White Sox gain ground with 6-1 win over Seattle
Kenny Williams on Monday brought up Geoff Blum's name. Again.
Meeting with reporters before the first-place White Sox opened a three-game series against the last-place Mariners with a 6-1 victory at Safeco Field, Williams was talking about the rapidly approaching July 31 nonwaiver trade deadline.
Alex Rios sparked the offense with a sacrifice fly in the third inning off Mariners starter David Pauley. Rios added a 2-run homer in the fifth.
Daniel Hudson (1-0) made his second start for the White Sox and was sharp, allowing 1 run on 5 hits with 6 strikeouts and 5 walks in 62/3 innings.
With the win, the Sox pulled 21/2 games in front of both the Twins and the Tigers in the AL Central.
En route to winning the World Series in 2005, Williams' only deadline deal was for Blum, a utility infielder.
He wasn't a big name, but Blum was a great fit, and he helped the Sox sweep the Houston Astros in the Fall Classic with a clutch home run in the top of the 14th inning in Game 3.
It sounds like Williams is again limiting his shopping to a spare part instead of a major appliance such as Washington Nationals slugger Adam Dunn or Houston Astros first baseman Lance Berkman.
"To be completely honest and transparent, the price that is being asked for some of the players we've inquired about is, for us, more detrimental to our present and our future than we'd like," Williams said. "So we'll see how that develops. Right now I don't see anything materializing."
Dunn has been the obvious target, and he'd be a huge upgrade over Mark Kotsay, the White Sox' current left-handed designated hitter.
But Nationals GM Mike Rizzo asked for Carlos Quentin or Gordon Beckham for Dunn a few weeks ago, and a source told the Daily Herald on Sunday the asking price is now rookie third baseman Dayan Viciedo and prospects.
Considering Dunn is eligible for free agency at the end of the year and has told Washington reporters he doesn't want to DH, it's not all that surprising that Williams has lowered his sights. Adding to the GM's potential buyer's remorse are the White Sox themselves.
"I'm very mindful how this team has banded together and overcome a mountain of hurdles to get to where they are right now," Williams said. "I like the fight in them. We obviously put the roster together thinking it could be a winning roster. As a general manager, you can only hope and pray your coaching staff can get the guys to play at that level of intensity."
<p class="factboxheadblack">White Sox 6, Mariners 1</p>
<p class="News"><b>Century mark:</b> Alex Rios put the Sox in front 3-1 in the fifth inning with a 2-run homer off Seattle starter David Pauley. It was the 100th home run of Rios' career.</p>
<p class="News"><b>Second time around:</b> In his second start for the White Sox in place of the injured Jake Peavy, Daniel Hudson pitched over 4 walks and allowed 1 run on 5 hits in 62/3 innings.</p>
<p class="News"><b>Gold Glover?</b> Alexei Ramirez continued to play standout defense, ranging far to his right on a groundball in the sixth inning and throwing out Franklin Gutierrez at first base.</p>
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<li><a href="/story/?id=395115">Quentin gets more rest in series opener <span class="date"> [7/20/10]</span></a></li>
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