No sweep, but White Sox happy to move on
Robin Ventura wasn’t biting.
Yes, the low-key manager was happy with the White Sox’ 5-2 record heading into Sunday’s game against the Tigers.
No, he was not thinking ahead to his starting rotation for the playoffs.
“I don’t need to sit here and be a prognosticator of how it’s going to go,” Ventura said. “Every team goes through ups and downs, and right now it looks up. My job is just to kind of keep them focused on playing and not thinking too far ahead.
“Season’s are just … they can be overwhelming at times if you try to think it’s always going to be like this. It’s not always going to be like this. We’re playing well right now, but you just kind of focus on the right things and whatever happens, happens.”
Here’s what happened Sunday: Detroit held on for a 5-2 victory to snap the Sox’ winning streak at four.
The White Sox were disappointed with the end result, but they know how much season is left on the schedule.
“I think for us to win a series, we’ve got to be happy with it,” Adam Dunn said after delivering 2 doubles in the loss. “But we had the chance to sweep a really good team.”
The Sox looked to be in really good shape in the first inning when Chris Sale needed just 10 pitches — and three minutes — to retire the Tigers in order.
But the young left-hander hit a wall in the second inning, throwing 33 pitches while still managing to hold Detroit scoreless.
Sale did allow 3 runs on 5 hits and 2 walks before exiting after Prince Fielder led off the sixth inning with a double. He threw 102 pitches.
“I think him being a strikeout pitcher like he is, he’s going to have a higher pitch total than most guys just because he gets a lot of swings and misses,” Ventura said. “That’s part of what he brings to the table.
“It was just kind of in that spot where we were able to take him out, just the pitch count and where we’re at in the game.”
Trailing 3-0 in the eighth inning, Dayan Viciedo broke the shutout with a solo home run, and the White Sox later brought the go-ahead runner to the plate. That was Brent Morel, and he struck out with runners on first and second.
In the ninth, Kosuke Fukudome and Viciedo both came to the plate representing the tying run, so give the Sox some credit for at least making the Tigers sweat a little.
“They are good,” Sale said. “But at the same time, they can be beaten. We proved that the first two games. You know the team needed a better effort out of me, and I just didn’t show up and got outpitched.”
As Ventura said, there are going to be some ups and there are going to be some downs.
“We didn’t play poorly or anything; they just came out and beat us,” Paul Konerko said. “They have guys who are going to get their hits and pitchers who are going to throw their good innings.
“They have a good team, so we’ll take the two out of three and just move on.”
sgregor@dailyherald.com
White Sox vs. Baltimore Orioles at U.S. Cellular Field
TV: Channel 26 today-Tuesday; Comcast SportsNet Wednesday-Thursday
Radio: WSCR 670-AM
Pitching matchups: The Sox Philip Humber (0-0) vs. Jake Arrieta (1-0) today at 7:10 p.m.; John Danks (1-1) vs. Wei-Yin Chen (0-0) Tuesday at 7:10 p.m.; Jake Peavy (1-0) vs. Tommy Hunter (1-0) Wednesday at 7:10 p.m.; Gavin Floyd (1-1) vs. Jason Hammel (1-0) Thursday at 1:10 p.m.
At a glance: You can call this a matchup of the American Leagues two most surprising teams. The White Sox are 5-3. The Orioles are 5-4. The Sox were 4-4 vs. Baltimore last season (1-3 at the Cell). Humber made 2 starts against the Orioles last season and was 0-1 while allowing 6 runs in 13 innings. Arrieta, a right-hander, made 1 start vs. the Sox last season and got the win despite allowing 3 runs in 5 innings.
Next: Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field, Friday-Sunday
Scot Gregor