After getting knocked out in the third inning of today's game, Jon Garland now owns three of the White Sox's five shortest starts this year:
| Pitcher |
Date |
IP |
H |
R |
ER |
HR |
BB |
K |
| Contreras |
April 2 |
1 |
7 |
8 |
7 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| Garland |
August 2 |
1.1 |
9 |
8 |
8 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
| Contreras |
July 31
|
2.2 |
8 |
7 |
7 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
| Garland |
August 19 |
2.2 |
10 |
10 |
5 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
| Garland |
July 6 |
3.1 |
11 |
12 |
11 |
3 |
0 |
2 |
It hasn't been a good month and a half for Garland, who has seen his hit rate and home run rate balloon while also experiencing a slight up-tick with his walks. Then when you factor in the
line drive rate increasing, the ground ball rate decreasing, the sinking strikeout rate for a guy who doesn't strike many out to begin with and
the omnipresent knot in his shoulder... that Khalil Greene trade scenario is starting to look downright desirable.
Especially when considering that the guy Greene would be replacing, Juan Uribe, misplayed a ball that could've gotten Garland out of that third inning with no (more) damage done.
Of course, that deal doesn't look all that amazing if there was any truth to the idea that Garland could've brought Alexis Rios as a return in the offseason. That's all hindsight, of course, but it does serve as a reminder to Kenny Williams that he's going to have to sell high one of these days. If he ever snaps out of
his delusions about the quality of this roster, that is:
''On the heels of a six-game losing streak, it's awkward for me to
answer the question in this fashion, but I believe we're close.''
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Speaking of delusions, here's Ozzie Guillen:
"Now, we have a different plan for Tucson," Guillen said. "I was
talking to [general manager] Kenny [Williams] about it [Saturday].
"The guys that have to pitch that day, I [don't] want to put
them in a 'B' game. I don't want to get up at 8 o'clock in the morning
and watch the same [stuff], a guy throwing 25 pitches, go home and say,
'OK, I did the job.' Those guys better prepare themselves to pitch. If
we're going to play the Kansas City Royals [in Surprise, Ariz.], we go
to Kansas City.
"All of a sudden you're going to hide somebody? Well, we have
more scouts at a 'B' game than the 'A' game," Guillen added. "Why are
we wasting our time not making starters compete from the beginning? I'm
not saying we're [babying] them, but I would like to change that
attitude."
I'm guessing this is the new "I expect [insert name here] to play some [expletive] winter ball" as the alternative to discussing how the current product can't even win one ballgame in a week.
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Minor league round-up:- Charlotte 7, Indianapolis 1
- Heath Phillips pitched seven strong innings, allowing six hits and a solo homer as the only run. He also picked off a runner.
- Kenny Perez continues his hot hitting, going 2-for-4 with a homer and four RBI. He owns a 1.007 OPS in August.
- Ryan Sweeney went 1-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout.
- Salem 9, Winston-Salem 6
- Gary Bakker held Salem scoreless through three, but two errors and a passed ball led to his departure. He gave up five runs, but only two were earned.
- Javier Castillo went 3-for-3 with a pair of RBI, and Paulo Orlando had three hits as well.
- Daron Roberts hit a two-run homer, his fourth over the last eight games.
- Kannapolis 8, Savannah 3
- Brandon Allen went 3-for-5 with a homer and four RBI; John Shelby and Mike Grace also had three-hit days.
- Jose Zazueta allowed only one run over six innings, allowing four hits and three walks while striking out three.
- Birmingham OFF