Why Sox should name Santos their closer
Here's the thing about a closer controversy ...
They're fun for a while, but when it's the same awful result over and over, it gets old. It gets boring. And it gets frustrating, to the point where White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen stormed out of the interview room Thursday after yet another round of questioning, knocking his chair over as he exited.
What to do with this mess on the South Side?
If I'm managing the club, Sergio Santos is named permanent closer before Friday night's series opener against the Angels and the issue is over.
Well, that's assuming Santos adapts to the most difficult assignment in baseball.
Obviously, Matt Thornton did not.
In case you missed Thursday afternoon's 7-4 loss in 10 innings to Oakland, I initially say lucky you.
The Sox' season-long bullpen woes actually started with Chris Sale, who came on in the ninth with a 4-1 lead after starter John Danks pitched his heart out for 8 innings.
First of all, what does that tell you about Ozzie's confidence in Thornton? Second, Sale worked 2 scoreless innings against the A's on Wednesday night and threw 34 pitches.
The kid was obviously tired, and Sale was greeted by a leadoff double, an RBI single and another single. Next.
Jesse Crain replaced Sale and issued a walk to load the bases before getting Kurt Suzuki on strikes for the first out of the inning. Next.
Thornton relieved Crain and struck out Ryan Sweeney to put his elusive first save within reach, but Cliff Pennington (a .214 hitter) ties it with a 2-run single.
In the 10th inning, Thornton allows 3 runs on 2 more hits and 2 walks and it's over.
Another 3-run lead in the ninth the White Sox' bullpen couldn't hold, just like Friday against Tampa Bay.
Let's get to the reaction:
Ozzie: “I don't have any closer. I don't. Have we got the people that can do that? Yes, there's no doubt in my mind. We have some people out there who can do the job. They can't get it done. I doubt myself right now.”
Thornton: “Confidence isn't the problem. It's my frustration right now. It's the most frustrated I've been in a long time. I can't remember a run of games like this where I haven't gotten the job done that many times in a row.”
Danks: “We have way too many good arms down there to not do it. I've said it before, we want Thornton in the ninth. I don't know what the reasoning was, Sale can get outs, Crain can get outs, it really doesn't matter who it is. We want these guys out there in the ninth with a 3-run lead, and 9 out of 10 times we're going to succeed there.”
Early 2011 history says otherwise because the White Sox are just 1-for-7 in save opportunities.
The Sox are off Thursday, and Guillen is going to be watching youngest son Ozney play for Miami Dade Junior College. Maybe they have a closer he can bring back.