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GAME LOG
CHICAGO (AP) -- Cal Eldred's first shutout in three years could
not have come at a better time for the Chicago White Sox.
|  | | Catcher Brook Fordyce, center, and Paul Konerko, right, congratulate Cal Eldred after the White Sox pitcher finished his five-hit shutout. |
After losing two straight to the Cleveland Indians following an
eight-game winning streak, the White Sox needed a lift and it came
from the pitcher who has resurrected his career after a trade from
Milwaukee.
Eldred allowed seven hits Thursday night and won his seventh
straight game, blanking the Indians 6-0 as the White Sox earned a
split in the four-game series and went back up 7-1/2 games in the AL
Central.
"I'm a healthy pitcher now," said Eldred, who five years ago
had "Tommy John" elbow ligament replacement surgery. "The last
couple of years when I was healthy I did OK in Milwaukee. When I
wasn't, I didn't give them what they wanted. That's why I'm here."
The White Sox are glad he is.
Just when it appeared the Indians might be taking back some
momentum, Eldred stepped up with a two-walk, six-strikeout
performance that had him throwing in the mid 90s in the final
innings.
"It was big for them to beat us two in a row. We had had beaten
them at their place (three straight last week) and they came back
and started beating us," Eldred said.
"This is important, but we have to look at the calendar and
realize it's June. We have a lot of baseball to play."
Eldred (9-2), who hasn't lost in eight starts since May 10, beat
the Indians for the third time this season. The shutout was the
fourth of his career and first since beating the White Sox for
Milwaukee on May 30, 1997.
"Eldred just kept getting better and better and didn't give us
a chance to get back into it," Indians starter Chuck Finley said.
"He just pitched great," Cleveland's Jim Thome said. "You're
not going to win many games when you get that done to you."
Ray Durham led off the first with his 12th homer, and the White
Sox made it 3-0 in the second off Finley (5-5) on a run-scoring
wild pitch and Durham's RBI single.
Perry doubled with two outs in the scored on scored on Brook
Fordyce's single. Scott Kamieniecki threw a run-scoring wild pitch
in the seventh and Magglio Ordonez singled home a run in the
eighth.
Finley (5-5) allowed four runs, eight hits and five walks in
five innings.
Game notes
Durham hit a leadoff homer for the 13th time in his career.
His right-handed homer was just his second of the season. He has 10
left-handed. ... David Justice, who has a strained abdominal
muscle, missed his second straight game. ... Jeff Abbott fouled a
pitch off his right knee in the fifth, singled and then left the
game the following inning. ... Eldred's start was his 15th,
matching his total last season with Milwaukee. His career-high
winning streak is 10 games with the Brewers in 1992. ... Finley's
outing matched his shortest of the season.
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Baseball Scoreboard
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Chi. White Sox Clubhouse
RECAPS
Boston 4
NY Yankees 2
Toronto 7
Detroit 4
Chi. White Sox 6
Cleveland 0
Minnesota 3
Texas 2
Anaheim 4
Kansas City 3
Seattle 11
Baltimore 4
Atlanta 6
Chicago Cubs 4
Milwaukee 6
Florida 1
Montreal 6
Pittsburgh 5
NY Mets 5
Philadelphia 4
Cincinnati 5
Colorado 3
Houston 6
Los Angeles 3
St. Louis 11
San Francisco 10
AUDIO/VIDEO
 White Sox' Cal Eldred did not realize how good his team is.
wav: 125 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Jerry Manuel was pleased with pitcher Cal Eldred's effort against the Indians.
wav: 107 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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