White Sox just can't seem to solve Rockies
TUCSON, Ariz. -- Once the regular season starts, the White Sox can worry about the Detroit Tigers and the Cleveland Indians.
For now, they have to deal with the National League upstart Colorado Rockies and the Arizona Diamondbacks in spring training. If Wednesday's Cactus League opener against the Rockies is any indication, the Sox again have their hands full.
"I told (Sox chairman) Jerry Reinsdorf, 'It's a good thing we don't have to face Colorado every day because, jeez, we can't find a way to beat those guys,''' manager Ozzie Guillen said after the Sox lost 7-3 at Tucson Electric Park.
Guillen's right -- the Sox have now dropped 11 straight to Colorado dating to the spring of 2006. On Friday, the White Sox play the first of three straight against the Diamondbacks, a team they've beaten just once in the past 12 exhibition games.
Guillen actually was pleased with the way the Sox handled themselves against Colorado on Wednesday.
"I think everybody went out and did what they're supposed to do,'' Guillen said. "(Starter John) Danks threw the ball better than I thought he would. Those guys went out and played, and you can feel the thing starting to go on the right track.
"Everybody had good at-bats; everybody had a good outing. Unfortunately, we made a couple mistakes and one guy (relief pitcher Dewon Day) didn't have a good day. But they battled, and that's something you like to see.
"We've got to go out there and push a little bit harder, but I was real pleased and happy with what I saw.''
With the wind howling out to left field, Danks gave up 2 runs (1 earned) in the first inning, and he retired the Rockies in order in the second before calling it a day.
"I thought it was OK,'' Danks said. "There's some talk that I'm already in the rotation, but that's not the way I look at it. Nothing's concrete, and I'm here to win a job.''
Danks was around last spring, when the White Sox went 10-22 in the Cactus League and never got it going in the regular season.
"It would be nice to be able to win a few more down here,'' Danks said. "We have to go out there ready to perform, but the main goal is to be ready on March 31.''
For the most part, Guillen was repulsed by the Sox' ragged play last spring. He's not ready to voice similar displeasure after just one game this year.
"It was a good game,'' Guillen said. "Want to win. But I think we're on the right track, going in the right direction, with how we're approaching the game. As long as we play the game right, as long as we're not losing because of walks and mistakes, I can live with that. Obviously, we want to start winning from the beginning.''
After enduring a miserable 2007, the White Sox have been much more businesslike during training camp. Catcher A.J. Pierzynski thinks it eventually will pay off.
"It's been good,'' Pierzynski said. "It's been all business, but it's been fun. Ozzie still likes to keep it fun. We played well, ran the bases hard, swung the bat well, pitched pretty well.
"You look at it and the way guys are going about their business, there's not a lot of goofing around. That's what we need. Heck, we're playing the Rockies and Diamondbacks every day it seems, and those are good teams.''