Guillen shakes up Sox' lineup
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- While attempting to pump some life into the White Sox' comatose offense, manager Ozzie Guillen left most of the usual faces in the lineup against the Angels on Wednesday night.
That doesn't mean it was the usual lineup.
"I want to take advantage of the guys that are hitting well right now,'' Guillen said. "That's the main thing right now. And give the guys that don't swing the bat a little bit more freedom. I think they're pressing too much, so this lineup is going to be there, and I hope not for long.
"I want to go back to my regular lineup, go back to the way we started.''
After getting only 3 hits in a 2-0 loss to Los Angeles on Tuesday night, the Sox' team average dropped to .240. Guillen said he was going to make some big changes, and he stuck to his word.
Orlando Cabrera remained in the leadoff spot, but A.J. Pierzynski was elevated to No. 2, followed by Carlos Quentin -- far and away the White Sox' best hitter so far.
Jermaine Dye stayed in the cleanup spot for the second straight game, ahead of the slumping Jim Thome and Paul Konerko.
Thome (.209) and Konerko (.213) have been the biggest disappointments through the first quarter of the season.
"The bottom line is, we, as our club, want to score more runs,'' said Thome, who entered Wednesday with the second-highest strikeout total (42) in the American League.
"I personally haven't been swinging the bat well. Changing it up is part of baseball. That's been going on for a lot of years and you try to get better.
"You've got to go out and keep improving. The bottom line is, I really haven't been doing anything. That's what happens in the game.''
Pierzynski batted No. 2 for the first time in his major-league career. He responded with an opposite-field single in the first inning.
"It doesn't change much,'' Pierzynski said. "I'm still trying to do the same things, and if O.C. (Cabrera) gets on base, you are still trying to move him, with hit and runs and stuff like that. Other than that, it doesn't change too much.
"I'm fine with that. I have no problem with that. If they need me to bunt, I'll bunt. Move the runners. If they want to hit and run, that's fine. When O.C. is on, that opens up the holes. It's good.''
Filling all the holes in the White Sox' batting order is all that matters now.
"Our pitching has stepped up and done a tremendous job,'' Thome said. "Our offense is behind. We really haven't stepped up at all, and it's our responsibility. Hopefully it will take some time and we can start getting going. It hasn't -- that's been the frustrating thing.''