Colon's stuff good enough with 8-0 win over Twins

He's pitching for peanuts, relatively speaking. He doesn't throw 100 mph anymore and when he made his 2009 debut with the White Sox, he was the fifth starter.

Don't be fooled.

"As long as he keeps going out there and pitching the way he knows how to pitch, he's a No. 1," said Corky Miller, who caught Bartolo Colon Saturday afternoon at U.S. Cellular Field. "I caught him a lot in spring and I told him if he goes out and does what he did in spring, he's going to get guys out because his ball is moving a lot.

"He knows how to pitch and he showed he doesn't have to throw 96, 97 to get guys out."

Settling on around 90 mph for much of his 6 innings of work in the Sox' 8-0 win over the Twins, Colon backed up a vow he made to bench coach Joey Cora after arriving at the park Saturday morning.

"When I came into the locker room I told Joey: 'Bet on me today,''' Colon said through an interpreter. "As soon as left my house driving here, I felt fine, I felt excited. I was throwing well the whole spring training. I had that feeling today.

"I feel fine and I thank the White Sox for their confidence and giving me the chance to show that I can still pitch."

After he did just that - locking down the Twins with a nasty sinker while allowing just 3 hits - the Sox were thanking Colon.

"He threw great," Paul Konerko said. "That's a big sign for us, that he had a good day. He's got that movement, that sinker. I think he threw only a couple off-speed pitches all day.

"But with that sinker, he can move it in and out and it just makes the plate so big. I know, I've faced it. When you face him as a hitter, it just seems like he can move the ball way in on you or start it way off the plate against a right-hander and bring it back. When he has that going, you get what you had today and that's a good result."

While the Sox came alive against Twins left-hander Francisco Liriano, Colon breezed through Minnesota's lineup.

"We came up through the minor leagues together," Twins catcher Mike Redmond said. "He used to throw 96 97 with a big curveball. The curveball is gone but he still throws strikes. He's 0-1, 0-2 on everybody."

Thanks to Colon, who signed a one-year, $1 million (plus incentives) contract on Jan. 15, and some productive hitting from Miller, Alexei Ramirez and Carlos Quentin, the White Sox got back on track after dropping three straight.

"Yes," manager Ozzie Guillen said when asked if he was surprised by Colon's outing. "I always say command, strikes keep you in the game. It was amazing. We needed this game from him."

After playing an all-around miserable game against Minnesota Friday in a 12-5 loss, the White Sox put it altogether for the first time this season.

In addition to Colon and the offense, the Sox also played a solid defensive game that was highlighted by right fielder Jermaine Dye's gutsy catch in the second inning.

"Good win, especially after last night," Konerko said. "Last night was a tough one and the best thing was we got on the field quick today. Now we've got to go for that series win tomorrow."