Screwy Story in Chicago as Eldred Shows Metal

No, Cal Eldred hasn’t become a screwball pitcher. He’s just a major league pitcher with a screw in his arm.

More than two months since his last appearance for the Chicago White Sox and less than three weeks after a five-inch screw was surgically implanted to stabilize a stress fracture in his elbow, Eldred returned to a major league mound Wednesday night at Chicago.

“It doesn’t seem as unbelievable to me now as it did 20 days ago,” Eldred said after he pitched 3 1/3 effective innings against the Boston Red Sox, who beat the White Sox, 2-1, to stay alive in the American League East.

It was a strange night for the Red Sox. They were eliminated from the AL wild-card when Oakland beat the Angels. But they moved 4 1/2 games behind the slumping Yankees in the East and are still in contention--barely. New York has five games left, Boston four.

For the White Sox, meanwhile, it was a night to see if injured pitchers Eldred and James Baldwin might be able to rejoin the rotation for the playoffs.

Eldred threw 49 pitches, reaching the low 90s mph in velocity and giving up two hits and a run on Nomar Garciaparra’s 21st homer.

Baldwin (14-6), bothered by shoulder tendinitis, went four innings in relief, giving up an unearned, go-ahead run in the fifth and four hits.

He and Eldred will split another game in the regular-season final Sunday.

“We basically had written them off. This is a lift,” White Sox Manager Jerry Manuel said.

Tampa Bay 11, New York 1--The champagne remained on ice for at least another day for the Yankees, who got routed by the Devil Rays at St. Petersburg, Fla.

The loss was the 11th in 14 games for the Yankees, who are assured of at least a tie for first place and can claim their fourth division crown in five years with one more victory or losses by Toronto and Boston.

“It’s been a battle. The road has been a little more crooked this year than it has the last couple,” said third baseman Scott Brosius. “We’re going to win the division. We just need to relax and do it.”

Certainly not creating a relaxing atmosphere was Yankee owner George Steinbrenner, who visited the clubhouse to talk with Manager Joe Torre and General Manager Brian Cashman before the game, then watched Tampa Bay’s Cory Lidle (4-6) limit his team to five hits in seven innings.

Jose Guillen, Ozzie Timmons and Fred McGriff homered for the Devil Rays.

Kansas City 3, Detroit 0--Jeff Suppan pitched a six-hitter for his second career shutout and second straight complete game as the Royals won at Kansas City.,

Toronto 4, Baltimore 0--Frank Castillo (10-5) allowed one hit in six innings to win his ninth consecutive decision as Blue Jays won at Baltimore.