First chance he got, White Sox manager Gene Lamont kept his word.
Lamont has been saying all spring that he wants his team to work on manufacturing runs-stealing bases, bunting, moving runners over and using the hit and run. He believes the Sox relied too much on the big hits last season.
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Trouble was, the Sox gave Lamont few chances to put on any plays during their first four exhibition games. They exploded for 30 runs and a .365 team batting average.
Tuesday night against the Indians, though, the game was close for the first five innings, and Lamont put on the hit and run three times. Good things started happening.
Catcher Ron Karkovice was thrown out on a botched hit and run, but shortstop Craig Grebeck was credited with a steal on another hit and run.
The Sox, down 3-1, did what Lamont wanted. They manufactured three runs to take the lead, then put the game out of reach in the same inning with a three-run homer by reserve catcher Matt Merullo.
Final score: Sox 7, Cleveland 5.
The victory improved the Sox’s spring record to 3-2. They play the Indians again Wednesday afternoon when Bo Jackson is scheduled to play first base.
Rocky endings: Ex-Sox Reliever Barry Jones, trying to make the team on a minor-league contract, pitched two rocky innings and nearly blew the game. He got out of the eighth inning without a run after bringing the tying run to the plate. Then, in the ninth, he loaded the bases and gave up one run before Lamont lifted him with two outs and turned it over to Ramon Garcia, who got the last out on a 375-foot fly ball.
Rare sight: Right-hander Terry Leach got credit for the victory despite giving up a rare home run to Indians first baseman Paul Sorrento in the fourth inning. Leach only gave up two home runs in 51 appearances all last season.
Early omen: Jack McDowell started for the Sox. He went three innings and gave up one run on two hits and two walks. McDowell is 1-0 with a 5.40 earned-run average this spring. Last year, he was 0-2 with a 4.09 ERA, but went on to win 20 games during the season.
Huff stuff: Outfielder Mike Huff could be a longshot to make the 25-man roster, but if he fails, the Sox will lose a good guy. Huff, who works actively with Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago, has been busy helping the Sox with community relations work in Florida during spring training. He volunteered to visit a middle school on Tuesday when several of his teammates begged off. Huff is off to a hot start on the field, too. He was 2 for 3 with a walk and a run scored against the Indians. In four spring training games he is batting .571 (4 for 7).