herald-mail.com/topic/cs-040703soxbits,0,4819610.story
By Bob Foltman
Tribune staff reporter
10:23 PM EDT, July 3, 2004
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Diaz yielded three runs on two home runs in Saturday's first inning, then settled down and gave up only three singles in the next three innings before being lifted for a pinch-hitter. Diaz also struck out a career-high six batters in the Cubs' rain-shortened 4-2 victory.
"Diaz threw the ball real, real good," Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said. "He only had one bad inning, a couple of bad pitches. But the way that kid came back and finished up the game, he showed me something."
Diaz gave up a leadoff triple to Todd Walker. Then Rey Ordonez hit a two-run home run. After he retired Sammy Sosa on a popup, Moises Alou hit a solo home run.
"The pitch I would take back is the one to Alou," catcher Sandy Alomar Jr. said. "We tried to come back with a slider, but the ball stayed middle in and he was all over that."
Guillen said he wasn't sure how he would use Diaz in the final week before the All-Star break. Schoeneweis is scheduled to come off the disabled list Wednesday and pitch against the Anaheim Angels. If Schoeneweis pitches well, it creates an interesting dilemma for Guillen.
"That's a good problem to have," Guillen said. "If Schoeneweis pitches the game he's supposed to pitch and helps us there, he's my No. 5 man because he was there before and Diaz maybe goes to the bullpen."
Extra innings
Willie Harris made his third start since June 22 at second base, going 1-for-3 and scoring the first Sox run after a sixth-inning single. "Willie was his own worst enemy," Guillen said. "He played well one day and then all of a sudden he doesn't have any confidence when he goes 0-for-4. But when you play every day in the big leagues, you're going to have 0-for-4 a lot."
Juan Uribe was out of Saturday's starting lineup after starting 39 of the previous 40 games. Uribe's average has fallen to .285 after a 6-for-46 (.130) span, dipping below .300 for the first time since April 13.
Frank Thomas struck out pinch-hitting for Diaz, the second time he has struck out as a pinch-hitter in the series. Thomas is 0-for-3 as a pinch-hitter this season and 4-for-23 in his career.
Guillen said the Sox will keep Jon Rauch and use him in the bullpen for a while.