For one night at least, White Sox have some fun
Before the White Sox opened a three-game series Tuesday night at Detroit, general manager Rick Hahn and manager Robin Ventura reportedly had a closed-door meeting.
Trades undoubtedly were a topic of conversation.
“There’s two trains of thought,” Ventura told reporters. “One, you want to have that information. On the other hand, you want to play games and want to stay away from that. We just talk and keep in contact of what’s going on. Once the game starts, it’s just trying to win a game.”
In the first of 19 against the Tigers this season, the Sox won the game all right. They won 11-4 and opened some eyes in the process:
타Slumping right fielder Alex Rios went 6-for-6, tying the American League record for most hits in a regulation game.
He singled in the first inning, tripled in the third, singled in the fifth, singled twice in the eighth inning and singled again in the ninth on a groundball past first baseman Prince Fielder that could have been scored an error.
Rios’ first 4 hits were against Justin Verlander, the first time the standout starter has every allowed that many to one player in a game.
Rios, who had three 5-hit games in his career before taking it up a notch at Comerica Park, was batting .195 (16-for-82) over his last 22 games. The big night lifted his batting average from .267 to .281.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Rios became just the third player in history to go 6-for-6 and steal two bases in a 9-inning game.
“You know you’re not going to win the game when you’ve got a guy on the opposing team that gets 6 hits,” Detroit manager Jim Leyland told reporters. “I got 6 in August one year.”
타Verlander (9-6) might not be having a typically dominant season, but he was 12-1 with a 2.23 ERA against the Sox from 2009-12.
The right-hander took the loss after giving up 5 runs on a season-high 12 hits in 7-plus innings.
White Sox lefty Jose Quintana (4-2) finally was rewarded for another strong start. He allowed 3 runs on 6 hits in 8 innings.
타The White Sox erupted for a season high in runs and hits (23), and they also scored a season high for an inning with 7 runs in the eighth.
타Dayan Viciedo also broke out of a slump and went deep twice, the first time in his career the left fielder had a multihomer game.
So, what does it all mean? In the grand scheme of things, not much for this season.
The Sox (35-52) still are buried in the AL Central basement and trail the first-place Tigers by 13 games.
If anything, Tuesday’s lopsided win might help Hahn get more for Rios in a trade with a team such as the Pittsburgh Pirates or the Texas Rangers.
Other available players such as Adam Dunn (3-for-5, home run, 3 RBI), Alexei Ramirez (3-for-6) and Alejandro De Aza (3-for-6) also made themselves more attractive to the flock of scouts who have been following the White Sox.
sgregor@dailyherald.com