Guillen going with hot hand in Lillibridge

White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen recalled the talk he had with infielder Brent Lillibridge in spring training before he was shipped back to Class AAA Charlotte.

"I told him, 'If you play the game the way you should be playing, you will make $12 to $13 million because you will be here long enough with any big-league club,' " Guillen said. " 'If you play the way you were playing last year, you'll be in Mexico.' "

Obviously determined to stay on the northern side of the border, Lillibridge heeded Guillen's advice and earned his third straight start at second base Tuesday night at U.S. Cellular Field.

"You only get so many chances," said Lillibridge, who batted a combined .158 in three stints with the Sox last season. "It's nice to have another opportunity to prove myself after all the hard work I put in. It's exciting. You don't get too many chances, and it's definitely a blessing."

Lillibridge entered Tuesday's rain-delayed game against the Los Angels Angels with a .467 batting average, and that's why he is playing and the slumping Gordon Beckham is sitting.

Guillen said he's trying to win as many games as possible, and Lillibridge is the White Sox' best option right now.

"They still believe in (Beckham)," Lillibridge said. "If he makes it back, that makes our team that much better, and that would be great. The main thing is, talent is what makes good teams. Becks is going to bounce back. I believe in him.

"I watched him swing all year last year, and I was quite jealous of what he did. It's just getting an opportunity. If we both can do what we can at second base, we're going to be good.

"We're going to get a couple hits a game and play defense; we're going to win a lot of games."

Batting just .206, Beckham has been trying to find his old swing and accompanying confidence for the better part of three months.

"It's frustrating," Beckham said. "I always want to do well, and when you don't for a long period of time you feel like a lot of things are against you in the game.

"It's not fun. The baseball gods are not smiling down on me, but that's just the way it goes."

Guillen again said Beckham hasn't lost his starting job to Lillibridge.

"Not yet," Guillen said. "The kid (Lillibridge) I put in to play has had a couple of nice days. That doesn't mean (Beckham) is out or he's not going to play for a month."