--RHP Jose Contreras will have all eyes on him in his Wednesday start -- especially those of manager Ozzie Guillen, who wants the veteran to continue to get out of his recent rut. Contreras went six innings, allowing three runs, against the Cubs on Friday, snapping a three-game losing streak in which he allowed 18 runs in 16 innings, jumping his ERA from 2.76 to 3.99. Guillen's concern has been Contreras' lack of aggressiveness on the mound.
--OF Dewayne Wise continued to show his value to the roster, coming off the bench in the 10th inning for Brian Anderson and picking up a key single off closer Joe Borowski with the game tied. Wise then stole second base, which allowed him to score the game-winning run on Orlando Cabrera's single up the middle. Guillen said afterward, "I like this kid." Expect Wise to stick for a bit, and that's why the Sox are trying to trade INF Juan Uribe before Paul Konerko comes off the DL. --1B/OF Nick Swisher has 11 home runs in his first year with the Sox and raised his batting average almost 40 points in June. "I'm just going to keep doing what I've been doing, eating the same thing I've been eating," Swisher said. When asked about his slow start and the roller-coaster ride he's been on with his new team, he responded, "I'm finally enjoying the ride. Through all the trials I went through, I think it made me a better person and a better player."
--Manager Ozzie Guillen is pleased with his team now that half the games have been played, but not all is well on the South Side. Guillen said the one flaw that has bothered him through the first three months is the lack of clutch hitting. "I think the hitting with people on base, that's the only problem we had, really, in the first half of the season," Guillen said. "Early in the season, we left a lot on, and in the middle of the first half we left a lot of guys on base. The offense was not the one we thought it would be, but now they start swinging the bats better. We see more big RBI. Keep playing the way they're playing. We have the tools."
--RHP Adam Russell picked up his first major league win, throwing one-third of an inning in relief. "I said I wouldn't be afraid to use this kid," Guillen said. "He's showing us some stuff."
BY THE NUMBERS: 6 -- Consecutive starts Mark Buehrle had made without a loss, through June 29. His last defeat came back on May 27, at Cleveland.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "I think there is a bottom line -- the Twins won 10 straight and we're still in first place. So we weren't doing so bad ourselves. The Twins won 10 in-a-row and we still have a lot of games left with them. It's going to be a dogfight and we knew that from the beginning. We have to stay focused and take care of ourselves." -- C A.J. Pierzynski, on the state of the American League Central race.
