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SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) -- Before Ricardo Rodriguez can earn a spot
in the Texas Rangers rotation, he has to prove he is healthy. Rodriguez, whose right elbow was shattered by a line drive last
July, gave up five runs and seven hits in 3 1-3 innings in his
second spring start Thursday. The Rangers lost 7-2 to the Chicago
White Sox. "The main thing, I don't feel any pain at all," Rodriguez
said. "I feel good. I'm just not throwing the ball down how I'm
supposed to. ... Any batter can hit when you leave the fastball
up." Rodriguez threw two shutout innings in his first spring start
Saturday, striking out four of the nine Kansas City batters he
faced. He had one strikeout and hit a batter against the White Sox. "It's getting close to that time where health-wise, he's
heading in the right direction," Rangers manager Buck Showalter
said. "We're getting close to that time to start judging stuff and
performance. His arm strength and his health are good. Now it's
getting back in that pitching mode." Chicago leadoff hitter Timo Perez started the game with a single
and a stolen base before scoring on the first of Aaron Rowand's two
RBI singles. They were among five White Sox starters who went
2-for-3. Joe Crede, 2-for-17 this spring going into the game, had an RBI
double and a run-scoring single. Ross Gload and Juan Urbie also had
two hits. Brandon McCarthy allowed just one hit in four innings with two
strikeouts against Texas, which started its regular lineup except
for the designated hitter. "It was actually a lot harder than it looked," McCarthy said.
"Mechanically, I didn't feel solid." McCarthy was 17-6 with a 3.14 ERA and a minor league-leading 202
strikeouts in the White Sox organization last season. He retired
all four Arizona batters he faced in his only other spring
appearance. But McCarthy has never pitched above Double-A, and he knows the
White Sox rotation is pretty set -- for now. "You have to realize you have to be patient," McCarthy said.
"Those guys have paid their dues in front of me. ... It is kind of
selfish of me to think I can go there right now." McCarthy allowed just one runner on Hank Blalock's double in the
first. In Chicago's five-run fourth inning, the first three batters had
hits, including Uribe's two-run double. Rodriguez then got an out
before being relieved by Lou Pote. The first four batters reached against Pote, and two scored
before a strange inning-ending double play. Second baseman Alfonso Soriano dropped a line drive but scooped
up the ball behind him. He relayed to Michael Young for the force
out at second, and the throw to first got Paul Konerko, who had
stopped in the batter's box when it appeared the ball had been
caught. Soriano's offensive struggles continued. He went 0-for-3 with a
strikeout and is hitless in 13 at-bats this spring. Game notes
The Rangers (4-4) avoided the shutout when Adrian Gonzalez
had a two-run double in the eighth inning. ... The White Sox (4-6)
had three doubles Thursday, giving them 24 this spring. ... Rangers
No. 2 starter Ryan Drese and Pedro Astacio, expected to be in the
rotation, are both scheduled to throw in a `B' game Friday against
Kansas City.
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