Vazquez, offense top Sox
CHICAGO -- The Diamondbacks continued their hot hitting Tuesday night as they beat the White Sox, 10-4, at U.S. Cellular Field.
The win was the second in as many nights for Arizona, which has a chance to sweep the series with a win Wednesday. Either way, Arizona has won its first series since taking two of three against Detroit May 20-22.
"Early on, we were winning a lot of series and then we've gone into a little bit of a funk as far as the series go," Diamondbacks manager Bob Melvin said. "It's nice to take two in a row, especially against such a quality club."
The White Sox actually held an early lead, as they scored a pair of runs on a second-inning homer by Jermaine Dye.
Arizona's offense, though, got cranking in the fourth inning when Troy Glaus led off the frame with a homer and Royce Clayton capped the three-run outburst with a two-run double.
The Diamondbacks scored three more in the fifth on an RBI single by Glaus and a two-run homer by Shawn Green to build a 6-3 lead.
"We're starting to see that thing break open a little bit as far as getting hits with runners in scoring position," Melvin said. "It's good to see."
The runs were more than enough for Javier Vazquez, who had to battle a 21 mph wind blowing out. The right-hander managed to scatter seven hits while allowing just three runs and striking out 10 over eight innings.
"He keeps you off balance," Melvin said. "You can't be sitting offspeed, otherwise he'll throw that fastball right by you."
Chicago starter Orlando Hernandez had a tough time getting the ball past the D-Backs hitters, particularly the "G-Force" of Luis Gonzalez, Troy Glaus and Shawn Green.
The trio has heated up over the past week and Tuesday, they combined to drive in eight of Arizona's 10 runs.
"When your big guys hit, it sets things up for everybody else," Clayton said. "Early in the year they haven't clicked all at the same time, but when you've got three guys like that swinging the bat that well, it's going to be tough for any pitcher. Right now we just have to tip our hats to the 'G-Force' because they're doing their thing."
Vazquez K-Meter
D-Backs at White Sox, June 14, 2005
Javier Vazquez (7-4) fanned 10 of the 31 batters he faced to increase his season strikeout total to 82 and career strikeout total to 1,308, through June 14. A look at his Ks:
K Strikeout victim Inn. Count
1 Carl Everett (looking) 2 2-2
2 A.J. Pierzynski (swinging) 2 0-2
3 Joe Crede (swinging) 2 1-2
4 Tadahito Iguchi (swinging) 3 0-2
5 Aaron Rowand (looking) 4 1-2
6 Joe Crede (swinging) 5 1-2
7 A.J. Pierzynski (swinging) 7 0-2
8 Juan Uribe (looking) 7 0-2
9 Aaron Rowand (swinging) 8 0-2
10 Paul Konerko (swinging) 8 3-2
Key numbers for Vazquez:
Pitches-strikes: 113-82; Groundouts-flyouts: 5-6;
Season strikeouts-walks: 82-12; WHIP: 1.18
Glaus and Green both homered for the second straight night, with Glaus going 3-for-4 with four RBIs. It was the third baseman's 17th career game with at least four RBIs. Green, who was the National League Player of the Week last week, is now hitting .417 with five doubles, a triple, five home runs and 15 RBIs over his last nine games.
"[Monday] and today the whole team, all the way up and down, has been making some adjustments and getting some key hits when we needed them," Glaus said.
Glaus also managed to contribute with his glove as he wiped out a potential first-inning rally by the White Sox.
Scott Podsednik led off the bottom of the first with a bunt single, advanced to second on a throwing error by catcher Chris Snyder, and then stole third.
Tadahito Iguchi then ripped a liner to the right of Glaus that he snared and then dove to touch third with his glove to double up Podsednik.
"It was more of a reaction play," Glaus said. "He pulled it down the line, and I just kind of fell on the bag."
Source: http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/
The win was the second in as many nights for Arizona, which has a chance to sweep the series with a win Wednesday. Either way, Arizona has won its first series since taking two of three against Detroit May 20-22.
"Early on, we were winning a lot of series and then we've gone into a little bit of a funk as far as the series go," Diamondbacks manager Bob Melvin said. "It's nice to take two in a row, especially against such a quality club."
The White Sox actually held an early lead, as they scored a pair of runs on a second-inning homer by Jermaine Dye.
Arizona's offense, though, got cranking in the fourth inning when Troy Glaus led off the frame with a homer and Royce Clayton capped the three-run outburst with a two-run double.
The Diamondbacks scored three more in the fifth on an RBI single by Glaus and a two-run homer by Shawn Green to build a 6-3 lead.
"We're starting to see that thing break open a little bit as far as getting hits with runners in scoring position," Melvin said. "It's good to see."
The runs were more than enough for Javier Vazquez, who had to battle a 21 mph wind blowing out. The right-hander managed to scatter seven hits while allowing just three runs and striking out 10 over eight innings.
"He keeps you off balance," Melvin said. "You can't be sitting offspeed, otherwise he'll throw that fastball right by you."
Chicago starter Orlando Hernandez had a tough time getting the ball past the D-Backs hitters, particularly the "G-Force" of Luis Gonzalez, Troy Glaus and Shawn Green.
The trio has heated up over the past week and Tuesday, they combined to drive in eight of Arizona's 10 runs.
"When your big guys hit, it sets things up for everybody else," Clayton said. "Early in the year they haven't clicked all at the same time, but when you've got three guys like that swinging the bat that well, it's going to be tough for any pitcher. Right now we just have to tip our hats to the 'G-Force' because they're doing their thing."
Vazquez K-Meter
D-Backs at White Sox, June 14, 2005
Javier Vazquez (7-4) fanned 10 of the 31 batters he faced to increase his season strikeout total to 82 and career strikeout total to 1,308, through June 14. A look at his Ks:
K Strikeout victim Inn. Count
1 Carl Everett (looking) 2 2-2
2 A.J. Pierzynski (swinging) 2 0-2
3 Joe Crede (swinging) 2 1-2
4 Tadahito Iguchi (swinging) 3 0-2
5 Aaron Rowand (looking) 4 1-2
6 Joe Crede (swinging) 5 1-2
7 A.J. Pierzynski (swinging) 7 0-2
8 Juan Uribe (looking) 7 0-2
9 Aaron Rowand (swinging) 8 0-2
10 Paul Konerko (swinging) 8 3-2
Key numbers for Vazquez:
Pitches-strikes: 113-82; Groundouts-flyouts: 5-6;
Season strikeouts-walks: 82-12; WHIP: 1.18
Glaus and Green both homered for the second straight night, with Glaus going 3-for-4 with four RBIs. It was the third baseman's 17th career game with at least four RBIs. Green, who was the National League Player of the Week last week, is now hitting .417 with five doubles, a triple, five home runs and 15 RBIs over his last nine games.
"[Monday] and today the whole team, all the way up and down, has been making some adjustments and getting some key hits when we needed them," Glaus said.
Glaus also managed to contribute with his glove as he wiped out a potential first-inning rally by the White Sox.
Scott Podsednik led off the bottom of the first with a bunt single, advanced to second on a throwing error by catcher Chris Snyder, and then stole third.
Tadahito Iguchi then ripped a liner to the right of Glaus that he snared and then dove to touch third with his glove to double up Podsednik.
"It was more of a reaction play," Glaus said. "He pulled it down the line, and I just kind of fell on the bag."
Source: http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/
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