Floyd struggles as Sox get swept by Indians
CLEVELAND - Pin the White Sox' latest loss, a 7-4 decision to the Indians Sunday at Progressive Field, on starting pitcher Gavin Floyd.
Lasting just 1-plus innings, Floyd was rocked for 7 runs on 6 hits and 4 walks before getting the hook.
"He just had a bad game," manager Ozzie Guillen said after the Sox were swept in the three-game series. "He couldn't throw a strike when he needed to. Bad road trip, very bad road trip."
It was a rare bad outing for a Sox starter this season, so the focus remains on an offense and its myriad problems.
After falling behind by 7 right off the bat, the White Sox at least threw a scare into Cleveland with 3 runs on 4 hits and a walk in the fifth inning.
As expected, hitting coach Greg Walker is already taking heat for the Sox' sporadic attack. Manager Ozzie Guillen said the coach's job is not in jeopardy, not that Walker was looking for a vote of confidence.
"As a hitting coach, you never want to be in the press," Walker said. "You don't ever want to be an issue. I haven't even read it and don't know what was said. I don't really care.
"All I know is the guys are working and are healthy. At times, we've done some really good things. We've scored some runs. We just haven't scored enough."
Outside of the fourth inning Sunday, the White Sox managed just 1 run on 6 hits against Indians starter Fausto Carmona and four relievers. For the season, they're batting .222.
Walker believes the talent is there, but not much else.
"We have a lot of guys playing tentatively or not with confidence, however you want to put it," Walker said. "We are seeing signs from almost everyone in the lineup that they are capable of playing really well. Almost everyone has done some good stuff. We just have not done enough."
It is Walker's job to get maximum production from White Sox hitters. After that, there is not much else he can do.
"If you could learn how to instill confidence in baseball players, you would probably be a billionaire," said Walker, who has been the Sox' hitting coach since May 19, 2003. "The toughest thing we fight is the anxiety of the game. It's a game of failure and it's a thin line. We've been in almost every game. We've had leads, we just didn't add on or get that one run in we needed."
Hitters such as Carlos Quentin, A.J. Pierzynski, Alexei Ramirez and Gordon Beckham appear to be fighting themselves on every pitch.
"The biggest thing you fight as a coach is dealing with anxiety in players," Walker said. "It's the battle everyone faces in this game, especially in a market like Chicago. Guys tend to put too much pressure on themselves in big situations instead of walking up there with their chest stuck out knowing they are going to get it done. We are walking up there hoping we will get it done, and it just doesn't cut it in this league.
"It's the best league on earth and we are not getting it done."
The White Sox were 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position Sunday. For the season, they're batting a telling .202 with RISP.
"I don't think anyone expected us to be a powerhouse, but they did expect us to be efficient and so far we have not been efficient in big situations," Walker said. "It almost seems like that in the big situations all it takes is a flyball or a ground ball even and we are putting the pressure on ourselves. We are the one in trouble instead of the pitcher in trouble."
<p class="factboxheadblack">Scot Gregor's game tracker</p>
<p class="News"><b>Tough trip:</b> After winning two of three at Toronto to start the road trip, the Sox lost four in a row.</p>
<p class="News"><b>Short stuff:</b> Gavin Floyd allowed 7 runs on 6 hits and 4 walks in 1-plus inning. The right-hander failed to retire any of the five Cleveland hitters he faced in the second inning.</p>
<p class="News"><b>Long division:</b> The Sox are 2-7 against opponents from the AL Central. When they won the World Series in 2005, they lost only 22 games vs. division teams.</p>
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<li><a href="/story/?id=374210">Sox fans vent in e-mails to Guillen <span class="date">[4/18/10]</span></a></li>
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