Paul Konerko is greeted by teammates after hitting a two-run homer against Boston to give the White Sox a 7-4 lead in the ninth. Photo courtesy of sports.yahoo.com
The Chicago White Sox defeated the Boston Red Sox 7-4 Wednesday completing a three-game sweep of the AL East powerhouse.
In that series the offense exploded for 24 runs and looked like the opposite of the team that lost three of four this past weekend in Toronto. Those losses sparked an outburst from manager Ozzie Guillen in which he blasted his team for their lack of offense with runners in scoring position.
“We (expletive) stink. Flat out stink,” Guillen said after losing 9-8 in 14 innings. “I’ve been watching the same (expletive) a lot of times with men in scoring position”
What a difference three days can make. Their series against Boston was filled with two out hits that drove in runs. It looked like a completely different team; the team everyone envisioned at the start of the season.
These type of performances are what this team needs to turn their season around. For the most part they are getting solid pitching from everyone not named John Danks. What they need is the offense to pick up. Two months into the season may be long enough to wait for some of these hitters to get out of slumps. So instead Guillen is going to his bench and they have answered the call. Reserves like Brent Lillibridge and Omar Vizquel are starting to see more and more time and both played key roles in Boston.
With a little momentum heading back home, it’s now or never for the White Sox. They are currently 8.5 games behind Cleveland Indians for first place in the AL Central. This weekend they get a three-game series with Detroit Tigers who swept the White Sox back in April and trail the Indians by 5 games. Guillen knows how big this series will be and hopes this was just the beginning.
“I hope this is the beginning of the good start. I hope this gets us to where we want to get” Guillen said after the win. “Hopefully they look at it and say, ‘We played against one of the best teams in the American league and we played the way we can play, and we can play that way against anybody.’ Hopefully they know that and it creates some confidence and belief we can do this.”
As the weather warms up in Chicago, this city hopes the White Sox bats follow.
White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen (left) is great to play for but has made some questionable decisions in the past. Photo courtesy of sports.yahoo.com
Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen is a guy I would love to play for. He is the type of guy that has the utmost confidence in his players. He also is a media magnet and because of that you never have to worry about pressure from the press. Guillen is the person all reporters want to talk to and he always has something to say. He is the perfect manager for the players.
The one problem with Guillen though is how he manages games. His decision making in-game is one of the worst in baseball. That’s why it was good to see him make a substitution that didn’t hurt his ballclub. Wednesday he put in Brent Lillibridge to run for Paul Konerko at first with one out in the ninth inning. Lillibrigde ended up scoring the go-ahead run and the White Sox eventually won in extra innings.
Time and time again Guillen has pinch ran for his slow footed power hitters but a lot of times it would be with them at first and two outs in a tie game or when the White Sox are slighty ahead. The problem with that is many times that pinch runner’s has to bat in important situations the next time around and more often then not we lose because of it.
Then there’s the bullpen. For the past few seasons the closer role has been shaky but Guillen had chosen to stick with former reliever Bobby Jenks only to be disappointed and lose those games in the end. And when he didn’t go to him he would just not pitch Jenks at all and overuse his other guys to the point where they would be set up to fail. Guillen always had a problem setting roles for guys in the pen. One guy would pitch in a situation one day and then would be in a completely different role the next.
Guillen is a World Series winner and has a few playoff appearances but when his team goes through rough stretches he panics. Panic is something big league managers can’t do.
Edwin Jackson all but ensured a White Sox victory with a dominant performance against his former team. Photo courtesy of sports.yahoo.com
The two worst teams in baseball are the Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays. The Red Sox were the AL favorite coming into the season and the Rays won the AL East last season. With both teams at rock bottom early its good that the Chicago White Sox can catch one of them right away.
Today was the beginning of a four-game series and the Rays were without Evan Longoria and Manny Ramirez. Longoria is on the 15 day DL and Ramirez is dealing with family issues. It’s nice to have a little good luck right.
Edwin Jackson‘s performance today was no luck. He was dominate going eight innings and striking out 13 leading the White Sox to a 5-1 victory.
It’s important for the Sox to stay hot and not let up. You don’t want to be the team that springboards a great team back to the top. I don’t want to sound violent but kicking a team while there down is the thing to do in baseball.
