Sox looking for a win to 'turn around' series
After losing the first two games of the American League division series to the Rays in Tampa Bay, the natural expectation is for the White Sox to give up.
Manager Ozzie Guillen won't let them.
"One win can turn a series around," Guillen said. "I've seen it."
Guillen didn't cite a specific reference, but he obviously was referring to the 2003 National League championship series.
Remember that one?
Guillen was the Marlins' third-base coach that season, and Florida headed for Wrigley Field for Game 6 trailing 3-2 and facing near-certain elimination.
With the Cubs leading 3-0 in the eighth inning, the Marlins staged an improbable rally with a little help from a guy named Steve Bartman, scoring 8 runs to win going away.
Florida went on to win Game 7 as well before taking down the New York Yankees in the World Series.
Trailing the Rays in the ALDS, the Sox shouldn't be expecting the same kind of miraculous turnaround.
But they are feeling much more confident now that the series has shifted out of the dome and turf of Tropicana Field to the grass and open air at U.S. Cellular Field.
"We definitely like playing at home," said John Danks, who starts for the White Sox in today's Game 3. "We like playing in front of our fans. You know, numbers don't lie. We play better here at home."
And the Sox hate playing in unnatural environments.
Looking slow and uncomfortable while playing at Tampa Bay, Minnesota and Toronto this season, the White Sox were 4-18 in domes. During the regular season, the Sox were 54-28 at the Cell, 35-46 on the road.
That's another reason they feel wins over the Rays in Games 3-4 are not out of the question.
Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon was asked Saturday if he's preparing to play a "dangerous" White Sox team today.
"I don't know that the word's dangerous," Maddon said. "I just know they're motivated. We won two very hard- fought games at home. We're coming here and I have nothing but the world of respect for this organization, Ozzie and the entire group. A bunch of great veteran players on their team, so I know they're going be ready."
The White Sox had to win three straight home games - against three different teams - to make it into the playoffs.
That memory still is fresh in their minds, and Guillen undoubtedly is going to reinforce the success just to make sure.
"We don't have any choice but just to win games," Guillen said. "They should be prepared for that. One thing about it, you just take one game at a time and you are not going to win three games in one day.
"You just have to go there and play the best you can Sunday, Monday and the rest. And hopefully, you know, we do that, we have the opportunity to go back to Tampa. Hopefully we play better here when we're back home."
With players such as Jim Thome (38), Ken Griffey Jr. (38), Jermaine Dye (35) and Octavio Dotel (35), the Sox are much older than the upstart Rays.
The age difference seems to be a detriment on the turf, but Guillen said the experience factor should benefit the White Sox at home.
"We've got a couple of guys whose careers are almost over," Guillen said. "Griffey and Thome, I think they should be more hungry because they don't have too long for their careers. Tampa Bay has a chance for a long time. They're young; they have maybe another 10 shots to be out there."