--RHPs Octavio Dotel and Scott Linebrink continue to be stellar late in games, as the two veterans both shutdown the Rangers on Friday. Dotel pitched a scoreless inning, and still hasn't allowed a run this season, while Linebrink picked up his second hold and has a 1.00 ERA this season. The one concern with Linebrink is staying away from him on back-to-back days because of the inflammation that is under control in his shoulder. So far, however, he has held up just fine.
--C A.J. Pierzynski threw his arms up in triumph for a reason after throwing out Adrian Beltre in the seventh inning of the win against Seattle -- it was the first runner the Sox had nailed this season. Opposing base stealers were 22-for-22 against the Sox this season, despite a greater emphasis on shutting down the opposing running game in the spring. Pierzynski said afterward that "it was about time," but his manager was not pointing fingers at him. "I've always said that it was on our pitchers," manager Ozzie Guillen said. "They have to do a better job and not just put it on A.J." --RHP Freddy Garcia is now a free agent after being waived by the Mets, but manager Ozzie Guillen wouldn't say that the Sox will go after the veteran pitcher. The Sox are still lacking a long reliever, especially with RHP Lance Broadway flopping in the Game 2 loss of Tuesday's doubleheader.
BY THE NUMBERS: 7 -- Home runs Carlos Quentin had through the first 12 games of the season, which tied Jim Thome's franchise record that he accomplished in 2006.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "I want my players to be happy. I don't want anybody feeling sorry for themselves. That's the way you win games. That's the way you win a pennant race. You're not playing good? Your teammates have to pick you up until you get out of that. 'But when you put your head down and stuff ... you've got to help yourself. And you're not helping my ballclub doing that." -- Sox manager Ozzie Guillen on slumping players that have their heads down.
