Sox seeing their slim playoff hopes fading

Posted September 20, 2009 11:00 pm

A quality start by Freddy Garcia couldn't get the White Sox going in a 2-1 loss to the Kansas City Royals on Sunday.

With each scoring opportunity lost, each of the eight Sox left on base, the 22,798 fans at U.S. Cellular Field saw the team's chance of salvaging a postseason berth grow slimmer.

"Every time we lose a game it's going to be harder and harder," said White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen on the cusp of a three-game series with the Minnesota Twins, second in the AL Central behind the Detroit Tigers and 31/2 games ahead of the Sox.

"Every time you lose a game your hole is deeper. And to come out of the hole, it's going to be tougher and tougher every day."

Sunday's starters - Garcia for the White Sox, Robinson Tejada for the Royals - were tough indeed.

Garcia (2-3) allowed 5 hits and 2 earned runs in 8 innings, his longest stint since May 28, 2007, with Philadelphia.

"It surprised me because we don't know what stage he was after a long season with rehab," Guillen said. "But today he throws a lot of strikes; he threw 8 innings. Every time the guys go out there, give your team an opportunity to win, that's a good job."

Kansas City touched Garcia immediately, Royals leadoff man Willie Bloomquist doubling to start the game then stealing third and scoring on a wild pitch.

The Royals ran aggressively again in the third to take a 2-0 lead. Kansas City's ninth batter, center fielder John Anderson, singled, stole second and scored on Mitch Maier's liner to left center.

Anderson robbed Sox left fielder Carlos Quentin of a home run in the third inning, leaping to snag Quentin's drive over the yellow home run stripe atop the fence in left-center. Quentin also was robbed on a knee-high laser to third baseman Alberto Callaspo in the seventh.

The White Sox halved the Royals' lead in the fourth against Tejada (4-1). Leadoff man Scott Podsednik reached on a line single to right and stole his team-high 28th base of the season. One out later Pierzynski drove in his 48th run on a single past Royals second baseman Luis Hernandez.

Tejada walked Paul Konerko and Jermaine Dye to load the bases but escaped the jam by getting Quentin to fly out to center.

"Sometimes with the pitches that their starter made and that (closer Joakim) Soria made, you've just got to tip your cap," Konerko said.

The Sox stranded two men in the seventh against reliever Roman Colon and left the bases loaded in the eighth when Soria came on to relieve Colon.

"That's kind of been the story over the past 3-4 weeks. We just haven't been executing. That's been the bottom line," Podsednik said.

Kansas City slammed the door in the ninth. Soria, who earned his 26th save, got the first two outs of the inning before pinch hitter Mark Kotsay singled. Guillen sent Dewayne Wise in to run for Kotsay, then had Wise try to steal second base.

Royals catcher John Buck made the solid throw to second baseman Luis Hernandez to end the game.

"It's not a bad play in my opinion," Podsednik said. "Just like Ozzie said, if he steals a base everybody's oohing and aahing, a basehit ties it up."

Dave Oberhelman's game tracker No cigar: Even in losing, Freddy Garcia has made 6 straight quality starts, his most in a row since April 22-May 20, 2006. He threw 94 pitches Sunday, 67 for strikes. Cruising: Scott Podsednik is hitting .373 (19-for-51) in his last 12 games. With 2 singles Sunday, he notched his team-leading 44th multihit game. Not much there: The White Sox' Nos. 4-7 batters combined to go 0-for-12 with 3 walks. Scouting report White Sox vs. Minnesota Twins at U.S. Cellular Field TV: Comcast SportsNet Monday; Channel 26 Tuesday; Comcast SportsNet Plus Wednesday Radio: WSCR 670-AM Pitching matchups: The White Sox' Dan Hudson (0-0) vs. Nick Blackburn (10-11) Monday; John Danks (12-9) vs. TBA Tuesday; Mark Buehrle (12-9) vs. Brian Duensing (4-1). All games 7:11 p.m. At a glance: The White Sox are 6-9 against Minnesota this season but have won just one of the last seven. Fifth-round 2008 draft pick Dan Hudson gets the ball for the series opener. "I'm trying to go out there and throw as well as I can and maybe impress a few people, see what I can do to set myself up well for next year," he said. "If we win it's an even bigger bonus for the team." Next: Detroit Tigers, Friday-Sunday at U.S. Cellular Field

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