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Sunday, Oct. 1 2:05pm ET
Sweeney caps huge year with homer | |||||
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GAME LOG
CHICAGO (AP) -- The Chicago White Sox got to take some bows Sunday. With the playoffs locked up, White Sox manager Jerry Manuel used the regular-season finale, a 6-2 loss to the Kansas City Royals, to showcase his regulars. With Kansas City on the way to victory after a five-run second, Manuel began pulling those starters in the sixth, letting them come off the field in the middle of the inning so they could be cheered by a crowd of 30,071. "I never want to come out of a game, but it was a nice moment," Chicago's Paul Konerko said. "I didn't expect it, but after I saw the first wave of guys do it, I knew it would happen." The White Sox, whose 95-67 record was the best in the American League, open their first postseason appearance since 1993 at home against Seattle on Tuesday, with Game 2 the following day. Sunday was a day to end one season before moving on to the next. "I thought it was a professional gesture. It was a nice salute," Royals manager Tony Muser said of Manuel's substitutions. Kansas City, meanwhile, improved from 64-97 to 77-85. "We're 13 better than last year and I think we made improvement," Muser added. "We played aggressive. It's a long season and a tough season. I appreciate them staying with the plan." The Royals built their lead after pounding James Baldwin for five runs in the second, capped by Mike Sweeney's 29th homer. He finished with 144 RBI, one behind Seattle's Edgar Martinez, who led the AL. Baldwin (14-7), who took two weeks off with a sore shoulder before making a relief appearance last week, made his first start since Sept. 8 and it was a rocky one, lasting just three innings. "Honestly, I felt good. I just overthrew a little bit," said Baldwin, still under consideration for the playoff roster. "It's not my decision. It's what you live for. Whatever they decide." Baldwin walked the first two batters and then hit Jermaine Dye, loading the bases in the first before he escaped. But in the second, the Royals reached him for four hits. He balked home a run and Sweeney hit a two-run homer off the left-field foul pole for a 5-0 lead. "It's a little emotional and tough to say goodbye," Sweeney said of the Royals' final game. "The way things are in baseball, we may never be together again." Dye had an RBI double to make it 6-0 in the fourth. Chicago scored on Konerko's fourth-inning sacrifice fly and Charles Johnson's 31st homer in the fifth off Chris Fussell (5-3). Fussell allowed two runs and four hits in five innings. Game notesU.S. Olympian Jon Rauch, a 6-foot-11 right-hander, threw out the ceremonial fist pitch with his gold medal around his neck. Rauch was 16-4 in he White Sox minor league system this season and is headed to instructional league. ... The Royals finished 7-5 against the White Sox, joining the Red Sox as the only AL teams to have a winning record against Chicago this year. ... The White Sox finished with a home attendance of 1,947,799 -- the seventh highest in franchise history. ... Projected Game 1 playoff starter Mike Sirotka threw in the outfield before Sunday's game and said he felt no pain in his elbow, a condition that had forced him out of his previous start. ... ... Several White Sox players, including rookie pitchers Kip Wells and Jon Garland, were packing their bags Sunday to head to Tucson, Ariz., where the White Sox have an instructional league team. They'll go there to stay in shape in case they are needed for the playoffs. | ALSO SEE Baseball Scoreboard Kansas City Clubhouse Chi. White Sox Clubhouse RECAPS Cleveland 11 Toronto 4
Kansas City 6
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