How much worse can it get for Sox?
It was a fitting end to one of the most frustrating weeks in White Sox history.
Called on to protect an 8-6 lead in the ninth inning of a rain-delayed game against the first-place Tigers on Saturday at Comerica Park, Sergio Santos seemed like a very safe choice.
After all, Santos hadn't allowed an earned run in any of his prior 25 road appearances this season, a major league record.
It looked like the Sox were a lock to cut Detroit's AL Central lead to 5½ games when Santos struck out Wilson Betemit with a wicked slider leading off the ninth.
But just like that, Austin Jackson tripled, and Ryan Raburn followed with a 2-run homer on a not-so-wicked slider to tie it.
Santos regrouped and struck out Delmon Young, but Miguel Cabrera lifted the Tigers to a 9-8 win with a solo home run. Detroit trailed 8-1 earlier in the game.
It's safe to say the White Sox' already slim playoff hopes were all but doused.
“This one is very painful,” manager Ozzie Guillen told reporters. “This game was huge for us. It was a very important game. When we have a (big) lead, we feel like we have a shot. Our bullpen has been great all year long.”
The Sox were positioned to win the series with a win over Detroit on Sunday night. Now, they are left to pick up the pieces.
“You let 24 other guys on your team down,” Santos told reporters. “That's the hard part about it. It's been a long day and they busted their tails and played very well. For me to mess up that one inning, it's tough.”
It's been a tough, tough week for the White Sox.
It started with another report that Guillen and general manager Kenny Williams are at war again, but the more distressing news came Wednesday when Guillen said he wanted a contract extension despite being signed through 2011.
On Saturday, the Sun-Times reported Williams and hitting coach Greg Walker had a heated exchange at U.S. Cellular Field in August.
Williams was asked about Gordon Beckham's season-long struggles on Aug. 18. Specifically, the GM was asked if it was too early to say Beckham's career has reached a fork in the road.
“No,” Williams said. “Because with his current approach I think they're going to continue to expose his weakness. As I've told him in the past, I liked the swing coming out of the University of Georgia, the one that we saw when he first got here to the big leagues where he was able to drive the ball and pound it into the right-center field gap.
“And any high fastball, he could get on top of it with his top hand. But again, as the general manager you sit back. You have to respect the work that your coaches do and you have to respect the desire from the player as to what he thinks will work.”
Walker apparently took Williams' comments as criticism and that sparked the argument.
Walker told reporters in Detroit he did not want to discuss the incident.
When asked if he cared to comment on the Walker situation via text Saturday, Williams responded: “No.”
It looks like a messy end to a frustrating White Sox season is already in the works.
Now you have to wonder how chairman Jerry Reinsdorf is going to clean it up.
sgregor@dailyherald.com