Sox' closer job hardly open-and-shut case
There was a mob of reporters at U.S. Cellular Field before the White Sox played Oakland on Tuesday night.
If they all proceeded to the pregame dinner in the Bards Room, big mistake. The salmon they were serving Monday, let's just say even the hungriest cat in my neighborhood would have taken a pass.
The reporters were there in the wake of another blown save from closer Matt Thornton, even if left fielder Juan Pierre's inability to catch a flyball again proved fatal.
All of these inquiring minds wanted to know what Sox manager Ozzie Guillen is going to do to fix the glaring problem.
Guillen didn't have to make any decisions on the closer front Tuesday as Alexei Ramirez hit a solo home run off Bobby Cramer with two outs in the 10th inning to give the White Sox a 6-5 win.
In the second inning, Ramirez hit a 3-run homer to give the Sox the early lead.
“We needed this win,” Guillen said. “After the loss (Monday) night, we needed to bounce back.”
When the Sox are in a situation that calls for a closer, who gets the nod?
“I'm going to keep putting (Thornton) there,” Guillen said, sort of. “If I think Matt Thornton is the guy to be out there in that particular inning, he will be. I don't give a darn what people say or what people think.”
Few can match Guillen in the defiance department, but he's not stupid.
Pierre gaffes or not, Thornton has been getting hit harder (8 hits in 3 innings, 2.73 WHIP) than he did the last few seasons combined so far, and either the big lefty rediscovers his all-star form of 2010 or he goes back to setting up his replacement.
Since the Sox can't afford, or aren't interested in, trading for a proven closer like Boston's Jonathon Papelbon or San Diego's Heath Bell, the answer is going to have to come from within.
Maybe Thornton starts locating his fastball again and gets the bite back on his slider.
“Not at all,” Thornton insisted when asked if he's lost confidence. “I love getting the ball, I love competing and I love pitching. And I want to help this team win as many games as possible. No matter what situation they put me in, I'm ready to go.”
But are there other White Sox relievers that are better suited for the difficult role of closer?
Many Sox fans have been clamoring for Sergio Santos, and the right-hander continued to strengthen his resume with another solid effort in Tuesday's marathon game against the A's.
Santos pitched 2 perfect innings and had 3 strikeouts. In 5 appearances this season, the former minor-league infielder has pitched 7 innings without allowing a run while striking out nine.
It's safe to say Santos is interested in the job.
“I look forward to that challenge,” said Santos, who did have 1 save for the White Sox as a rookie last season. “At the end of the day, that's a role I want to be in and a role I want to do, whether I'm ready for it now or two years from now.”