Danks continues to get job done for Sox
Remember heading into this season and people talking about the back end of the White Sox' rotation?
Gavin Floyd and John Danks?
The duo came with a question mark after their name, their inexperience a reason many experts weren't sure if the White Sox could contend.
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More than halfway into the season, the duo is the same. The question mark, however, is long gone, and the punctuation has changed.
Gavin Floyd and John Danks!
Instead of fourth and fifth starters, they are pitching like top-of-the-order workhorses.
Danks followed Floyd's gem Saturday with one of his own, leading the White Sox to a 4-3 victory over Oakland on Sunday in front of 31,955 at U.S. Cellular Field.
Danks fanned a career-high nine batters while outdueling previously unbeaten Rich Harden (5-1) and giving the Sox a series split. The lefty allowed 2 runs in 6 innings that actually slightly raised his sterling ERA to 2.52.
"I felt like I had a pretty good fastball, especially into righties," Danks said. "The rest of it was kind of hit or miss. Fortunately some guys made some plays for me."
Without the efforts of Floyd and Danks the past two games, the White Sox would be looking up at streaking Minnesota in the AL Central standings. Instead they maintained their 1-game lead after the Twins again came from behind to beat the Indians for their 16th win in 18 games.
Floyd flirted with a pair of no-hitters this season, and Danks took one into the sixth Sunday. Gregorio Petit broke it up with a single past a diving Joe Crede. Carlos Quentin's leaping catch on Mark Ellis' drive to the left-field wall prevented any damage.
Danks (6-4) ran out of gas the following inning.
"I think this kid should have a better record than shows right now," manager Ozzie Guillen said. "Now he knows he can pitch in big situations against good ballclubs."
The White Sox capitalized on an Oakland error to take a 1-0 lead in the first. Petit, subbing for injured shortstop Bobby Crosby, turned Harden's 1-2-3 first inning into a 31-pitch struggle. Petit's two-out throwing error eventually led to Crede's bases-loaded walk.
The White Sox added 2 runs in the fourth. The bottom of the order came through, with a run-scoring single from No. 8 hitter Alexei Ramirez and a sacrifice fly by ninth hitter DeWayne Wise.
The White Sox found out Sunday that this is the first time since 2001 they won't have a pitcher on the all-star team - even though their staff sports the best ERA in the major leagues.
While Guillen and Danks took a measured response, leave it to catcher A.J. Pierzynski to put it bluntly.
"I cannot believe our team does not have a pitcher on the American League all-star team," Pierzynski said. "I find that almost impossible to believe. We've got the team leading the league in ERA. We've got a lot of bullpen guys, (Scott) Linebrink, (Matt) Thornton, (Bobby) Jenks, then you thrown in Danks and Floyd, those guys have been great all year. They deserve to be there. It's just amazing how it works."
Amazing, for sure, but no more so than the White Sox approaching the all-star break with their two young starters a combined 16-8 with a 2.88 ERA.
Gavin Floyd and John Danks? Exclamation point, indeed.
White Sox 4, A's 3
At the plate: The White Sox managed just 6 hits, with DeWayne Wise the only player collecting 2. Wise also lofted a sacrifice fly and is hitting .419 in his last 10 games. Alexei Ramirez went 1-for-3, and, like Wise, has been hot (.359 in his last 32 games). Joe Crede's RBI in the first inning was just his fourth in the last 15 games.
On the mound: John Danks threw only 30 balls in 106 pitches while allowing 2 or fewer runs for the 15th time in 18 starts. He improved to 6-4 and now is looking to improve on last year's second half, when he went 1-7 with a 7.11 ERA. "This year I really want to finish strong and be strong in the playoffs," Danks said.