Sox' Floyd on today's big game: I'll be fine
Gavin Floyd said he will be a little nervous before today's start against the Detroit Tigers at U.S. Cellular Field.
"Once I get out there, I get locked in and I'm fine," Floyd said. "You're competing out there, and I'm a competitor."
Floyd leads the White Sox with 16 wins, and he also has a solid 3.91 ERA. An unknown entity at the start of the season, the 25-year-old right-hander has blossomed into a front-end starter.
"I want the ball in as many important games as I can get," Floyd said. "Today we played great. It looks like we're relaxing and everybody's having fun. I just have to go out there and try to do my thing."
Floyd is 2-0 with a 4.24 ERA against the Tigers this season. On April 12, he no-hit Detroit for 7 innings.
"Just because I did well against them in the past, I still have to go out and make my pitches with everything I've got," Floyd said. "I'm going to treat it like every other game."
Scouting Garcia: Freddy Garcia's health and limited action this season figure to work in the White Sox' favor today, when the Tigers come to town to make up a Sept. 12 rainout.
Garcia, who had shoulder surgery last year, is 1-1 with a 4.50 ERA in 2 starts for Detroit. The right-hander has allowed 9 hits and 6 runs (5 earned) over 10 innings.
Garcia pitched for the Sox from 2004-06 before being traded to the Philadelphia Phillies. Coincidentally, Gavin Floyd was part of the deal.
Manager Ozzie Guillen warned the White Sox about looking past Garcia and the Tigers.
"We have to be ready for Freddy," Guillen said. "He's not going to go out there and just pitch. He's going to try to beat us. I know him real well. He's trying to show he can still pitch. I know the Detroit Tigers are going to come down here and play the game real hard.
"We have to be prepared for them. I'd be, too. I'm not going to fly all the way from Detroit to here to play an extra day when we should be home, and then come here and take it easy on us. They're going to make it tough."
On a roll: Paul Konerko homered for the third straight game Sunday, and the first baseman has done a good job of salvaging a miserable season while batting .407 in his last 20 home games.
"I just got good pitches to hit and didn't miss them," Konerko said. "Other than that there's nothing to say. I'm not really thinking about personal stuff. All personal talk is for the off-season."
Stressful stretch: Manager Ozzie Guillen was making light of the way Twins counterpart Ron Gardenhire has aged when the White Sox were playing at Minnesota last week.
Guillen admitted he's feeling the pressure of the pennant race as well.
"I'd rather be in last place than this," Guillen said. "This is something I was looking for, because nobody thought we would be here. It's fun for the players, not for us. Our coaching staff, our general manager, our owner. It's a lot of stress. A lot of stress."