Linebrink fails to hold as Sox fall to Toronto, 2-1

Posted May 15, 2009 11:00 pm

Scot Gregor

The back end of the bullpen has been the White Sox' one reliable entity during a shaky start to the season.

But in Saturday's 2-1 loss at Toronto, there was no late-inning relief.

Clinging to a 1-0 lead while trying to snap a seven-game losing streak at Rogers Centre dating back to 2007, Sox reliever Scott Linebrink allowed 2 runs in the eighth inning and that was it.

Vernon Wells reached on a one-out single to start the rally, stole second and scored when Adam Lind doubled on a low pitch in the dirt.

Linebrink (1-2) blamed himself for the loss.

"It was a changeup down, and I'd thrown a couple others down in the same spot," the veteran reliever told reporters. "If he sees multiple pitches with the same speed in the same spot, eventually he's going to get one."

A wild pitch advanced Lind to third, and he scored the deciding run on Jose Bautista's single.

"We went with our best, but it's tough to hold that team," said White Sox bench coach Joey Cora, who managed in place of Ozzie Guillen. "To win 1-0 against that team would have been tough, and obviously it didn't happen."

Before heading back to Chicago for his son Ozzie Jr.'s college graduation, Guillen said he was going to tinker with the White Sox's sputtering lineup.

Scott Podsednik moved back into the leadoff spot, Carlos Quentin dropped from third to sixth, Jermaine Dye was moved up from fourth to third and Paul Konerko filled the cleanup spot.

Right before the game, Quentin was scratched with more pain his left heel. The left fielder is expected to be re-evaluated before Sunday's game and he'll be sent back to Chicago if the problem persists.

Sox starter Bartolo Colon delivered 5 shutout innings before leaving with an upset stomach.

"I don't know what it was," Cora said. "He just couldn't go out there again."

The White Sox' lone run came in the first inning, when Podsednik drew a leadoff walk against Blue Jays rookie starter Robert Ray.

Podsednik went to second on a grounder, stole third and scored on catcher Raul Chavez's throwing error.

Scot Gregor's game tracker Saturday's grade: C. Hey, the Sox almost won a game in Toronto. They took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Scott Podsednik scored from third base on an error, but that was the extent of the offense. Numbers don't lie: During their three-game losing streak, the White Sox have scored 4 runs. Rookie rut: Second baseman Chris Getz (0-3) has 1 hit in his last 18 at-bats, dropping his batting average to .247. On tap: It doesn't get an easier today, when the Sox face Roy Halladay. The Blue Jays' ace is tied for the AL lead with 7 wins and ranks seventh with a 2.95 ERA. In his last two starts, both wins, Hallday has pitched 17 innings and allowed 2 runs.

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