--RHP Javier Vazquez (11-12) was most affected by the rainout on Monday, watching his start get pushed back a day until Tuesday. Rookie Clayton Richard (2-3) will pitch in the nightcap, but the rainout puts the Sox in a bit of a jam for Saturday afternoon, the next time Vazquez was expected to pitch. "If you're going to ask me four days from now what we're going to do, we're not sure yet," pitching coach Don Cooper said. "We'll see how (Tuesday) goes. Our options are bringing Clayton Richard back or Javy back. Another option might be thinking about going with (Lance) Broadway. (We) might even think about (D.J.) Carrasco. But we're not going to really discuss or think about it until after we play the games (on Tuesday)."
--3B Joe Crede is still not counting himself out for this year, even though his manager might be. Trainer Herm Schneider said through a team spokesman that Crede was feeling a little better after receiving his second epidural this season on Friday. Crede wouldn't have received the epidural if he didn't expect to come back and help the Sox in the playoff push. --OF Carlos Quentin is a huge loss, and at some point over the next three weeks the Sox will surely miss him. Over the weekend against the Angels, however, not just yet. Quentin, who has a fracture in his right wrist, led the team with 36 home runs. But since his departure from the everyday lineup, the Sox have still been flexing their muscles. They're on pace to finish with 238 homers this season entering Monday, which would be the second highest in franchise history. The Sox have hit homers in five of the six games Quentin has missed. They have homered 28 times over their last 10 home games, and their 129 homers at home lead baseball, followed by the Cubs with 101 at Wrigley Field. On their current pace, the Sox would hit 149 homers at home, a franchise record.
--Manager Ozzie Guillen isn't ready to start whipping the horse just yet for the stretch run. He showed that on Sunday, not only giving A.J. Pierzynski a rest on the usual day game following a night game, but also sitting veterans Jim Thome and Ken Griffey Jr. in that Sunday finale. Expect Guillen to continue to give those two as much rest as he can and then count on them heavily the final 10 days to two weeks. "We still have a lot of games left, so I have to keep those guys fresh," Guillen said.
--LHP John Danks eased some minds on Sunday, working into the sixth inning and showing an ability to be more efficient with his pitches. A far cry from his previous two starts in which the southpaw struggled to give the team four innings. The fear was Danks was running on fumes, but at least for now, those fears have subsided.
BY THE NUMBERS: 17-11 -- The Sox finished their August 17-11, which marked their sixth consecutive winning month since September 2007.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "Hopefully he'll be OK. It's unfortunate the way it happened. We have to move on. I won't make excuses, never did. We're in first place even with guys out of the lineup and even with guys struggling at the plate and hurt. But they give me the best they have and that's all you can ask." -- Sox manager Ozzie Guillen, on OF Carlos Quentin's wrist fracture.
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