Konerko's 4-for-4 paces White Sox' 17-hit attack
Something special is happening with the White Sox.
Paul Konerko is the fuse, and he lit up again during Saturday's 14-7 victory over the first-place Indians at U.S. Cellular Field.
Konerko was 4-for-4 with 3 doubles, 2 RBI and a walk as the Sox crept within 1½ games of Cleveland in the AL Central.
What more can you say about the White Sox' 36-year-old captain, who is batting a cool .396, the best average in the major leagues?
“Sitting there and watching, the only guy that I can think of kind of that would be like that would be Edgar Martinez,” Sox manager Robin Ventura said, comparing Konerko's impressive run to that of the former Seattle Mariners star designated hitter.
“It's kind of the way (Konerko's) swinging it and going the other way, pulling, it doesn't matter,” Ventura added. “He's just as consistent as anybody in the game.”
Getting hit by a Jeff Samardzija pitch above the left eye May 18 at Wrigley Field knocked Konerko out of the lineup for two games.
And while he still has a nasty shiner, Konerko has continued to pound the baseball.
“I'm sure during the course of a season somewhere the results were somewhat close,” Konerko said. “It might be a little bit different. Sometimes you get more hits. Sometimes you hit more homers. Whatever it is. But I don't know. You would have to check on that. I don't really know.”
Of course he doesn't.
Konerko only concerns himself with winning games and competing during each and every at-bat. Still, his .571 average over a 12-game hitting streak is something to acknowledge.
“It doesn't come easy, and you are always concerned about the next at-bat and next pitch and you are working and you are grinding,” Konerko said. “After the game, it's a nice feeling to get the results.
“But I think you try to go into every game, at least I do, to have a game plan for the guy I'm going to face and what I'm going to do that day and really try to stick to it.
“It's not always going to go like it is. You try to ride that wave while you've got it. It's just baseball, and it will change. The outcomes are going to change. It's baseball, and you've got to know that.”
Konerko is perched atop a mighty wave, and he is not alone on the board.
Teammates A.J. Pierzynski, Dayan Viciedo, Alex Rios and Adam Dunn also are in the midst of some killer rides, and that's why the White Sox are closing in on the Indians.
“They have a good team,” Cleveland manager Manny Acta said. “That's all there is to it.”
The Sox' offense pounded lumps on Indians starter Derek Lowe, who came in with the lowest ERA (2.15) in the American League.
Lowe allowed 8 runs on 10 hits in 2 innings, as Viciedo (3-for-5, home run, 5 RBI), Rios (3-for-5, HR, 3 RBI) and Pierzynski (2-for-5, 1 RBI) fed off Konerko's fire.
Ventura, for one, is enjoying the offensive feeding frenzy.
“There were guys having good swings, and it's just one of those days,” Ventura said. “It was warm, conducive to hitting, but guys are having good approaches, too. It's not just that it's warm.
“Guys are on and eager and greedy. And that's the thing; you go through a period where you don't swing it that well, when you get it like this you know guys are greedy like that.”
sgregor@dailyherald.com