"There is not a legit center fielder out there that we can look for," Guillen said. "We're trying to put the best guy there. ... I'm begging those guys to start playing the way we think they can play. Not because I don't have patience on how they're playing, it's because I don't have the patience to try to figure out who is going to be the guy.

"Right now, that's our plans, and I don't have anything different. It's funny, if we win the game, we have a good center fielder. If we lose, we need a center fielder, a leadoff guy, we need a reliever."

The fact is, the Sox are pretty much handcuffed. With Dewayne Wise on the shelf until possibly June with a right shoulder separation, Anderson has been getting the first opportunity. Considering he stranded five of the first seven runners the Sox left on base Thursday night, there has to be a Plan B, right?

"If Brian doesn't do the job, somebody else will," Guillen said. "Who? We got to figure out who it's going to be.

"But right now, I don't have (a) Plan B or C if Brian doesn't do the job. I want to see Brian's at-bats and see how that works. He's got to get good at-bats. ... Just get better at-bats than what he's got and be aggressive. That's it. I sound like 2006 when he was in the plans every day. I had to answer the same questions. 'What do you need from him?' Better at-bats. That's all."

The rumor mill has already churned out the idea of the Sox trying to acquire San Francisco outfielder -- and former South Side cult hero -- Aaron Rowand, but the Giants would have to pay a big chunk of the $44 million Rowand still has left on his contract.

Jerry Owens is waiting in the wings on the bench, while Scott Podsednik is now in Class AAA Charlotte, but maybe the best scenario would be moving Alexei Ramirez to center field and calling up Gordon Beckham. While that has been discussed, they want to get a few more games under Beckham's belt in Class AA Birmingham before making that a reality.

"Maybe he is what he is," Guillen added of Anderson. "We made a lot of mistakes with first-round picks for a long time here. Thank God we changed that scenario. But I think whoever picked him in the first round, the tools are there. He's got the tools. But he's got to show people the tools. Not because you got tools you can play in the big leagues. We're waiting for the tools."

WHITE SOX 3, RAYS 2: Even when the Sox do beat Tampa Bay at Tropicana Field, it's not easy. Thanks to the pitching of John Danks, the Sox didn't need much offense. They delivered on that front, stranding 11 and scoring just three runs on 14 hits. Josh Fields' infield RBI single in the ninth proved to be the difference, but that still didn't change the fact that the Sox have now stranded 63 baserunners in their last eight games at The Trop.

Much as they did last season, the Rays were hanging around late, while the Sox missed chances to put them away. But with two on in the ninth and two outs, Bobby Jenks recorded save No. 3 by getting Gabe Gross to ground out to first base.