Floyd's 17th win comes at perfect time for Sox

A.J. Pierzynski could tell.

Coming off three days' rest, going up aginst the guy he was traded for, and pitching in the biggest game of his young career with the White Sox' postseason hopes riding on the outcome, Gavin Floyd was a little too psyched up early against Detroit on Monday at U.S. Cellular Field.

So, the veteran catcher decided it was time to go out to the mound for a chat with Mr. Floyd.

"You're nervous, aren't you?" Pierzynski asked with a smile.

"Nah," Floyd white-lied with a smile of his own.

"Just admit it, because everyone is a little nervous in a game when your season is on the line," Pierzynski said. "It's a good thing because it means you're alive and you're into the game."

Eventually, Floyd fessed up and that little chat seemed to do the trick. Because after hitting the second batter he faced Monday - slugger Gary Sheffield - Floyd cruised through the next three innings and eventually finished up tossing 6 innings of 2-run ball to improve to 17-8 and position the Sox just one victory away from the playoffs.

"Outstanding," manager Ozzie Guillen said. "He made big pitches when he needed to make them. He gave everything he had. I don't want to say it was his best performance, but it was the one with the biggest heart and stomach to do what he did."

The fifth and sixth innings Monday did provide quite a test for Floyd.

After Detroit tied the game in the fifth, Floyd had the duel of the day against Chicago native Curtis Granderson, who came up with runners on the corners and one out. In an 11-pitch battle, Floyd finally got Granderson swinging on a curve and then got Sheffield to ground out to end the threat.

Detroit took a 2-1 lead in the sixth when Floyd mishandled Ryan Raburn's chopper in front of the mound and then uncorked a wild thrown down the right field line to allow a runner to score.

"Everything was good for Gavin except for that throw down the darn first-base line," Pierzynski said. "I was hoping he wouldn't throw it. Other than that, he handled it."

Not surprising, considering the season the big righty has put together, one in which 9 of his 17 victories have come following a Sox loss. Monday's win improved his record at home to 10-3.

"I think we're seeing him grow up before our eyes," Pierzynski said. "He's finally found a place where he fits in. I don't know if he was able to do that with Philly.

"We've tried to make it comfortable for him and he's figured out how to relax and let his natural abilities take over."