Twins jump Sox in game marred by fan unrest
MINNEAPOLIS - It's a good thing for the White Sox that decorated center fielder Ken Griffey Jr. agreed to waive his no-trade clause Thursday morning.
Had Griffey opted to mull over the decision until late Thursday night, he might still be with the Cincinnati Reds.
True, it was only one game for the Sox, but it was another ugly showing for the bullpen and the defense in a 10-6 loss to the Twins at the Metrodome.
For the second time in three games against Minnesota, the White Sox blew a 4-run lead. They also lost 3 of 4 in the showdown series as the Twins again pulled a half-game behind the AL Central leaders.
"Our bullpen was real bad,'' Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said.
That it was.
Starter John Danks departed in the decisive seventh inning after walking leadoff hitter Denard Span during a controversial at-bat, and Minnesota erupted for 4 runs (3 earned) against Matt Thornton, Octavio Dotel and Ehren Wasserman to take a 7-4 lead.
Jermaine Dye's 2-run homer in the eighth put the White Sox right back in it, but the Twins took advantage of more porous defense in the bottom of the inning while scoring 2 runs (1 earned) off Boone Logan.
In the seventh, Span appeared to be hit in the leg by a pitch from Danks, but third-base umpire Marty Foster ruled he had squared to bunt, resulting in a strike.
That enraged Ron Gardenhire, and the Twins' manager threw his cap and then kicked it before being ejected. Gardenhire threw more caps from the dugout, and Guillen pulled the Sox off the field for nearly five minutes as fans pelted the playing field with hats and other debris.
"That got the ball rolling,'' catcher A.J. Pierzynski said. "It's one of those innings they can have here. That's (Gardenhire's) go-to move, but he usually doesn't kick it (cap). Walking (Span) hurt. We weren't trying to walk him, but we did.''
Guillen was pretty cool right after the game, but his mood changed when he headed back into the clubhouse.
"Turn the music on in here,'' Guillen barked. "It's like a cemetery in here. There are more important things in life than the Minnesota Twins.''
Pierzynski tried taking a positive outlook.
"We're still in first place,'' he said. "Get to Kansas City and try to win tomorrow.''
Scouting report
White Sox vs. Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium
TV: Comcast SportsNet today and Sunday; Channel 32 Saturday
Radio: WSCR 670-AM
Pitching matchups: The White Sox' Javier Vazquez (7-9) vs. Luke Hochevar (6-8) today at 7:10 p.m.; Mark Buehrle (8-9) vs. Kyle Davies (4-2) Saturday at 2:55 p.m.; Clayton Richard (0-1) vs. Zack Greinke (8-7) Sunday at 1:10 p.m.
At a glance: After losing three of four at Minnesota, the White Sox are 3-4 on an important road trip that started a week ago in Detroit. Ken Griffey Jr. joins the Sox tonight and is expected to start in center field and bat seventh. The White Sox are 6-3 vs. Kansas City this season (2-1 on the road).
Next: Detroit Tigers at U.S. Cellular Field, Tuesday-Thursday - Scot Gregor
<div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Stories</h2> <ul class="links"> <li><a href="/story/?id=224680">Griffey's coming to the White Sox <span class="date">[07/31/08]</span></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=224933">Guillen deals with tough part of trade <span class="date">[08/01/08]</span></a></li> </ul> <h2>Video</h2> <ul class="video"> <li><a href="/multimedia/?category=23&type=video&item=13">What fans think of the deal </a></li> </ul> <h2>Photo gallery</h2> <ul class="gallery"> <li><a href="/multimedia/?category=23&type=slideshow&item=18">Ken Griffey Jr. </a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>