Contreras doesn't know what hit him
Before Saturday's game, White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen was being criticized for taking John Danks out of Friday's game against the Cubs too early.
After Saturday's game, Guillen undoubtedly was being ripped for leaving Jose Contreras in too long.
It has been that kind of a weekend for Guillen and the rest of the Sox, who were outslugged by the Cubs 11-7 in Round 2 of the interleague showdown at Wrigley Field.
For the second straight game, the White Sox held what looked to be a comfortable advantage before the pitching collapsed.
On Friday, Danks was pulled with a 3-1 lead after pitching 6 brilliant innings. Reliever Octavio Dotel promptly served up back-to-back solo home runs in the seventh as the Cubs rallied to tie it, and Aramis Ramirez won it with a ninth-inning homer off Scott Linebrink.
Saturday, Contreras survived a shaky first inning, and he was pitching with a 4-1 lead in the fourth on the strength of 2-run homers from Jermaine Dye and DeWayne Wise.
"I felt really strong,'' Contreras said through a translator. "I felt good all the way to the fourth inning.''
That feeling started to change when Contreras was greeted by a Jim Edmonds home run leading off the fourth. Mike Fontenot followed with another homer, but Contreras seemed to regain his bearings when Geovany Soto grounded out.
Contreras proceeded to lose it for good when Ryan Theriot walked, opposing starter Jason Marquis singled, Kosuke Fukudome singled, Eric Patterson singled, Derrek Lee singled and Aramis Ramirez ended Contreras' afternoon with a 3-run homer.
"I've never had an inning like that in my career,'' Contreras said. "In 90-plus innings this season, I gave up 4 home runs. I kept the ball down very effectively. In this game, I gave up 3. I left a couple balls up in the zone --forkballs, fastballs -- and I paid for it.''
Contreras allowed 9 runs on 10 hits in just 3½ innings, elevating his ERA from 3.24 to 3.96.
Guillen was asked if he thought about pulling Contreras sooner.
"Danks was ready to pitch because I took him out yesterday too quick,'' he answered sarcastically. "It was only the fourth inning and I'm not going to waste my bullpen. It was just a bad day.''
Catcher A.J. Pierzynski didn't think Contreras' hook came too late.
"He hadn't thrown that many pitches (72),'' Pierzynski said. "We were just hoping he could get a groundball, get a double play and get us out of there. I have total faith in Jose; I have total faith in everyone on this staff.
"Edmonds hit a hanging split. Fontenot just hit a fastball that was up and out over the plate. He made some pretty good pitches. They just kept hitting the ball to right-center.
"(Stuff) happens. There's only so much you can do. The bottom line is you need them to hit one at somebody eventually, and they didn't. Give them credit. They got a lot of hits and put up some runs. So did we. We just didn't get enough.''
The White Sox entered the game with a major-league best 3.33 ERA. Their 57 home runs allowed were second-lowest in baseball.
"You get spoiled a little bit,'' Dye said. "Nobody expected (Contreras) to go out there and give up the runs he gave up, but he's been there for us and he'll shake it off and be ready for his next start.''
Contreras' next start comes against the Cubs on Friday at U.S. Cellular Field.