Ordonez Shows His All-Star Credentials

The ballpark balloting for the All-Star game may be over, but outfielder Magglio Ordonez continued to make a push for a spot on the American League team.

Ordonez hit two home runs and drove in five runs, and Frank Thomas had a solo shot to help the Chicago White Sox complete a three-game sweep of the Boston Red Sox with an 8-2 victory Sunday.

All-Star starters and reserves will be announced this week.

Said White Sox starter James Baldwin, who improved to 11-3 to solidify his bid for a spot on the All-Star team: “They want big names on the All-Star game and a lot of people look at this team and there aren’t any big names. Frank and Magglio, those guys are pretty big, but we’ve still got to focus on our No. 1 goal, which is to win.

“Sooner or later, people are going to recognize the White Sox.”

The White Sox are 52-29 and off to the second-best start in franchise history behind the 1919 team (53-28). They have a 10 1/2-game lead over the Cleveland Indians in the Central Division.

Ordonez matched his career high for runs batted in for a game with a three-run homer in the first inning and a solo shot following Thomas’ 23rd home run in the third. Ordonez also hit a sacrifice fly in the seventh to raise his RBI total to 69.

“Magglio, he’s very underrated,” Thomas said.

Ordonez, who has 19 home runs, does have a good feel for why the White Sox are doing so well. “We’ve been playing together in the minor leagues and we come to the big leagues together--we’re like brothers, we’re like family,” he said. “Every time we cross the lines, we pick each other up.”

Ordonez batted .488 with five home runs and 17 RBIs on the just-completed 13-game homestand. Thomas batted .391 with seven home runs and 12 RBIs during the stretch.

The White Sox went 8-5 on the homestand and have won 21 of their last 27 games.

“Guys are getting better by the week,” Thomas said. “We’ve got that total team thing.”

Baldwin is second in the American League in wins behind Toronto’s David Wells (13-2) is one win shy of his 1999 total, when he went 12-13.

Baldwin gave up two runs, five hits and three walks over 7 1/3 innings, striking out five. The right-hander waved his glove as he left to a standing ovation from the crowd of 32,934.

Meanwhile, Boston starter Pete Schourek (2-7) is winless in his last nine starts, giving up five runs on six hits and two walks over five innings.