After a 1-6 road trip that included a five-game losing streak, the White Sox came home and earned a 6-2 victory over the Minnesota Twins, behind the efforts of ace Mark Buerhle. Buerhle has only lost once so far this season, and his ability to right the ship has been invaluable to the Sox, as injuries and an unproductive offense have caused them to start the season with a 16-22 record, placing them five and a half games behind Detroit for the American League Central lead.
Injury Bug
It started with DeWayne Wise, when the center fielder went down with a separated shoulder. Following him to either the DL or bench were reserve center fielder Brian Anderson (strained oblique) and left fielder Carlos Quentin (sore heel). Designated hitter Jim Thome has also been nagged by a sore heel, and Chris Getz missed time because of a bruised finger. This is on top of infielder Jayson Nix straining his right quadriceps during spring training.
All those injuries have forced some players – such as Brent Lillibridge – to play more than they were expected to. The Sox haven't had their best lineup on the field very often so far in 2009.
Offensive Offense
Starters Alexei Ramirez and Josh Fields – who, combined, make up the left side of the infield – have both been benched by manager Ozzie Guillen at different times this season due to their poor hitting performances. Getz got off to a solid start but has since cooled off dramatically. Lillibridge struck out too much--and has since been sent to the minors. Even the big boppers – Thome, Jermaine Dye, and Paul Konerko – have been inconsistent, at best. Despite all this, Guillen says he is sticking with hitting coach Greg Walker, mainly because Guillen feels Walker is committed to helping his hitters get better.
Bullpen Struggles
Not only did hard-throwing Mike MacDougal earn his release from the team due to poor performance, but even bullpen stalwarts like Scott Linebrink and Octavio Dotel have had bad days. And that's not even considering Jose Contreras' struggles. The Sox starter is winless so far, and back in the minors while he works out the kinks in his game.
At Least It's Early
That's the refrain in the clubhouse, as the Sox try to reassure anxious fans that they can stay in the pennant race. The good news is that Memorial Day is still a week away, so the team has plenty of time to improve its place in the standings. With warm weather on its way, the Sox' offense may heat up as well. If it does, this early-season slump might be a distant memory come the end of summer.
Tim Healey - I am a freelance writer specializing in sports and automotive interests. In my spare time, I run, listen to good music, explore my city. ...
