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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) -- The Chicago White Sox might have
found a starting pitcher in Scott Schoeneweis. The left-hander allowed an unearned run and five hits in 6 2-3
innings to lead the White Sox over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays 4-1
Saturday night. "What was he doing? He was doing a pretty good job of getting
us out," Tampa Bay manager Lou Piniella said. "That I can tell
you." Schoeneweis (1-1) made his second start of the season. He had
made 98 consecutive relief appearances since June 25, 2002, before
his start for the White Sox on April 8 against the New York
Yankees. "The New York game was huge for me," Schoeneweis said. "It
had been such a long time and you really don't know if you can do
something until you go out and do it. I still have things I need to
improve on." It was Schoeneweis' first win as a starter since beating St.
Louis on June 20, 2002, with Anaheim. "He threw the ball the way I expected him to throw the ball,"
White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said. "He did a tremendous job
facing a pretty good hitting team." Damaso Marte pitched two scoreless innings for his first save,
completing a six-hitter. Tampa Bay had just one runner reach second through six innings
against Schoeneweis -- Damian Rolls in the first. Juan Uribe drove in two runs for the White Sox, who have won six
of eight. Uribe went 2-for-4 and has nine hits in his last 19
at-bats. Victor Zambrano (3-1) failed in his bid to become the major
leagues' first four-game winner, allowing three runs, six hits,
five walks and two hit batters in seven innings. He was looking to
become the first pitcher since Nolan Ryan in 1975 to win four times
in his team's first 10 games. "He didn't have his slider today," Devil Rays catcher Brook
Fordyce said. "But overall he battled. He kept us in the game." Timo Perez put the White Sox ahead 1-0 with a sacrifice fly in
the second. Perez grounded into a bases-loaded double play and
Uribe had an RBI single in the fourth to make it 3-0. Chicago loaded the bases again with two outs in the fifth, but
Zambrano got Perez to hit an inning-ending grounder. "I left the game in the seventh inning, 3-1, I think that's a
really good game," Zambrano said. "I tried to give an opportunity
to the team to win the game." Aubrey Huff walked and went to third on Julio Lugo's two-out
single in the seventh. Schoeneweis appeared to work out of the jam,
but Huff scored when shortstop Jose Valentin misplayed Fordyce's
grounder for an error. Cliff Politte walked pinch-hitter Robert Fick, loading the
bases. Politte then struck out Carl Crawford to end the inning. "We had some chances today," Piniella said. Uribe made it 4-1 with an RBI grounder in the eighth. Politte departed after walking Rolls and hitting Rocco Baldelli
with a pitch in the bottom half. Marte struck out Huff and induced
a double-play grounder from Jose Cruz Jr. The Devil Rays had eight batters reach base during the final
three innings. "Ugly, but we got it done," Guillen said. Game notes
Tampa Bay hitting coach Lee Elia was released from a
hospital after tests for abdominal discomfort. Piniella said Elia
might rejoin the team Sunday. ... Valentin was back in the lineup
after missing Friday's game with hamstring tightness. ... Chicago
DH Frank Thomas walked in his first three plate appearances. He has
nine walks in the past five games and 1,399 in his career. ... Cruz
went 0-for-4, ending a streak of reaching base on a walk or hit in
29 consecutive games.
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