Guillen has confidence in Contreras
After 2 good starts, Jose Contreras turned in another ragged effort Saturday against the Minnesota Twins.
The White Sox' right-hander labored through 5 innings, allowing 7 runs (4 earned) on 13 hits while throwing 97 pitches.
"My fastball wasn't moving, my curveball wasn't curving,'' Contreras said through a translator. "I wasn't feeling well with my stuff.''
It has been a rough season for Contreras, who is 8-16 with a 5.91 ERA. There have been plenty of trade rumors surrounding the 35-year-old pitcher, but Sox manager Ozzie Guillen expects Contreras to return to his dominant form in 2008.
"One thing I can guarantee you, out of the five guys we have in the rotation right now, Jose will work the hardest,'' Guillen said. "With all due respect to (Javier) Vazquez, because Vazquez is a workaholic. (John) Danks is a workaholic.
"But I think Jose is the one that is going to work the most because he wants to come back and nail it. I did a projection in spring training, and I thought that Vazquez was going to be our most consistent guy, and he is.
"Right now Jose is the one that is going to show up in the best shape and best condition because he doesn't want to go through this summer again.''
Dye returns: After missing three games with a sore left groin, right fielder Jermaine Dye was back in the starting lineup Saturday.
Dye has been banged up for much of the season, missing time with the groin, a strained quadriceps and a sore knee.
Despite missing 21 games, the 33-year-old Dye entered Saturday ranked seventh in the American League with 27 home runs.
"Hopefully he can stay healthy for the rest of the season,'' said White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen. "I have to make sure I give him enough rest.''
First things first: After they emerged with a 11-10 victory in Friday night's marathon against the Twins, most of the White Sox probably were too tired to carry out a long-running tradition.
Heath Phillips worked a scoreless 13th inning for the Sox and, for the most part, avoided the beer shower that comes with a pitcher's first major-league win.
"Toby (Hall) got me a little,'' Phillips said. "Once we scored all of those runs (6) in the ninth inning, I started stretching. I had a feeling I'd get in the game.''