News Forum Blogs Roster Players Schedule Depth chart Stats Videos Photos

Chicago White sox News

News » Sox crank up the offense


Sox crank up the offense


Sox crank up the offense
It looked like another one of those nights was in store for the White Sox on Saturday at Tropicana Field.

Tampa Bay starter Scott Kazmir couldn?t find the strike zone with a GPS in the first inning, throwing 10 straight balls while walking leadoff hitter Brent Lillibridge, Josh Field and Carlos Quentin to load the bases.

The Sox ? next hitter, Jermaine Dye, grounded into a double play which scored Lillibridge, and the frustration level started to rise. But Paul Konerko followed with a run-scoring double, which prevented Kazmir from completely getting off the hook, and the White Sox kept the offense rolling the rest of the game en route to beating the Rays 8-3.

"I think Paul put a little gas in the motors," Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said.

Kazmir is about as good as it gets in the American League when he?s in command, but the left-hander never got it going against the White Sox while allowing 6 runs on 5 hits and 6 walks in 4-plus innings.

"Kazmir is one of the best lefties in the game," Guillen told reporters. "He was a little wild and we weren?t helping him find the strike zone."

The Sox have been showing exceptional patience at the plate all season, and they took it to another level against Tampa Bay.

The White Sox drew 10 walks off Kazmir and four relief pitchers, and they got plenty of contact from Konerko (3-for-5, 3 RBI) and Carlos Quentin (3-for-4, 2 RBI), who each homered in the fifth inning.

In the first five games of the road trip, Konerko is batting .450 with 2 home runs and 7 RBI.

"Paul Konerko?s fine when his hand?s not bothering him," Guillen said. "He?s been swinging the bat real good since spring training."

Sox starter Mark Buehrle struggled for much of spring training, but the workhorse lefty delivered another solid April outing, getting the win after allowing 3 runs over 6? innings.


Author:Fox Sports
Author's Website:http://www.foxsports.com
Added: April 21, 2009

500-hr-thome
Chicago White sox Photos
All the latest Chicago White sox Photos Store photographs. Major League Baseball MLB.
The most recent photo
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Add to Google
Add to My Yahoo!
Subscribe in NewsGator Online
Add to Windows Live

Copyright © Whitesoxclub.com, Inc. All rights reserved 2008.