Floyd perfect enough to get needed win for White Sox
With Philip Humber's perfect game still fresh on his mind, White Sox starting pitcher Gavin Floyd admitted he was thinking about repeating history during Sunday's start against the Red Sox at U.S. Cellular Field.
“Absolutely,” Floyd said. “Especially since Phil did it recently, so it was natural. Your object is to get in there as late as you can and if it happens, it happens.”
It didn't happen.
Floyd lost his bid for a perfect game when he walked Cody Ross with two outs in the fifth inning.
And the White Sox' 29-year-old right-hander lost his bid for a no-hitter when Boston's Dustin Pedroia singled past second baseman Eduardo Escobar's outstretched glove with one out in the seventh.
“I want to have that feeling every game,” Floyd said after the White Sox defeated the Red Sox 4-1 to avoid a four-game sweep. “I believe I do. I feel like it was any other game.”
Actually, it wasn't just any other game.
The White Sox really needed a win after dropping the first three to Boston to run their losing streak to five games.
They wasted a great effort by Jake Peavy in Saturday night's 1-0 loss to the Red Sox, but Floyd's effort was properly rewarded.
“Gavin deserves a ton of credit for the way he pitched and the way he held down a lineup that has been hot,” catcher A.J. Pierzynski said. “He had a good curveball, but the thing he did best was he used his fastball more than he has in a long time.
“He threw it in big situations, whereas the last few years, that's been a slider. Today he threw some fastballs, and I think he surprised them.”
Getting a strong effort from the starting pitcher comes as no surprise.
Outside of John Danks, who has been wildly inconsistent, the White Sox' rotation has been one of baseball's best.
“It has been pretty good, take away a bad start here and there,” Pierzynski said. “Other than that, we've been in every game. We've had opportunities to win almost every game. It is because of our starters and our bullpen. It's what you need if you are going to have any chance at all.
“You have to have guys who can throw the ball over the plate and get guys out. We have guys who can do that, and we believe in them. Hopefully they can continue that for 140 more games.”
The White Sox didn't score any runs Saturday while spoiling Peavy's 4-hit complete game.
A four-game sweep certainly looked possible Sunday because Paul Konerko was out with a stiff neck and Josh Beckett was on the mound for the Red Sox.
But the White Sox gave Floyd all the support he'd need in the first inning, taking a 3-0 lead thanks to Alex Rios' run-scoring single and Adam Dunn's 2-run homer — his first at the Cell since Aug. 4.
“I think any time a team gets shut out the night before when your guy only gives up 1 (run), it's nice to jump out and get a few runs for your guy,” manager Robin Ventura said. “And then to get that last (run) was important, too.”
Floyd was gone after Ross singled with two outs in the seventh inning to make it 3-1, but Addison Reed and Matt Thornton (first save) pitched scoreless relief. Dayan Viciedo drove home a big insurance run with a single in the eighth.
“We seem to not be playing very well at home,” Dunn said. “They've put up a lot of runs against us, and today Gavin really shut them down. We were fortunate enough to get some early runs and (Floyd) settled in and quickly mowed them down.”
sgregor@dailyherald.com