clarinews@clarinet.com (09/21/89)
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (UPI) -- If the Oakland A's hold on to capture the AL West, they can tip their cap partly to Chicago's Melido Perez. Perez, who beat the California Angels 3-1 last Friday, made it two in a row over an A's challenger when he pitched six-hitter Wednesday night to lead the Chicago White Sox to a 7-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals. The Royals dropped 4 1-2 games behind the AL West-leading Oakland A's and two games back of California. The Royals have lost five of their last seven games and are 9-10 in September. Kansas City closes the season next week with three games at California and three at Oakland. ``We have our work cut out for us,'' Kansas City Manager John Wathan said. ``I know one thing -- we aren't going to quit. If it gets to the point we can't win it, we are going to try to finish second. ``It is a credit to the guys in the clubhouse that they have kept this thing going and have played hard.'' Mark Gubicza, who recently signed a three-year contract worth $7.4 million, left the game in the second inning with a posterior muscle strain of his right shoulder. ``Gubicza will have X-rays will taken tomorrow and then we'll know more about it,'' Wathan said. ``You could tell something was bothering him. I think it even goes back to his start in Baltimore (last Saturday) by the way he threw there. ``It keeps piling up all year. I don't know what else can happen. We've had a long list of injuries.'' Gubicza, who fell to 15-11, has been carrying the Royals this month and had a five-game winning streak broken. Perez, 11-13, struck out nine and walked two to record his second complete game. The White Sox took a 6-0 lead in the second. Chicago loaded the bases against Gubicza with two singles and a walk to start the inning. Gubicza walked Robin Ventura to force home the game's first run and knock out the right-hander after he threw 30 pitches. Gubicza walked three, struck out one and yielded four runs. Steve Crawford relieved Gubicza and yielded two-run singles to Ozzie Guillen and Ivan Calderon to give the White Sox a 5-0 lead. Chicago capped the six-run inning when Lance Johnson scored from third on a throwing error by shortstop Kurt Stillwell. Bob Boone singled home a run for Kansas City in the second. Carlton Fisk's 12th homer gave the White Sox a 7-1 lead in the ninth, but Jim Eisenreich countered with his seventh homer for Kansas City.