Sox testing Guillen's faith in 6-1 loss to Royals
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Through all of the lows this season, and there have been many, Ozzie Guillen has somehow managed to keep believing in the White Sox' offense.
After Friday night's 6-1 loss to the last-place Royals at Kauffman Stadium, Guillen was as exasperated as he's ever been since taking over his post in 2004.
"The Chicago media, I hope you come up with something for a headline," Guillen said. "I ain't got (bleep), I don't."
And who can blame him?
Starting four hitters (A.J. Pierzynski, Mark Kotsay, Gordon Beckham, Omar Vizquel) with batting averages under .200, is it any wonder the Sox made Kansas City starter Gil Meche the latest pitcher to look like a Cy Young candidate?
Is it really a surprise the White Sox managed just 1 run on 5 hits while going 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position and stranding eight runners?
And how shocking is it that starter Mark Buehrle - who had a no-hitter going until Jose Guillen singled with one out in the fifth inning - cracked under the White Sox' continued lack of offensive pressure in the seventh while allowing 5 runs on 5 straight hits?
"It seems like no matter who's pitching, a lefty, righty, breaking baller, knuckleballer, hard thrower, no matter what, they look very good against us," Guillen said. "I wish I had the answer to be honest with you. So many guys are struggling. Sometimes they give you good at-bats, sometimes they don't. It's hard to see it every day.
"It gets to the point where I don't want to lose any confidence in those guys, I never will, but in the meanwhile I've started putting doubts in my mind. Am I thinking the right thing or lying to myself? I hope I'm not lying to myself believing in those guys. It's swimming against the current."
With a 14-21 record, the Sox are playing like a team that is being circled by sharks.
"We stunk in 2007," said Pierzynski, who put the White Sox in front with a run-scoring single in the fifth inning. "We had a lot of injuries; our whole team was hurt. This year guys are healthy, we don't have anybody hurt. Things just aren't going our way.
"I said, 'Did we kick someone's dog or did someone put voodoo on us or something?' It's amazing. We just can't find a way to win."
That again leads to the inevitable question - how much longer is general manager Kenny Williams going to wait before breaking this team up?
"Everyone says it's early," Buehrle said. "I keep saying it's early and it could be too late. But we still have time. We've struggled badly and we're 8 games out of first and it seems like we should be 20, at least right now the way we've played.
"I think everyone is going to turn around. We'll get on a little roll. But if it doesn't happen soon, obviously we don't know what Kenny is going to do, blowing this team up and going in a different route? But we've got to keep winning."
<p class="factboxheadblack">Scot Gregor's game tracker</p>
<p class="News">Royals 6, White Sox 1</p>
<p class="News"><b>So it goes:</b> Not only did the offense struggle again while going 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position, Gordon Beckham's single in the third inning was overturned by the official scorer after the game and ruled an error on Kansas City second baseman Mike Aviles.</p>
<p class="News"><b>The quote:</b> From A.J. Pierzynski, who drove in the Sox' lone run: "I said, 'Did we kick someone's dog or did someone put voodoo on us or something?' It's amazing. We just can't find a way to win."</p>
<p class="News"><b>Five and dive:</b> Mark Buehrle had a no-hitter until Jose Guillen singled with one out in the fifth inning. The left-hander proceeded to allow 6 runs (5 earned) on 8 hits in 6 innings while losing his fifth straight decision.</p>
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