Guillen gives Contreras an earful
DETROIT -- White Sox starting pitcher Jose Contreras has to rank as one of the nicest guys in major-league baseball.
That didn't prevent manager Ozzie Guillen from heading to the mound and yelling at the big right-hander during the third inning of Friday's game against the Tigers.
After the Sox took a 5-2 lead in the top of the third, Contreras walked Detroit leadoff hitter Carlos Guillen, retired Magglio Ordonez on a flyout and walked Miguel Cabrera.
Here comes the manager.
"After you get a 3-run lead, you're walking two guys and then start walking around the mound, the body language has got to be better next time," Guillen said. "I don't care if he gets hit. I told him: 'If you throw 2 innings, I want the best stuff out of your hands. Throw 2, 3, 4 innings that's fine; I want you to stay aggressive.'"
Contreras wound up allowing 3 runs in the third inning as the Tigers tied the score. He was gone after giving up a single to Brandon Inge leading off the sixth.
"First of all, I feel fine physically," Contreras said through an interpreter. "And I'm very disappointed because my offense kept giving me the lead, and I couldn't hold it. Out of the bullpen, everything was working. But when I got to the mound, none of my pitches were working."
Working or not, Guillen just wants Contreras to concentrate on throwing strikes.
"I was a little disappointed because the way he was throwing in spring training, our hope was he'd throw the same way," Guillen said. "I think Jose has to start getting aggressive. He has to go there and be aggressive from the beginning. I think he was pacing himself too much. He has to be attacking the strike zone more."
Quentin time: Making his second straight start in left field, Carlos Quentin continued to impress Ozzie Guillen on Friday while going 2-for-5 and hitting a 2-run homer.
Pablo Ozuna is expected to spell Juan Uribe at second base today, and catcher Toby Hall is going to give A.J. Pierzynski a breather.
It looks like Quentin is going to be back in left.
"If he keeps playing like that, he's going to be in the lineup and we'll figure out the rest," Guillen said.
Tiger tale: After being swept in a three-game series by the Royals to open the season, Tigers manager Jim Leyland had this to say: "We look terrible at the plate. We've looked like a dead club. We've looked like an old club. We look like we're not prepared, and that's the manager's responsibility."
After adding Miguel Cabrera, Edgar Renteria and Dontrelle Willis in the off-season, Detroit entered the season as a popular choice to win the World Series.
Even though they dropped to 0-4 Friday and are baseball's only winless team, Ozzie Guillen said the Tigers are going to be heard from in the AL Central.
"Unless something really bad happens and someone gets hurt," Guillen said. "They have so much talent, so much experience. They're not going to panic and the manager is always going to push the right button to get them going. You think those guys are going to be like this all year? You're crazy."