Plenty of blame to pass around in White Sox' loss

Ozzie Guillen should stay suspended.

Jeff Cox is a bum.

Ken Griffey Jr. is washed up.

When Adam Russell goes back to Class AAA Charlotte, he can take Ehren Wasserman along.

In the heat of the pennant race - when every pitch suddenly seems to matter and emotions run hot and cold - Guillen, Griffey, Cox, Russell and Wassermann likely are on the hit list of most White Sox fans following Thursday night's 8-3 loss to the Detroit Tigers at U.S. Cellular Field.

Bench coach Joey Cora managed in place of Guillen on Tuesday and Wednesday, and the Sox won both games.

Don't think Guillen wasn't feeling some added pressure upon his return to the dugout.

"I am nervous to come back," Guillen said before the game. "Those guys played a great couple of games, and I don't want to be the black sheep in the group."

If Guillen indeed is the black sheep following Thursday's loss, Cox is the goat.

With one out in the bottom of the eighth inning, Carlos Quentin cut Detroit's lead to 5-3 with a solo home run off reliever Bobby Seay.

Jim Thome followed with a walk, and Paul Konerko lined a double into the left-field corner. Instead of having runners on second and third, Cox waved Thome home after left fielder Ryan Raburn misplayed the ball.

Raburn was able to make a quick recovery and get the ball to shortstop Ramon Santiago, who threw out Thome by a mile or so.

Guillen, a former third-base coach with the Expos and the Marlins, refused to criticize Cox.

"I've been there before and you have to make a decision right away,'' Guillen said. "Sometimes you make the right decision and sometimes you make the wrong one."

Cox fell into the latter category, but the Sox were just 3-for-13 with runners in scoring position and they left eight on base.

Batting sixth and playing right field, Griffey (0-for-3, hit by pitch) struck out with the bases and loaded and one down in the fourth inning and popped out with a runner on second and one out in the sixth.

Paul Konerko (3-for-4) had a big night, but he gave most of the credit to Tigers starter Zach Miner.

"I think you have to tip your hat to Miner,'' Konerko said. "That guy's slippery. He doesn't have the name recognition, but he threw a good game.''

Sox starter Javier Vazquez probably is also on the hit list after pitching 7 innings and allowing 5 runs on 8 hits.

"I threw a couple mistakes and it cost me a few runs,'' Vazquez said. "I felt good, but you have to limit mistakes.''

The White Sox have been battling back and winning games lately, but they had little or no chance to mount another rally after Russell and Wassermann combined to allow Detroit 3 runs in the ninth inning.

<div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Stories</h2> <ul class="links"> <li><a href="/story/?id=226388"><b>BARRY ROZNER:</b> Konerko starting to click <span class="date"> [8/08/08]</span></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=226367">Guillen says he's ready for Boston <span class="date"> [8/08/08]</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>