Sox eager to put dismal July behind them
White Sox manager Robin Ventura had an interesting observation on the upcoming July 31 nonwaiver trade deadline following Wednesday night's 6-2 loss to Detroit at U.S. Cellular Field.
“If nobody goes, we're going to be better in August just because it's out of the way,” Ventura said. “I don't want anybody to go, but you're going to be better, it's just going to be better. It's like the elephant in the room is going to be gone and you can play. Those rumors go away once you get into August. We'll be better off in a week.”
Ventura is probably right, because the Sox (39-59) can't be much worse than they've been in July. And their third straight loss to the first-place Tigers leaves them 20 games under .500 for the first time since Sept. 26, 2007.
The Sox have committed 8 errors in the first three games of the series against Detroit, and they are a collective 2-for-18 with runners in scoring position.
On Wednesday, White Sox starter John Danks (2-8) took the loss after allowing 6 runs on 11 hits in 7 innings. The left-hander served up 3 home runs, including a 3-run shot by Prince Fielder in the first inning.
“I didn't do our team any favors,” said Danks, who has yielded 11 of his last 12 runs on homers. “We were in a hole before we even got to hit. It falls squarely on me. It's no one else's fault. It was one of those nights.
“There's no other way to explain it. I just wasn't able to do what I wanted to do and a good darn team without the best hitter in the world beat the crap out of me. That's just the way it goes and I understand what happened, understand adjustments need to be made and we'll work on it.”
Danks was referring to Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera, who's been sidelined since leaving Monday's game in the fifth inning with a hip injury.
Beckham update:Before missing his fourth straight game with a sore left hand Wednesday, White Sox second baseman Gordon Beckham was able to take some flips in the indoor batting cage.#8220;It felt better than it did,#8221; Beckham said. #8220;I was kind of left on the fence of whether it was good or bad. It was more dull soreness than it was pain, so I think that was a good thing. It got a little better towards the end of the session. That's a positive thing.#8220;It's all how it reacts tomorrow from doing a little swinging, even though it wasn't much. If it's worse tomorrow than we'll have a better idea of what's going to happen. If it's about the same then we'll go from there.#8221;If it is worse, Beckham could go on the disabled list. He missed nearly two months earlier in the season with a fractured left hamate.Defense rests:Alexei Ramirez made his 17th error of the season in Wednesday night's loss to the Tigers. Last year, the Sox' shortstop made 12 errors all season.The White Sox have committed 69 errors this year after making 70 in 2012.Is a defensive slump similar to an offensive slump?#8220;I think it can be,#8221; manager Robin Ventura said. #8220;I think, you know, the next guy doesn't want to be the guy to screw it up and it just puts more pressure on the guy when one guy makes an error and then, if it's kind of an in-between, a little bit of a tougher play and a guy doesn't make it, it just naturally happens. It puts more pressure on everybody else.#8221;