Konerko just taking it at-bat by at-bat
No longer the White Sox' regular starter at first base, Paul Konerko is just trying to produce when he gets the call.
The phone rang in the bottom of the ninth inning Sunday, and Konerko delivered a positive answer.
"The last couple of weeks, I've been fine," Konerko said. "I really like the way I've been swinging it, and my at-bats have been good."
With pinch runner Brian Anderson on second base with two outs in the ninth and the Sox trailing 5-4, Konerko came up to pinch hit for Juan Uribe.
After working the count to 3-2 against Rays reliever Dan Wheeler, Konerko singled to score Anderson. In fairness, Tampa Bay left fielder Ben Zobrist's throw home was 10 feet ahead of Anderson, but catcher Shawn Riggans couldn't hold on to the ball.
"I just told myself to swing at strikes," Konerko said. "Pinch hitting is difficult for the guys that are good at it, and I normally don't have much experience with it. I got ready, my work was good, and I didn't really care. I went up there and just swung the bat and it happened."
Konerko's numbers (.230, 12 home runs, 45 RBI) are way down, but the Sox' captain has long stopped worrying about personal stats.
"Obviously, the quantity is not going to be there for me in any form this year," Konerko said. "But it's the quality I can still get. Hopefully that's the first of some big hits, whether it be during the regular season or the postseason.
"That's really all my focus is. I'm trying not to kill myself on the other stuff because it's just not attainable."
Ditch the brooms: The White Sox were one out from being swept by the Rays on Sunday before staging an improbable rally.
Sox starter Mark Buehrle, who allowed 5 runs (2 earned) on 6 hits over 6 innings, didn't downplay the importance of the final outcome.
"We never want to get swept, especially here playing on our home turf with the home crowd and playing a good team," Buehrle said. "I don't want to say this was the biggest game of the year, but I think it ranks right up there. This was not a must-win, but we needed that."
Wise choice: Dewayne Wise missed his third straight game Sunday with a strained left groin.
Is the Sox' reserve center fielder heading for the disabled list? That might be up to injured third baseman Joe Crede.
When Crede (sore lower back) is ready to end his rehab assignment with Class AAA Charlotte and come off the DL, Wise is likely to land on the shelf.
"If (Wise) is not ready tomorrow then we have to make a move," manager Ozzie Guillen said. "We thought Crede would be ready, but he's not."
Wise said he should know more before the White Sox resume a suspended game today at Baltimore.
"I don't know with this type of injury," Wise said. "I'm a guy that uses my legs a lot, so it all depends on how I feel in Baltimore. If it's at the point where I still can't run, then they'll put me on the DL. But I haven't heard anything."