBIs in support of starter Skip Pitlock, who improved to 2-0. Terry Forster went the final 2.1 innings and gave up a run for his ninth save.

 

1979: The White Sox were swept in a doubleheader by the California Angels at Comiskey Park but the second game got a little interesting when Wayne Nordhagen took the mound. Nordhagen, an outfielder by trade, fanned Carney Lansford, the first batter he faced, in becoming the first White Sox position player to take the mound since Ed Carnett did it in 1944. Nordhagen gave up two runs in two innings with two strikeouts (Merv Rettemund was the other K victim) as the Sox lost the nightcap 9-1 after dropping the opener 4-2. Nordhagen made a second pitching appearance for the White Sox with a scoreless inning a week later vs. the Milwaukee Brewers.

 

1980: Wayne Nordhagen’s two-run homer in the seventh made a winner out of Britt Burns in the Sox 2-0 win at Minnesota. Nordhagen’s blast came with Lamar Johnson on first and helped Burns earn his sixth win. Burns gave up 10 hits in 8.2 innings before Mike Proly entered with two on in the ninth to get the final out for his second save.

 

1981: Ross Baumgarten and Lamarr Hoyt split a shutout in the White Sox 3-0 win at Oakland. Baumgarten went the first five innings for his fifth win while Hoyt went the final four innings for his sixth save as the Sox won for the ninth time in their last 11 games.

 

1983: LaMarr Hoyt went the distance in the White Sox 3-2 win over Texas before 17,527 at Comiskey Park. Ron Kittle homered in a rare win over Frank Tanana, a renowned Sox killer throughout his career.

 

1987: Jerry Royster and Harold Baines homered as the White Sox took care of Kansas City 3-2 before 15,803 at Comiskey Park. Richard Dotson started and got the win but not before Bob James entered in the ninth and got the final out for his sixth save.

 

1989: Carlos Martinez’s sixth inning homer gave the Sox the lead for good in a 5-4 win – the franchise’s last at Toronto’s Exhibition Stadium. The teams would play the final game there the next day and the Blue Jays would open SkyDome June 5.

 

1990: Ron Kittle’s single in the seventh scored pinch-runner Rodney McCray with the go-ahead run as the surprising Sox clipped the Tigers 2-1 in Detroit. Carlton Fisk tied the game with a homer in the fifth. Melido Perez earned his fourth win and Bobby Thigpen notched his 14th save as the Sox improved to 25-15.

 

1994: Wilson Alvarez was masterful in extending his winning streak to a club-record tying 15 games in the White Sox 3-0 win over Baltimore before 34,351 at Comiskey Park. The Venezuelan left-hander fired a six-hit shutout in posting what would be the final win of the streak, which began on Aug. 24, 1993. Darrin Jackson doubled in a run in the first, Tim Raines’ sac fly brought home a run in the seventh and Frank Thomas homered in the eighth.

 

1995: Jason Bere and Ron Karkovice combined to give the White Sox a 1-0 win at Detroit. Karkovice’s leadoff homer in the fifth was all the White Sox would need. Bere, who made his big league debut two years to the day, went eight innings and allowed three hits in earning his first win of the season. Roberto Hernandez tossed a scoreless ninth for his seventh save.

 

1997: The White Sox used a six-run fourth inning in pounding the Cleveland Indians 8-2 before 20,847 in a matinee affair at Comiskey Park. Albert Belle’s grand slam highlighted the fourth inning outburst and extended his hitting streak to 22 games, which tied Sam Mele and Eddie Collins for the sixth longest in club history. Belle made his old team pay after Frank Thomas was intentionally walked to load the bases.

 

1998: The White Sox overcame deficits of 5-2 and 9-8 in halting an eight-game losing streak to the New York Yankees with a 12-9 win before 15,232 at Comiskey Park. Mike Caruso celebrated his 21st birthday by banging out four hits in and Frank Thomas – celebrating his 30th birthday – was 2-for-4 with a walk. Bill Simas got the win and Matt Karchner converted his 20th consecutive save, tying Roberto Hernandez’s club mark.

 

2000: Jose Valentin fell a single shy of hitting for the cycle for the second time in leading the White Sox to a 14-3 thrashing of the Cleveland Indians before 30,250 at Comiskey Park. Valentin, who hit for the cycle April 27th against Baltimore, hit a two-run homer in the first, a three-run triple in the second and an RBI double in the third. Valentin’s bid to become the second player to hit for two cycles in the same season fell short when he walked in the fifth and grounded out in the seventh. Jim Parque tossed eight shutout innings for the win as the Sox prevailed for the ninth time in 13 games and increased their lead in the American League Central to 2.5 games.

 

2001: Chris Singleton’s sacrifice fly in the 11th scored Josh Paul with the winning run as the White Sox turned back the Tigers 3-2 in Detroit. The victory was the Sox’s fourth in a row and gave them their first three-game sweep in Detroit since May 17-19, 1996.

 

2004: Second baseman Juan Uribe cranked out two home runs in the White Sox 7-0 win over Texas before 14,428 at US Cellular Field. Jose Valentin also homered and drove in three and Paul Konerko brought home two as Mark Buerhle went seven innings to improve to 5-1.