Rockies struggling to overcome injuries
DETROIT -- The Colorado Rockies were the talk of baseball late last season.
Winning 21 of 22 games, the Rockies rolled into the World Series before the Boston Red Sox brought them back down to earth.
With talented young players like outfielder Matt Holliday, shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, third baseman Garret Atkins and right fielder Brad Hawpe, Colorado was expected to contend again this year.
So why were the Rockies, who play a three-game interleague series against the White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field this weekend -- tied for last place in the National League West after Thursday's 10-7 loss at home against the San Francisco Giants?
"You have to keep the guys healthy,'' said Sox manager Ozzie Guillen. "But they have a heck of a ballclub and players that are pretty young. It's all about pitching and health because the offense is going to be there, especially in that ballpark (Coors Field).''
Colorado is playing without Tulowitzki, who has been sidelined with a torn left quadriceps tendon since late April. Holliday and Atkins just returned from the disabled list.
"They're struggling right now, but you don't know how it's going to come out,'' Guillen said. "Hopefully, we'll go back home and keep playing the way we've playing there and take care of business.''
No worries: Mark Buehrle said he didn't panic when he was getting hit hard and giving up runs earlier in the season.
"When I've thrown the ball well, it's been great,'' Buehrle said. "But when I didn't have a quality start, it was miserable.''
Buehrle has been back to normal lately, and he lowered his ERA to 4.47 Thursday after holding the Tigers to 1 run over 8 innings.
"I know a lot of people were worried about Mark,'' Ozzie Guillen said. "I was the one who said, 'Let him be who he is.' He's been throwing the ball great.''
Podsednik returns: After playing for the White Sox from 2005-07, Scott Podsednik caught on with the Colorado Rockies and is filling a reserve role.
The injury-prone outfielder should get a nice ovation from the fans at U.S. Cellular Field during this weekend's interleague series.
"Scotty had a lot of things to do with the good seasons we had when he was here,'' Ozzie Guillen said. "I think the fans in Chicago don't forget who the players were. He was a big reason for us winning the championship. He brought a lot of things to the table. Unfortunately, he couldn't play last year, the year before that. But Scott brings a lot good memories to the fans and Chicago fans will appreciate him.''
Podsednik, who did not play Thursday against the Giants, is mired in a 2-for-29 slump that has dropped his batting average from .295 to .222.
Scouting report
White Sox vs. Colorado Rockies at U.S. Cellular Field
TV: Comcast SportsNet today and Sunday; Channel 9 Saturday
Radio: WSCR 670-AM
Pitching matchups: The Sox' Gavin Floyd (7-3) vs. Jeff Francis (2-6) today at 7:11 p.m.; John Danks (4-4) vs. TBA Saturday at 6:05 p.m.; Jose Contreras (6-4) vs. Aaron Cook (9-3) Sunday at 1:05 p.m.
At a glance: The White Sox return to interleague play as the Rockies make their first-ever trip to the South Side. The Sox played a three-game series at Colorado in 2005 and went 3-0. After going 4-14 against National League teams last season, the White Sox are 3-0 this year after sweeping the Giants in San Francisco. The Sox have won eight straight at home.
Next: Pittsburgh Pirates at U.S. Cellular Field, Tuesday-Thursday
-- Scot Gregor