Rookie White Sox Game Story July 6th

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Monday, July 7, 2003

 

White Sox arms give Provo Angels a devil of a time

Great Falls has won five straight and 12 of their last 13 contests

By CURT BACKA

Tribune Sports Writer

 

 

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It was a perfect day for baseball, and the Great Falls White Sox put a perfect capper on the day with their fifth straight victory, taking a 3-1 decision over the Provo Angels before a Tribune Family Day crowd of 3,685 Sunday at Legion Park.

The White Sox have now won 12 of their last 13 games, and many of those wins were made possible by a potent offense -- an offense which came into Sunday's game hitting a collective .324 on the season and leading the Pioneer League in runs scored.

 

On Sunday, pitching turned out to be the key. Starter Boone Logan and three relievers turned in sparkling performances, limiting the Angels to just one unearned run and eight hits.

 

"I didn't have my good stuff today," said Logan, a 6-foot-5 lefthander from Helotes, Texas. "I had to find ways to get them out."

 

Logan, who picked up his second victory of the season, went five solid innings, scattered four hits, walked four and was victim of the one unearned run, which came in the fourth inning.

 

"In games like these, it's important to pitch well, especially when your offense isn't putting up any runs," Logan said. "My best pitch today seemed to be my fast ball.

 

"But, I still have a lot of work to do."

 

The White Sox, who were handcuffed by Provo's Von Sterzbach and Wayne Hedden, were only able to manage six hits in the game.

 

But, they made the most of them.

 

In the third inning, following a pair of Provo errors, Sox catcher Charlie Lisk lifted a high drive to deep right centerfield.

 

Angel centerfielder Reggie Willits couldn't quite catch up to the drive and it fell for a double, allowing Ricardo Nanita and Brian Anderson to score.

 

The Sox added a bonus run in the fourth inning when Brian Anderson roped an RBI single following a pair of walks. Unfortunately on the play, Nanita was cut down at third base on a splendid throw by Willits.

 

The three runs were all the White Sox needed on this day as reliever Mike Moat pitched a scoreless sixth and seventh inning. Thomas Jacquez held Provo scoreless in the eighth and Fernando Hernandez, who picked up his fourth save of the season, pitched the ninth.

 

"You always want to be focused and pitch your best no matter what the score is," said Moat, a 6-1 righthander out of Longmont, Colo. "But on days like today, it is a little different because the score is close."

 

"The bullpen came in and did a great job today," Logan said.

 

The White Sox, now 14-4, will try for their sixth straight win tonight as they close out their four-game set and seven-game homestand against the Angels.

 

First pitch is 7 p.m.

 

After an off day on Tuesday, the White Sox face Northern Division rival Helena, who is tied for the division lead, for the first time this season in a three-game set at Kindrick-Legion Field starting on Wednesday.