Kubel, Baker lead Twins over White Sox, 2-1

Posted April 09, 2010 11:00 pm

Scot Gregor

It's still the first week of the season, but you've got to figure the White Sox have lost at least 10 fans who can no longer bear watching an incompetent offense.

The Sox have scored just 10 runs in their last four games, all losses, and they again failed to deliver in the clutch during Saturday afternoon's 2-1 loss to the Twins at U.S. Cellular Field.

In the process, the White Sox wasted another sterling pitching performance, this one a tag-team effort from starter Freddy Garcia and reliever Scott Linebrink.

At the end of the day it was just another annoyingly close setback - the Sox' 4 losses this season have been by a total of 6 runs - but captain Paul Konerko feels like better days are coming.

"We are not playing terrible," Konerko said. "We are just playing good enough to lose. Every team is going to go through these little phases where you are not playing terrible but you are not getting over that hump.

"When you do it in the first few games of the season, it gets magnified because there's nothing to go off of. There's no previous record. Everybody thinks this is going be indicative of how the whole season goes and even good baseball people fall into that trap. You have to block that out and keep pushing."

Facing Minnesota's Scott Baker, who allowed 4 runs on 5 hits and 3 walks over 42 innings in his first start of the season, the Sox managed just 1 run on 5 hits in 7 innings against the right-hander.

Mark Teahen finally got a hit while breaking an 0-for-10 slump, and it was a big one.

After A.J. Pierzynski led off the fifth inning with a double and moved to third on Alexei Ramirez's double, Teahen gave the White Sox a 1-0 lead with another double.

Besides that, it was non-business as usual for the Sox' offense. They were 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position and are 5-for-35 on the season.

"It was a pretty good ballgame and I think every game we play, we're in it and that's a good sign," White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said. "That means our pitching staff is doing their job. I hope our offense breaks out and swings the bat better. I think a lot of guys out there are pressing, a lot of guys are trying to do too much. When you're down by one run in a few games, you try to do whatever you're not supposed to do.

"I think I saw a couple guys trying to hit the ball out of the ballpark. They should be pleased and happy with a basehit. I think everybody wants to be a hero. I think that's the wrong way to approach it."

Garcia was outstanding in his first start of the season, pitching 7 innings and allowing 2 runs on 3 hits. His only blemish was Jason Kubel's 2-run homer to center in the seventh inning.

"That's Freddy," Konerko said. "What he did today can't be understated. We had a ton of guys in bullpen that had thrown a lot. He's going up against maybe the best lineup you can put out there against a right-handed pitcher. The deck was stacked against him big time today and he goes out and does what he does.

"That's why Freddy is a dangerous guy always to have on your team. You just can't measure, people like to put things in numbers or velocities, but he's just got a lot of heart and guts and I'm not surprised because I've seen it a million times."

Guillen liked what he saw from Linebrink. The erratic reliever came on in the eighth inning with the bases loaded and no outs and retired the side without allowing run.

Linebrink also pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

Scot Gregor's game tracker

Twins 2, White Sox 1

Bad matchup: Dating back to last season, the Sox have lost five straight to Minnesota and 11 of the last 12.

Fenced in: Jason Kubel's deciding 2-run shot off Freddy Garcia in the seventh inning was the first home run allowed by White Sox pitchers this season.

Numbers game: The Sox are 1-4 for the first time since 2006. They went on to finish 90-72.

Hit parade: Mark Teahen and Mark Kotsay each got their first hits of the season.

- Scot Gregor

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