Samardzija bounces back as Chicago White Sox sweep Tigers
After his Sept. 15 start against Oakland at U.S. Cellular Field, Chicago White Sox right-hander Jeff Samardzija barely flinched.
He had just given up 10 runs on 11 hits in 3-plus innings. Equally bad, Samardzija dropped to 1-8 with a 9.24 ERA since the Sox opted to hold on to the impending free agent at the July 31 nonwaiver trade deadline.
If he was cracking after the disastrous outing against the Athletics, Samardzija hid it very well.
"I love to do what I do," he said. "I'll go to my deathbed pitching and being around baseball and sports. I wake up every day looking to compete and have fun and go out there and dominate. That's what I'm here to do, and every fifth day I'm going come up and get ready to pitch, no matter what.
"I don't feel sorry for myself; I don't hang my head. I'm a competitor, and I always will be. At times it's tougher than it is other times."
The brutal stretch of 9 starts since the deadline undoubtedly is going to cost Samardzija on the free-agent market, but early indications still suggest he is going to get a minimum offer in the four-year, $60 million range.
After the 2013 season, Samardzija reportedly turned down a five-year, $85 million contract from the Cubs.
What he might have gotten from the Cubs in the past or might get on the open market after the season mean very little to the White Sox.
The Sox are going to make Samardzija a qualifying offer at the end of the year, but he is not going to accept the one-year deal for roughly $16 million.
He already bet on himself this year and lost. Samardzija will not do it again, and he still figures to come out in very good financial shape.
Samardzija's Game 1 start against the Tigers on Monday certainly helped his cause. In the Sox' 2-0 win over Detroit, Samardzija went the distance and allowed just 1 hit, a bloop single by Victor Martinez leading off the fifth inning.
After being pounded by Oakland, Samardzija said he was having trouble throwing his best pitch, the sinker down and away.
Against the Tigers, Samardzija (10-13) said he was no longer tipping pitches after picking up the flaw on video.
Carlos Sanchez went 3-for-3 in the opener, scoring the White Sox' first run on Adam Eaton's single in the third inning and hitting a solo homer in the sixth.
The White Sox defeated the Tigers 3-2 in Game 2 to sweep the doubleheader.
Erik Johnson (3-0) started for the nightcap for the Sox and got the win after pitching 6 innings and allowing 2 runs on 5 hits to go with 9 strikeouts.
Avisail Garcia hit a sacrifice fly and Gordon Beckham followed with a solo home run in the second inning, and Jose Abreu added a run-scoring double in the third.