Looks like Thome will get weekend off

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- On second thought, Jim Thome is not expected to start any of the White Sox' interleague games at San Francisco this weekend.

The slumping designated hitter was originally scheduled to start one of the three games at first base, but Sox manager Ozzie Guillen doesn't want to take any chances with Thome's troublesome back.

"Right now, I'm not going to play him,'' Guillen said. "Last year we did and then he lost a couple of games because he was sore. He lost a couple of games because playing in the field was tough. I talked to him and hopefully we'll get him an (at-)bat here and there. Maybe if things go a certain way I will change my mind, but right now I don't want to use him.''

With no designated hitter at National League stadiums, Thome would have to play first base in order to start.

In the spotlight: White Sox left fielder Carlos Quentin entered Thursday's game against the Angels ranked first in the American League with 10 home runs and second in RBI (34).

Not too bad for a guy who almost didn't make the Sox' 25-man roster out of spring training, but Quentin isn't getting too excited about his eye-popping numbers.

"My goal had always been just to give Ozzie (Guillen) a reason to keep me in the lineup,'' Quentin said. "I think you earn acceptance by playing hard every day. That's what I try to do.''

National disaster: The White Sox open interleague play against the Giants tonight with a clean slate.

Last season, they were 4-14 against National League teams, the worst interleague record in baseball.

"We played really, really bad, and that was the big difference from the year before and last year,'' manager Ozzie Guillen said. "We did not play well against the National League at all, and I think that was a big key for us. We didn't even have a chance.''

Boo away: A.J. Pierzynski knows he is in for some rough treatment from the crowds at San Francisco this weekend.

"Who cares?'' said Pierzynski, who had a rough year with the Giants in 2004. "It's been four years. It's not like I did anything there, bad-mouthed the fans or anything like that. I came to play every day. I showed up and did everything I could to help the team win. Sometimes that's not good enough. Sometimes people read things and without knowing it, they say they don't like you.

"I'm sure there will be some boos. It'll be loud. I'm sure my teammates will get a kick out of it and I'm sure I'll get a good chuckle out of it.''