Errors at third proving costly
It started on Aug. 30.
Playing third base for the White Sox, rookie Andy Gonzalez made 3 errors in the third inning of an eventual loss at Texas.
With regular third baseman Josh Fields now playing left field, the versatile Gonzalez has not looked comfortable on the hot corner.
Neither has Alex Cintron.
In Sunday's 5-2 loss to the Minnesota Twins at U.S. Cellular Field, Cintron made an error in the second inning that led to an unearned run.
In the fifth inning, Cintron made another error, this one leading to 3 unearned runs.
After the game, Cintron was unavailable for comment, not that there was much to talk about.
"It's not easy,'' Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said. "It's tough to handle, and we all feel for him. When you're in that situation the last thing you want to think is, 'Don't hit it to me.' The ball is always going to find you.''
The ball found Cintron with two outs in the third inning. With a runner on first, Cintron booted a grounder off the bat of Jason Bartlett, and Jason Kubel followed with an RBI single to tie the game.
With two outs in the fifth, Cintron muffed another grounder, and Kubel then broke the game open with a 3-run homer.
That was too much for White Sox starter Jon Garland to overcome, not that the right-hander was blaming Cintron.
"Show me a guy that has a (perfect) fielding percentage out there,'' Garland said. "Nobody. It's part of the game. I have to overcome that, and today I didn't.''
It was a tough series for Cintron, a natural shortstop. He made an error at third base Friday and another one Saturday, and Gonzalez also made an error at third Friday.
Since Fields is learning to play left field, his likely position next year, Guillen is trying to make the best of a bad situation at third base.
"My other choice (Gonzalez) isn't great, either,'' Guillen said. "Gonzalez also struggles in the field. I think defense is so important because it can change the game. When you make an error, the pitcher has a chance to throw 10 or 15 more pitches that inning.
"And it seems like every time we make an error, they score a run. Not just today, all season long.''
The White Sox are hoping to have Joe Crede, one of the better defensive third basemen in baseball, back next season. Crede, who is represented by Scott Boras, is arbitration eligible for one more season, and he expects to be 100 percent healthy after having season-ending back surgery in mid-June.
Guillen doesn't know what to expect with Crede.
"We haven't seen this kid in a little while and we hope he can still play,'' Guillen said. "But in the meanwhile, I'm not going to do Joe Crede a favor, play him for a year and all of a sudden he leaves us. If Crede is ready to play in a White Sox uniform, he will play. He has to produce; he has to do well.''
Twins 5, White Sox 2
At the plate: Jim Thome homered for the third consecutive game, and the designated hitter now has 498 for his career. Josh Fields was 0-for-4 (3 strikeouts).
On the mound: Starter Jon Garland took the loss after allowing 5 runs (1 earned) on 5 hits over 8 innings. Garland has yielded just 2 earned runs over his last 15 innings.
-- Scot Gregor