Struggling White Sox edge Rangers 3-2
The White Sox' lineup is loaded with slumping hitters and they don't have a reliable starter other than Mark Buehrle.
Leave it to manager Ozzie Guillen to find the bright side.
"Look at how bad we're playing and we're only 3, 4 games out," Guillen said. "It's going to be a fight and I think whoever survives the best mentally will win."
After pulling most of their punches in the series opener against the Rangers while losing 6-0, the White Sox showed up Saturday night at U.S. Cellular Field and scrapped their way to a 3-2 win.
It wasn't a sharp effort by any means, but the offense did just enough to get the job done and starter John Danks bounced back from two subpar outings.
"To keep us in the game against a tough lineup and win a hard-fought game, it's great," Danks said after allowing 1 run over 6 innings while striking out a career-high 10.
The offense had a chance to break the game open on two occasions, but the Sox had to settle for the narrow victory on Paul Konerko's sacrifice fly in the eighth inning.
After being shut out for the fifth time Friday, Guillen made some lineup changes.
Scott Podsednik was moved to the leadoff spot, with Chris Getz dropping to No. 2. Slumping Josh Fields batted eighth and Alexei Ramirez returned from a two-game benching and hit ninth.
"There are a lot of guys that have to break out soon," Guillen said. "(Carlos) Quentin's in a slump now, (Jim) Thome, the Missile (Ramirez), (Brent) Lillibridge, Fields, Ozzie, everybody's in a slump right now. We've faced some pretty good pitching but I think with the team we have, we should handle it better. We keep working hard, they're trying and hopefully they do it."
There was an interesting end to the game, courtesy of closer Bobby Jenks.
After Getz and Quentin were both hit by pitches earlier, Jenks got the first two outs in the ninth inning and then threw a 100-mph fastball behind the Rangers' Ian Kinsler.
Home-plate umpire Lance Barksdale warned both benches, but Guillen said Jenks was not trying to hit anybody in such a tight game.
"(Barksdale) is right," Guillen said. "He's got a point. I think he didn't like what he saw. But in the meanwhile, if we hit that kid in that particular at-bat, and that guy scores, I think I should be the worst manager in the game. I'm not going to tell my players to hit somebody with the game on the line."
<p class="News"><b>Game tracker</b></p> <p class="News"><b>Saturday's grade:</b> B. John Danks kept the White Sox in the game and after making a bad baserunning play in the second inning, Paul Konerko's sac fly in the eighth decided the outcome.</p> <p class="News"><b>Back on top:</b> Scott Podsednik led off for the Sox for the first time since Sept. 28, 2007.</p> <p class="News"><b>Slump buster:</b> Jim Thome's double in the fourth inning snapped an 0-for-15 slide.</p> <p class="News"><b>On tap:</b> Vicente Padilla, who starts for the Rangers today, is winless since his season debut (April 8). But the right-hander has allowed just 7 earned runs over his last 202/3 innings.</p>