Quentin, Buehrle lead White Sox to 8th straight
The White Sox are suddenly looking like a team that's going to be beefing up the roster for a playoff push instead of tearing it down and looking toward 2011.
Manager Ozzie Guillen was asked about some potential additions Wednesday at U.S. Cellular Field before the Sox waited out a 1-hour, 49-minute rain delay and beat the Braves 4-2.
Guillen said the offense is going to be just fine if Carlos Quentin keeps playing like he did in 2008, when he hit 36 homers and drove in 100 runs before missing the final month of the season with a broken wrist.
"If Carlos Quentin swings the bat the way he is right now we should be fine," Guillen said. "If you're looking (to add) another hitter, where? I've got Andruw Jones on the bench. I can't get Andruw any at-bats because of the way we're playing."
Specifically, Quentin's spectacular play of late has helped the White Sox win eight straight and 12 of their last 13. And they now sit just 31/2 games behind the first-place Twins and 2 behind the second-place Tigers in the AL Central.
Quentin hit a pair of home runs off Atlanta starter Tim Hudson - a 2-run shot in the fourth inning and a solo blast in the seventh.
Maybe the new beard has helped energize Quentin's bat. Regardless, the right fielder has hit 3 home runs in the first two games against the Braves and he has 11 hits in his last 25 at-bats, 6 of them for extra bases.
"He did it before," Guillen said. "If Carlos continues to swing the bat the way he is right now, this ballclub is going to be different, way different."
After a slow start, Quentin is now batting .227 with 11 home runs and 43 RBI. Not that he feels like talking about it.
"I play this game," Quentin said. "Sometimes you hit. Sometimes you don't. Sometimes you see the ball. Sometimes you don't get it. Sometimes it's pitch to pitch. I was fortunate to see the ball. Let's just leave it at that."
Sox starter Mark Buehrle (6-6) labored through 6 innings, allowing 2 runs on 9 hits.
But the left-hander was able to work out of jams in the second inning, the fifth and again in the sixth.
"I think our season's turning around because earlier in the season I'd get in jams like that and wouldn't get out of it," Buehrle said. "Today, I made a couple of good pitches when I needed to and got some big outs."
The way the White Sox have been reeling off wins and picking up ground on Minnesota and Detroit, there's almost a feeling like they're never going to lose again.
"Well, I used to hate walking to here," Guillen said of his postgame news conferences. "Now, I can't wait to come here. The expectations mean that's the way we thought we were going to play. Maybe this is a fluke and people were shocked, but we have a good ballclub."
Said Buehrle: "Obviously, we're not going to win every game, but we just have to keep on this roll. Everybody's confident right now. Obviously, when you're winning it takes away all problems, everybody's having fun, everybody's loose. You just have to keep on going."
<p class="factboxtext12col"><b>Scot Gregor's game tracker</b></p>
<p class="factboxtext12col">White Sox 4, Braves 2</p>
<p class="factboxtext12col">Braves basher: After hitting a 3-run homer in Tuesday's series opener, Carlos Quentin followed with 2 more off Atlanta starter Tim Hudson. Quentin hit a 2-run shot in the fourth inning to put the Sox in front 3-1, and he added a solo home run in the seventh to make it 4-2.</p>
<p class="factboxtext12col">Climbing the charts: Omar Vizquel's single in the sixth inning was his 2,732rd career hit. That moves the 43-year-old infielder into a tie with Tony Perez for 53rd place on the all-time list.</p>
<p class="factboxtext12col">On the Mark: Starter Mark Buehrle pitched 6 innings and allowed 2 runs on 9 hits to get the win. The left-hander is 23-6 with a 3.36 ERA in interleague play.</p>
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<li><a href="/story/?id=389846"> Guillen says he wants to stay with Sox <span class="date"> [6/23/10]</span></a></li>
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