Buehrle pitches White Sox to win over Rox
Lee Douglas
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) -Mark Buehrle couldn't have felt any better in his final start of the spring.
The lefty made crisp pitches and his command was pinpoint in leading the Chicago to a 5-2 win over the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday. The White Sox snapped a nine-game winless streak.
''I feel good about everything,'' said Buehrle, who lasted six innings, giving up one run and four hits. ''I'm ready to go.''
Rockies manager Clint Hurdle was hoping his young lefty, Franklin Morales, was paying close attention to Buehrle's performance. If not, he's going to make him watch a video.
It could be just the teaching tool that Morales, a 22-year-old hard throwing lefty, needs.
For four innings, Morales pitched like the Rockies had envisioned, limiting the White Sox to just two hits. But he became unhinged in the fifth, allowing all four of his runs.
Morales, who's fighting for a spot in the rotation, has now allowed 14 earned runs in his last three outings.
Hurdle was pleased with what he saw from Morales, at least for four innings.
''Downhill playing, pitching with intent, better focus, sharper breaking ball,'' said Hurdle. ''Four innings, you couldn't ask anymore improvement from what we've seen. The fifth inning got a little bit away from him.''
After his performance Tuesday, Buehrle pronounced himself ready for his opening day assignment at Cleveland. In between innings, Buehrle even trotted down to the bullpen to get in a few more pitches, just to elevate his pitch count.
Hurdle wants Morales to study the way Buehrle operates on the mound. He'd also like Ubaldo Jimenez to take a second look at the mound presence of Chicago's Javier Vazquez, who threw earlier this spring against Colorado.
''You want to talk about being able to repeat a delivery,'' Hurdle said of Buehrle and Vazquez. ''We're really hoping they paid attention.''
The Rockies have been growing more alarmed over the performances of Jimenez and Morales this spring.
Jimenez was roughed up on Monday against Milwaukee, giving up five runs and 10 hits in four innings.
''I'm a little disappointed in Jimenez and Morales, that they're not getting to the part in the ball game that we need them to get to,'' pitching coach Bob Apodaca said before Morales' outing. ''I'm sure they're disappointed.''
Before the game, the White Sox optioned infielder Josh Fields to Triple-A Charlotte, preferring to go into the season with the experience of Joe Crede. Chicago general manager Ken Williams said informing Fields of the decision was extremely difficult. Fields was hitting .268 with no homers this spring.
''I don't know how many times I repeated the fact I felt that he was a major leaguer,'' Williams said. ''He deserves to be playing in the major leagues right now.''
