NewsContreras leads White Sox to sweep
Backed by four-run sixth, right-hander controls Tribe
By Matt O'Donnell / MLB.com
07/01/09 11:55 PM ET
CLEVELAND -- Sweeps, especially on the road inside your division, aren't supposed to be this easy. But for the third consecutive game, the White Sox breezed past the Indians on Wednesday. This time, it was a 6-2 victory at Progressive Field. The South Siders got another good start from Jose Contreras and, led by his battery mate, Ramon Castro, continued their offensive outburst to extend their winning streak to a season-high five games. Just how dominant were the White Sox? Chicago outscored Cleveland, 23-9, and outhit them, 37-17, in the first sweep of the Indians since 2005.The White Sox are now a season-best two games over .500 and have won seven of their last eight games to creep back within three games of the division-leading Tigers. While the offensive production in the series has been impressive, the White Sox starting pitching has been even more so. Contreras, who was pitching in his fifth start since returning from the Minor Leagues to work on controlling his pitches, went a season-high eight innings, giving up five hits and two earned runs with eight strikeouts and a walk. Since retuning from his demotion, Contreras is 3-2 with a 2.17 ERA, with 29 strikeouts and just five walks. He has lowered his season ERA from 8.19 to 4.84. "After that injury? Yes," manager Ozzie Guillen said when asked if he was surprised with the way Contreras has pitched since returning from a torn left Achilles in August. "He's in a groove right now." The right-hander threw 110 pitches, 74 for strikes. Just three hitters advanced past second base in the game. "That splitty was as good as we've seen," Indians manager Eric Wedge said. But as good as Contreras was, Indians pitcher Jeremy Sowers matched him -- at least for five-plus innings. But the White Sox got to the young lefty in the fifth. With the Indians leading by one, Gordon Beckham continued his hot hitting with a double. He later scored on an RBI single by Alexei Ramirez to tie the game. The game was still tied in the sixth when Jim Thome and Paul Konerko singled back-to-back. Then catcher Ramon Castro delivered the difference-maker. Castro hit a three-run homer to right field on the first pitch from Sowers to give the White Sox a 4-1 lead. "He threw first-pitch strikes in the first two at-bats," Castro said. "Third at-bat, money on the table, I'm swinging all the way. He gave me a good pitch to hit." While it was just Castro's second homer since coming over from Mets, it was his fifth homer of the season. "He's a strong kid," Guillen said. "A lot of people don't know that, but that guy has some pop." The South Siders added to their lead later in the inning when Jayson Nix singled and then scored on an RBI single by Beckham to give the White Sox a four-run lead. The Indians would score another run in the sixth, but the White Sox would answer in the seventh inning when Ramirez scored on a Konerko double to put the Indians away for good. But the news wasn't all positive for the White Sox. Ramirez was replaced in the bottom of the eighth inning. He took himself out of the game while holding the middle finger on his throwing hand before the bottom half of the inning started. Guillen said Ramirez hurt the finger Tuesday, when a ground ball hit his finger before his glove. Ramirez was 3-for-4 with an RBI Wenesday. Guillen said Ramirez will sit out at least Thursday's series opener against the Royals. "Hopefully it's just soreness," Guillen said.Matt O'Donnell is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
