The White Sox' 4-1 victory Thursday over the Yankees to completea three-game sweep and set a season home-attendance record was aseasy as 1-2-3-4.
Those were the fingers catcher Ron Karkovice put down for AlexFernandez.
Fastball, curve, slider, change. Thank you very much.
"He threw them all for strikes," Karkovice said. "It's the besthe's thrown in the times I've caught him."
Fernandez, who finally dropped his ERA below 5.00 (to 4.93), hada two-hitter through eight innings.
When Steve Sax and Don Mattingly singled to begin the ninth andMel Hall and Matt Nokes came out of the Yankees' dugout swingingleft-handed bats, the right-handed Fernandez was removed for leftyScott Radinsky.
"Every pitcher wants a complete game, but my back's a littlesore and we've got stoppers who were ready," Fernandez (6-8) said.
"I'll take the win every time. So will everyone on thisstaff."
Radinsky got Hall to hit into a double play and yielded an RBIsingle to Nokes before inducing Hensley Meulens to hit into a force.
The crowd of 36,032, staying to the end as the Sox movedwithin two games of the idle Minnesota Twins, gave the club 2,150,951for the season. And there are 23 home dates remaining.
The previous mark was 2,136,988 in 1984.
The Sox, led by sore-toed Mike Huff, stole a season-high fivebases.
Huff swiped consecutive bases in the third inning after beinghit on the left foot by Jeff Johnson (4-5) and scored the first runon a double by Frank Thomas.
"Kitty (Ron Kittle) told me, `Never let 'em know you're hurt,' "Huff said. "Maybe I caught them in a lull."
Huff wasn't just acting. His toes were throbbing after the game."I'll have to have them looked at," he said, limping away.
The Sox completed their scoring in the fourth inning, with LanceJohnson and Joey Cora coming home after stolen bases.
It began with Johnson singling, stealing second and scoring on asingle by Cora.
Cora then stole second, continued to third on Nokes' overthrowand scored on a wild pitch by Johnson.
Tim Raines and Huff walked to set up another Thomas RBI, thistime on a single.
The Sox outscored the Yankees 28-8 in the series. They alsostruck out 20 to bring the Yankees' total to 36 in four games.
It was frustrating for the Yankees all around. In a closed-doormeeting, manager Stump Merrill told the players they did not come toplay.
"We got beaten in every phase of the game," he said. "Theirsquad was too good. We got just what we deserved."
Mattingly predicted earlier in the season the new-look Yankeeshad a chance to win the East Division. But they have lost 10 of 12games and are nine under .500
Asked by a New York reporter for an updated analysis, Mattinglysaid, "Get out of my face!"
Merrill likes the White Sox' chances in the West Division.
"I think Minnesota can win if they keep healthy, but that teamover there (Sox) has a good chance," he said.
The Sox scored 24 runs the first two games. That, Torborg said,was unusual.
"The game today was the way we play," he said. "We scratch andclaw to get things done." Box score, Page 77.
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