Major League Struggles

Story Line: The Chicago White Sox lose the finale of a four game series to the Toronto Blue Jays. The Jays swept the series, limiting the Sox to just eight runs over four games.

Ouch!: The White Sox have dropped 12 of 15 games since May 2. The Sox finished 1-6 on a road trip that started in Cleveland a week ago.

Upset Stomach: Following the fifth inning of the White Sox 2-1 loss in Toronto on Saturday, Bartolo Colon left the game with what he described as an "upset stomach." Watching the Sox play lately has left a sour feeling in many stomachs, but something tells me Colon isn't the most discretionary eater.

Deal On The Heal: Carlos Quentin was scratched from the lineup Saturday, May 16, against the Jays because of the sore left heel injury that prevented him from starting two games earlier in the week. Interim skipper Joey Cora slated Quentin for the sixth batting slot. Quentin has not batted below the fifth slot in over a year.

Guillen Talk: "Right now, we're having a really tough time. I really hope that no one starts pointing fingers on the ballclub. We lose as a ballclub. You've got to come here every day and fight. Come here and do the best you can to get it going. How we're going to get it going? Well, that's our job to try and figure out how we're going to get this going."

Enzo's Eyes: There are so many things going wrong with this club right now it's really difficult to pin down one particular. One of the more discouraging stats is the Sox failure to score with runners in scoring position. The Sox were just 2-23 with runners in scoring position in Toronto. If the Sox lose Quentin for 15, it might be some time before the Sox break 20 victories. Both Floyd and Danks are giving Cooper ulcers, and unless the Sox start stringing together some W's, we'll be certain to hear some Kenny Williams sound bytes very soon.

All in the Family

Twenty games into the 2009 season, one glowing concern for the Sox has been sub par middle relief pitching. Jack Egbert (27.00) proved as efficient as his predecessor and the Lance Broadway experiment is awaiting. Clayton Richard is still a question mark with an ERA just under 5, while D.J. Carrasco is pitching a modest 3.48. So where does Don Cooper and manager Ozzie Guillen go from here? For Guillen it may be as easy as climbing his family tree.
Sun-Times Sox beat reporter Joe Cowley hinted in a recent post that former Southsider Freddy Garcia again has the interest of Guillen. Garcia was recently let go by the New York Mets and now is in search for a job. Garcia has only 14 starts to his credit since leaving the Sox in 2006. Of those starts, Freddy is 2-6. In 2005, Garcia was 14-8, with 228 innings pitched. Freddy tossed three complete games during the Sox World Series championship season; one of which was hurled during the ALCS. So what can an injury prone, 32 year-old bring back to the Sox? To speculate- much needed middle relief. It's not a role Freddy Garcia is accustomed to, but it is a role that Don Cooper can custom mold for the aging Garcia. In addition, if there is any hope for Garcia's future, Ozzie Guillen will find it. "I need to talk to him [Wednesday], see where he is, if he's hurt, how he's doing,'' White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen admitted. "I guess [general manager] Kenny [Williams] and the scouts know more than I do. I have to ask them and see how he's doing. I know he will find a job and hopefully he pitches better for the next team, I don't want to say us yet because I don't know anything about it.''