Hamlet Nalbandyan
GLENDALE -- Parque having career year: Jim Parque must be feeling
pretty good about himself.
Not only is his team, the Chicago White Sox, sitting pretty in first
place in the American League Central Division, but the Crescenta Valley
High graduate is having the best year of his young career.
The White Sox are 47-26 and 8 1/2 games in front of the Cleveland
Indians for first place in the AL Central. One of the reasons the White
Sox are the best team in baseball record wise is Parque, 24.
The left-handed hurler is 7-2 on the year with a 4.00 earned-run
average. He hasn't allowed more than three runs in 11 of his 15 starts
and has won four of his last six.
His last defeat came May 17 against the New York Yankees. But since
then, the White Sox have taken off.
Chicago is 25-9 since the 9-4 loss to New York, including 8-2 in their
last 10. Recently, the White Sox swept a four-game series over the
Yankees at Yankee Stadium. On Friday, Chicago overcame a one-run deficit
in the bottom of the ninth to beat New York at home, 4-3.
Parque's career high in wins is nine, which came last year when he
went 9-15 with an ERA of 5.13.
Loretta still on DL: Milwaukee Brewer shortstop and St. Francis High
graduate Mark Loretta was having a great season before an injury slowed
him down.
Loretta was placed on the 15-day disabled list after an injury to his
left foot. He hasn't played since his June 2 outing.
Loretta is hitting .305 on the year with five home runs and 23 runs
batted in. The 28-year-old's on-base percentage is .361. He has 61 hits
in 200 at bats, participating in 51 games.
Defensively, Loretta has been exceptional. In 224 chances, the
shortstop has committed just two errors for a fielding percentage of
.991.
In May, Loretta hit .321 with four home runs and 18 RBIs. Milwaukee,
which is 30-43 and 12 1/2 games behind the St. Louis Cardinals in the
National League Central Division, faced Atlanta on Friday and fell, 3-2.
Zaun coming back to earth: St. Francis High graduate Gregg Zaun
started the season on fire, hitting .353 with a home run and four RBI's
in seven games.
But an injury put him on the disabled list for over a month, and the
career back-up catcher is putting up statistics that resemble his old
self.
The 29 year-old hit .200 in June after coming off the disabled list in
late May. Going into Friday's contest against the Oakland Athletics, Zaun
was hitting .231 with two home runs and 10 RBIs for the Kansas City
Royals, playing in just 25 games.
