Colon makes quick work of Mariners
Bartolo Colon said he felt good Tuesday while pitching 7 innings and allowing just 1 unearned run against the Mariners in Game 1 of a doubleheader at U.S. Cellular Field.
Through a translator, Colon said he hadn't felt so good since he pitched a complete game against the Mariners in Seattle. That was way back on July 5, 2006.
Pitching in 39-degree weather before a sparse crowd on the South Side, Colon retired the first seven Seattle hitters he faced and cruised from there.
"I felt good coming out of the bullpen," Colon said after lowering his ERA from 6.14 to 4.15. "I felt warm; I felt prepared. My last start in Baltimore, I didn't feel like I had warmed up enough before I started the game. But today I felt good, I felt really good coming out of the bullpen."
Against Baltimore in his last start, Colon pitched just 3 innings and allowed 5 runs on 8 hits and 2 walks. It was only the 10th time in 316 career starts he failed to pitch out of the third inning.
"He threw more strikes," manager Ozzie Guillen said. "The ball was cut a lot and he was hitting his spots. He threw more strikes and the umpire was making the call.
"Last time he got in trouble; they missed a couple of calls against him and that cost him a couple of runs. He threw the ball over the plate. You have to make those guys swing the bat, and he did."
Colon pitched 7 innings for the first time, and his 95 pitches also were a season high. But don't expect the 35-year-old vet to start throwing complete games like he used to.
"I don't want to overpitch him," Guillen said. "Sometimes you might see him pitch 3 innings and leave. Sometimes, like today, I was going to have him pitch 6 innings and I look up and he has 80-something pitches and I said I'm going to get him up to 100. We'll keep our eyes on him and see how things work."
Thome update: Designated hitter Jim Thome (sore left heel) didn't play in Tuesday's doubleheader against the Mariners and he's not expected to be back in the lineup until Friday, when the White Sox open a three-game series at Texas.
"I'm not going to lose a guy for 12 days when he's got maybe a couple more days to be ready," manager Ozzie Guillen said. "He said he feels a lot better today. Hopefully he's better for that (Texas) series."
Getz update: Second baseman Chris Getz (fractured middle finger) said he was feeling better Tuesday, but the rookie also is expected to be held out until the Sox play the Rangers Friday.