NewsPlaying spoiler not on White Sox minds
Chicago (78-82) at Detroit (85-75), 6:05 p.m. CT
By Scott Merkin / MLB.com
10/02/09 11:55 PM EST
DETROIT -- Don't call the White Sox "spoilers."That particular role certainly wasn't what they were trying to play upon arriving in Detroit this weekend. And even after rolling to an 8-0 victory over the Tigers on Friday night behind the dominant pitching performance from Jake Peavy, putting Detroit's American League Central lead at a precarious one game, the South Siders still said their focus was not about ruining Detroit's party.
"Just try to win games," said White Sox catch A.J. Pierzynski of his team's goal over these final games. "We don't have a vendetta to try to beat these guys."
"We come here to win. I come here to win three games," White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said. "If we don't, we don't. Not to help Minnesota or beat the Tigers ... we come here because we have a job to do and we have to get it done."
Peavy gave up Placido Polanco's first-inning single and Alex Avila's single to lead off the eighth, but nothing more over eight scoreless innings in Friday's series opener. Peavy had retired 11 in a row prior to Avila's hit, and according to Peavy and Pierzynski, he did the job almost exclusively through the usage of his moving fastball.
"I'm fortunate in that I've been able to throw a lot of two-seamers that get early outs," Peavy said. "That's the key to pitching deep into ballgames, especially against an aggressive team like Detroit."
The White Sox got to watch Peavy exit on a high note on Friday, and they hope the same situation plays out for Freddy Garcia on Saturday night. Garcia pitched three games for the Tigers last year, including a makeup game against the White Sox after the official completion of the regular season in a contest the Sox needed to win to have a chance for their own postseason berth.
John Danks finishes the White Sox 2009 run on Sunday, needing just 4 2/3 innings to reach 200 for the season. And at this point, the Sox are focused on reaching these individual goals while continue to push for victories.
They have five wins in their past seven games while playing the role of spoilers against the Tigers. But the White Sox look at it more as playing the role of winners.
"I don't like to be in this position," Guillen said. "But we are trying to win as many games as we can, and we are going to continue to play better. I changed my lineup a little bit in Cleveland because the games don't mean too much or anything for anyone. I put the regular lineup out there, and hopefully we win these three games."
"You can tell that team [Detroit] is grinding it out," Peavy said. "It's fun playing against guys in an atmosphere where a lot matters. We hope the roles are reversed in 2010."
Pitching matchupCWS: RHP Freddy Garcia (2-4, 4.78 ERA)
Garcia appeared on his way to producing his seventh consecutive quality start on Saturday night, until he hit a road block in the seventh inning against Detroit. He entered the frame holding a 5-3 lead, but allowed singles to four of the five batters he faced in the inning. By the time the inning ended, Detroit had turned a two-run deficit into a two-run lead, and Garcia was saddled with the loss. He lasted 6 1/3 innings, allowing seven runs on 10 hits with three strikeouts. Garcia lost to Detroit for the first time since Sept. 2, 2005, a span of eight starts. Lifetime against the Tigers, he is 15-5 with a 3.63 ERA in 24 starts. DET: RHP Alfredo Figaro (2-1, 5.74 ERA)
With Monday's rainout pushing back Rick Porcello to the point where he couldn't pitch Saturday on his regular rest, Figaro will make a one-time return to the rotation for what could be a critical next-to-last game of the regular season. He hasn't started at any level since he took the loss June 28 at Houston, a week after he won his Major League debut with five effective innings and seven strikeouts against the Brewers. Still, his 2 2/3 innings of relief last Saturday against the White Sox showed he has his stuff back after missing the better part of two months with a sprained right wrist. He's a high-strikeout hurler with a fastball in the mid-90s, but he has to mix in his breaking ball effectively to make things work. Tidbits
When the Twins departed from Detroit on Thursday evening, Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire joked about leaving a note behind, wishing good luck to his buddy, Guillen, and the White Sox. Guillen never got anything and laughed off the idea of going all out to help Gardenhire. "He had his shot," Guillen said with a smile. "Don't be looking for me. He had his chance and they blew it." ... Gordon Beckham launched his 28th double leading off the fourth inning Friday, giving him the club record for the most doubles in 104 or fewer games. Beckham leads all American League rookies with the 28 doubles. ... Scott Podsednik's leadoff home run against Edwin Jackson on Friday was his first as a member of the White Sox, and his first in that particular situation since July 23, 2004. It was the first leadoff home run hit by the White Sox this season. ... Pierzynski's sixth-inning single Friday matched his own franchise record for the most hits by a catcher in a single season at 150. He already reached that total in 2006 and '08. With a .303 average, Pierzynski is attempting to become the first catcher in club history to hit .300 or better. ... Peavy finished the year with 110 strikeouts over 101 2/3 innings between stops in San Diego and Chicago. ... Carlos Quentin has three homers in his past four games, all of which have been against Detroit. He has five home runs and 13 RBIs against the Tigers this season. Tickets
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• Sunday: White Sox (John Danks, 13-10, 3.69) at Tigers (Justin Verlander, 18-9, 3.45), 12:05 p.m. CT
Scott Merkin is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