The offense is clicking and Tampa’s pitching isn’t. Let’s keep it that way.
White Sox DH Adam Dunn will miss a week because of an appendectomy. Photo courtesy of sports.yahoo.com.
It was a surprise to many when the news broke Tuesday night of Chicago White Sox slugger Adam Dunn needing an appendectomy. Dunn is only to miss about a week so the he won’t need to go on the disabled list.
With Dunn out, the two guys likely to fill in will be Mark Teahan and Lastings Milledge. Both men had great springs so the hope is that they can hold down the fort until Dun gets back.
Teahan is likely to hit right-handers and just like yesterday Milledge will hit lefties. Teahan is the one to watch here because of his ability to play both corner infield and outfield positions. He lost the starting third base job to Brent Morel but not because of hit bat. If he hits during this stretch he may see himself in the lineup more often.
Milledge on the other hand is primarily an outfielder. With Juan Pierre in left, Alex Rios in center and the hot hitting Carlos Quentin in right, it’s hard to imagine extended playing time for him. None the less a strong showing could give Ozzie Guillen confidence in him late in games as a pinch hitter or defensive replacement for Quentin.
The White Sox are 1-0 without Dunn so far and is heading into a four game series with the Tampa Bay Rays so the White Sox need Teahan and Milledge to contribute.
White Sox starter John Danks did his part but still walked away with a loss Sunday. Photo courtesy of sports.yahoo.com
The Chicago White Sox got 24 runs in three games to open the season against the Cleveland Indians. I bet they wish they could have saved a few for their 7-1 loss in the series finale.
Their lack of offense against Justin Masterson (6-13 last season) wasted a great outing from John Danks. Danks went six innings giving up only two runs and striking out eight. This should be a familiar feeling for Danks as it seemed to happen in the majority of his starts last season.
Last year in 32 starts, Danks gave up two runs or less in 21 of them. He has certainly put himself in the class of the elite pitchers like C.C. Sabathia and Justin Verlander but he has yet to have the season of wins and losses to show it.
He has the ability to win 20 games this year but his guys have to hit for him. The White Sox ability to make failed prospects look like all-stars have to stop. I don’t have enough fingers on my hand to count how many times Hawk Harrelson has pointed out the fact that yet another inferior pitcher that we have never seen is giving us trouble. Let’s not forget that that same pitcher has never faced us either.
Through two games the White looked like a team with an unstoppable lineup but today’s game should make fans realize that it is a long season and anything can happen.
White Sox Manager Ozzie Guillen hopes this year's his team can get back to the postseason. Photo courtesy of sports.yahoo.com
Spring Training is nearing the end for the Chicago White Sox and if you look at the record, you may have worries about this team heading into the season. Because most of us don’t however, I know White Sox fans can’t wait to see this team play.
While the record was meaningless, the spring did help shape the roster. There were battles at third base, closer and the fourth outfield spot. With all that being said let’s see how manager Ozzie Guillen will shake things up for opening day.
Batting Order
LF Juan Pierre
DH Adam Dunn
1B Paul Konerko
CF Alex Rios
3B Brent Morel
Rotation
Bullpen
CL Matt Thorton
SU Jesse Crain
SU Chris Sale
MR WIll Ohman
LR Tony Pena
Bench
INF/OF Mark Teahan
INF Omar Vizquel
The men who won position battles were Moral, Thorton and Milledge. Moral is better defensively at third but Teahan’s bat is better for this righty-dominate lineup. I expect Teahan to take over before seasons end. Thorton is the team’s best reliever so him at closer was expected. But is anyone as good as him as a late-inning lefty? Sale and Ohman will try but Thorton at closer will hurt this bullpen in the long run. Millledge was far and above Lillibridge this spring but because he is out of options, he would be placed on waivers if not on the opening day roster, he was kept. Lillibridge has never done anything as a major leaguer so I don’t quite get why he is here. Him here means one less pitcher in the bullpen and with Humber in Jake Peavy’s spot while he is recovering from injury, an extra pitcher seems like a better option.
Aside from Peavy’s situation everything is going according to plan for the White Sox. Hopefully that translate into a strong start to 2011.
