Konerko: Offense will come through with Quentin out
Three days have passed since the White Sox found out American League home run leader Carlos Quentin could miss the rest of the season with a broken right wrist.
It just happens that Paul Konerko homered in three straight games this weekend for the first time since 2005. Following Sunday's 3-2 loss to the Angels, Konerko stressed that no one should be trying to make up for the loss of Quentin.
"I don't think there's any pressure at all," he said. "We've got enough bats in the lineup, even without Carlos, compared to most lineups in the league.
"No one needs to do anything more. This isn't basketball where you can go ahead and give it to a guy more and he can score more points. Just play the situation in front of you."
Even with the weekend power surge, Konerko has 15 home runs this season after averaging 37 in the previous four. He is heating up at home, though, batting .426 with 11 RBI in the last 15 games at U.S. Cellular Field.
Manager Ozzie Guillen kept Jim Thome and Ken Griffey Jr. out of the starting lineup Sunday, and the Sox plated just 2 runs off Angels starter Joe Saunders (16-7) and a pair of relievers.
Overall, though, the White Sox had few complaints about taking two of three from the Angels, who lead the AL West by 17 games.
"We played well against one of the best teams in the game," Guillen said. "We competed real well. I'm happy with what I saw this weekend."
The White Sox should be wary of their next opponent. The Toronto Blue Jays have won eight straight, all against contending teams.
Do or Dye decision: The Angels scored the winning run in the eighth inning on a sacrifice fly by Garret Anderson that landed a few feet in foul territory.
The bases were loaded with one out at the time and right fielder Jermaine Dye faced a tough choice: Catch it and get a sure out, or let it drop and hope Anderson hits into a double play on an ensuing pitch.
"The whole way running there, I was thinking, 'Should I drop it or not?' " Dye said. "I was too close to the line for me to make a decision. If I let it go and it ends up fair, then 2 runs score. If not, then there's a chance to get a double play.
"But you never know. It's a second-guess type of situation. If I knew for sure it was (foul), I would have let it go."
Around the horn: Angels reliever Francisco Rodriguez collected his 55th save of the season, leaving him 2 behind Bobby Thigpen's major-league record of 57, which he set for the White Sox in 1990. - Toby Hall's solo home run in the fifth inning was his second of the season and first since June 18 in Pittsburgh.