With Scott Sanderson’s win Tuesday night, the three-four-five pitchers in the White Sox rotation are 18-1. Their combined ERA: 2.96.
“The (3-4-5) numbers don’t mean anything after the first games,” said manager Gene Lamont. “Except the guy you consider your `five’ starter, you skip over occasionally.”
Which, up to now, has been Sanderson (4-0, 3.43). Offdays Thursday and Monday mean Lamont will skip a starter one more time before his team plays 20 straight. The manager hedged on the identity.
“We think we know who we’re going to skip,” he said. How things will fall in after that, he said, is still being worked out.
Stereotypes: The rip on Sanderson is that the veteran has worn out as the summer heat takes a toll. It’s certainly a factor in Lamont’s willingness to space his starts. Sanderson has no argument with Lamont-just the notion.
“I know in June and July, I didn’t have that great a record last year,” he said, “but I still think I threw pretty well during that time. I had two bad games that jumped the numbers up.”
No, the numbers weren’t that great: 0-9, 6.45.
“But for the most part,” he said. “I still felt pretty strong through that time.”
From August on, he was 4-2, 3.51.
Ventura back back: The back twinges that kept Robin Ventura on the bench for three games and most of a fourth eased enough to let him start Tuesday night. He’s been hitting for a couple of days. What couldn’t he do? “Bend down, primarily,” he said.
Not yet: Kirk McCaskill would have gotten the start Tuesday night if the mystery virus had decked Alex Fernandez a second night. Yes, McCaskill said Tuesday, he would’ve liked a starting shot. No, he said, he isn’t looking to get out of the bullpen.
“I’m not looking beyond today’s game, really,” McCaskill said. “I enjoy what I’m doing.”