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Pop go the White Sox: After strong first inning, bats stay silent

Posted May 17, 2009 11:00 pm

Scot Gregor

Jermaine Dye pops out during the fifth inning during the White Sox' loss to Toronto on Sunday. Associated Press

Go figure.

After being held down by a pair of rookie starters (Brett Cecil, Robert Ray) in the first two games of the series at Toronto, the White Sox on Sunday jumped on Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay in the first inning.

Scott Podsednik led off with a double and moved to third after Chris Getz reached first on Halladay's error.

Jermaine Dye followed with an RBI single and Paul Konerko also came through with a run-scoring single.

Dye was caught stealing third, but Jim Thome kept the rally going with a walk.

With Halladay on the ropes early, two struggling Sox hitters - Alexei Ramirez and Josh Fields - let the right-hander off the hook.

Ramirez popped out to first base and Fields struck out swinging.

"With a guy like Halladay pitching, if he gives you a chance, you have to take those chances," said bench coach Joey Cora, who was filling in for absent White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen. "It just got out of hand after that."

The Sox turned the 2-0 lead over to Gavin Floyd, but the struggling starter had another rough outing and the Blue Jays rallied for an 8-2 win.

The White Sox had 3 hits in the first inning and only 4 the rest of the game as they lost their fourth in a row and ninth straight in Toronto dating back to 2007.

Floyd (2-4) allowed 6 runs on 7 hits in just 5 innings.

"I made probably three mistakes and two of them were home runs," Floyd told reporters. "I felt like I had better focus this outing, like I was more aggressive, but I made some poor pitches when it counted and got hurt."

In the bottom of the first inning, Alex Rios cut the Sox' lead in half with a solo home run.

Adam Lind put the Jays in front in the fourth with a 3-run homer, and Floyd exited in the fifth inning after allowing an RBI double to Marco Scutaro and Rios' RBI fielder's choice.

After missing the past two games to attend his son Ozzie Jr.'s college graduation in Chicago, Guillen is expected to be backing the dugout for today's series finale.

"Maybe he'll be happy to be back, maybe not," Cora said. "I don't know. I'm just trying to hold the fort. It didn't work out for two days. The same things that have been happening while he was here happened the last two days."

White Sox third baseman Josh Fields leaps out of the way as Toronto Blue Jays' Marco Scutaro is hit by the throw from home while stealing third base during the fifth inning of a baseball game in Toronto on Sunday. Associated Press

Gavin Floyd allowed six runs and seven hits in five innings, walked two and struck out four. He's winless in five starts and has an ERA of 9.95 over that span. Associated Press

Gregor's game tracker Sunday's grade: D. Having now lost nine straight at Toronto, the White Sox avoid another F because they actually held a 2-0 lead against Jays ace Roy Halladay. Floyd flopping: Last season, Gavin Floyd emerged as one of the brightest young starters in baseball. This year, the right-hander is winless in his last five outings and has a 9.95 ERA over that stretch. Still ailing: Left fielder Carlos Quentin reportedly headed back to Chicago on Sunday to have his sore left foot examined. Quentin has been able to start only once in the last five games. Op tap: Clayton Richard makes his second start of the season today. The left-hander pitched 3 1/3 innings at Cleveland last Wednesday and allowed 4 runs on 6 hits and 3 walks.

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