Currently: - Game info: 3:05 pm EDT Sun May 16, 2004
- TV: FSNO, WGN
Mark Buehrle will try and help the Chicago White Sox avoid being swept by the Minnesota Twins when the teams conclude a three-game series at U.S. Cellular Field.
Buehrle, who is coming off his second victory of the season, has struggled lately. Before Tuesday’s 15-0 win over Baltimore, the right-hander was 0-1 with a 7.39 ERA in previous five starts.
He didn’t feel encouraged during his pregame warmup on Tuesday, but it didn’t show.
“I didn’t feel good in the bullpen and brought it out to the mound,” said Buehrle. “I joked around in the dugout that I needed eight runs and they scored me almost double.”
He allowed just four hits while striking out six in seven innings.
Hopefully he can spark the Chicago offense again, which remains sporadic— scoring nine runs in four games since then much to the exasperation of manager Ozzie Guillen.
“We are 6-2 in my starts,” Buehrle said. “As long as we win games, I don’t care if I get the win.”
Guillen criticized the White Sox’ lackluster offense after a 4-1 defeat to the Minnesota Twins on Saturday, Chicago’s sixth loss in its last eight games. He said he was fed up with a series of bad at-bats that have been going on for nearly two weeks.
“If I see you trying to get a good at-bat and you don’t get a hit, that’s part of the game. Besides that, it’s pathetic,” Guillen said.
The White Sox have dropped seven in a row to the AL Central-leading Twins dating back to last season. Frank Thomas managed the lone run Saturday— hitting his seventh homer of the season for Chicago, which fell three games behind the Twins in the division.
“Obviously they are a pretty good team. But you go man-by-man and we should be embarrassed,” Guillen said. “I think man-by-man we have better talent. But talent doesn’t win games. Performance wins games.”
Torii Hunter, who was just 2-for-16 over his previous five games, went 4-for-4 and homered twice on Saturday for Minnesota, which has won five straight. His first of the game was his 100th home run of his career.
Twinkie Town
South Side Sox
