It wasn’t the all-stars who damaged Jim Parque’s psyche–not to mention earned-run average–in spring training. It was the run-of-the-mill players.
Parque held sluggers Sammy Sosa and Ken Griffey hitless in six at-bats late in the spring. But he was roughed up otherwise, breaking camp with a 7.36 ERA.
“When he had to get the big guys out, he really challenged them,” White Sox manager Jerry Manuel said. “But he has to do the same against the little guys too. He needs to keep his focus and concentration.”
Parque had little trouble focusing in the early innings of the Sox’s Tuesday night game against the Mariners. True, he allowed a first-inning run after a double by Griffey and RBI groundout by Edgar Martinez. But Parque then threw two scoreless innings before giving up a solo home run to Russ Davis that cut Chicago’s lead to 4-2.
The Sox wasted little time putting a dent on the scoreboard. On the fifth pitch of the game, second baseman Ray Durham cleared the Kingdome’s left-field wall off Seattle’s Jamie Moyer. Jeff Abbott added a solo shot an inning later and Darrin Jackson smacked a two-run shot in the fourth–his second homer in as many games.
The Sox’s firepower gave Parque a nice cushion, and the 23-year-old lefty took advantage, holding the Mariners to two runs and three hits over the first five innings.
“I expect to see (Parque) a little pumped up,” Manuel said before the game. “I expect to see him throw the way he did against the Mariners in Peoria (Ariz.).”
In that game, Parque limited Seattle to three runs and four hits over five innings. The major damage was done by a minor-league infielder named Giomar Guevara, who hit a three-run double.
“I’m not Johnny veteran,” Parque said. “One thing I still need to work on is keeping a consistent level of concentration.”
