Floyd stops the bleeding after 3 straight lopsided losses
BOSTON - Ozzie Guillen goes by his gut when he's in the dugout. And it's the same deal in the clubhouse.
When Guillen senses a lack of effort, confidence, or a combination of the two, he doesn't keep his mouth closed.
But when Guillen determines the White Sox are simply going through a rough patch - which is common over the course of the marathon season - he lets it ride out.
That's why the fiery manager kept quiet during 3 straight losses to the Red Sox and the Orioles, even though the White Sox were outscored 27-5.
"They're all right," Guillen said before Sunday's game at Fenway Park. "Everything is normal. Nothing's different. That's why I'm not worried about it. I don't say I'm not worried about it. Right now, they don't hear from me about it.
"A lot of people think I'm going to do it my way later. That's not the situation now. We're not hitting well and not pitching well. That's going to happen."
In the series finale against Boston, starting pitcher Gavin Floyd set the tone with 6 strong innings, and the offense came around enough to support a much-needed 4-2 victory.
"We needed a win like that, especially today," Guillen said. "I didn't want to go to Cleveland with our head down thinking about what happened here this weekend. This ballclub is pretty good about bouncing back."
Floyd has been very good about propping the White Sox back up following a loss, and the big right-hander won for the eighth time this season when pitching after a defeat.
"This kid, every time we start bleeding he stops it," Guillen said. "We're lucky about it. Every time he steps it up out there he gives us a chance to win. Right now he's throwing the ball better than anybody for us."
In the first two games against Boston, veterans Javier Vazquez and Mark Buehrle couldn't stop Dustin Pedroia or the rest of the Red Sox hitters.
Floyd was in trouble in the first, second, fourth and seventh innings but kept the damage to a minimum.
"We never really gave in," Floyd said. "I was trying to throw as many strikes, get them to swing the bat, put it in play, and make my defense work for us.
"When my time comes up, every fifth day, I try to go up there and make pitches, make them swing the bat. That's all I really focus on, focus on what pitch I'm going to throw and just throw it to the best of my ability."
After Jim Thome put the White Sox in front with a 2-run homer in the first, the Red Sox loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the inning. Jason Bay hit a rocket line drive toward the left-field corner, but third baseman Joe Crede caught the drive to end the threat.
The big defensive play seemed to perk up the White Sox the rest of the way.
"Those are going to be keys to our success, our starting pitching, the defense and clutch hits," said Crede, who also came through with a run-scoring double in the ninth to provide some breathing room.
"That's been the key to our success in the past, and it will continue to be. It's a matter of getting all those components together in one game."
If the White Sox continue putting it all together, it's going to be an interesting September as they try holding off the Minnesota Twins in the AL Central.
"We're trying to maintain what we have and just keep playing well," Thome said. "That's why I think this win today was so big. From the start we were ready to go, and it showed."