Kansas City (2-9) at Chi White Sox (7-5)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Starting Pitchers

 

 

J. Mays

KC vs.

J. Contreras

CWS

 

 

0-1 Record 1-0

12.86 ERA 1.93

2 K 5

6 BB 3

3 HR 1

 

 

 

By KATE HEDLIN, STATS Writer

 

Scott Podsednik is breathing easier after this weekend.

 

Now the Chicago White Sox's left fielder looks to keep showing why he was the sparkplug for last season's World Series champions as the team begins a three-game series against the Kansas City Royals.

 

Podsednik had his first multihit game of the season on Sunday despite only half a game being played in a 6-4 rain-shortened win over the Toronto Blue Jays. He tripled and singled, scoring two runs, and also stole his first base of the season in a game that was stopped after the top of the fifth inning.

 

A big reason Chicago won a championship last year was Podsednik's production at the top of the lineup as he hit .290, stole 59 bases and scored 80 runs.

 

 

 

 

Before the weekend series with the Blue Jays, Podsednik was batting .059 this season with two hits in 34 at-bats, leading manager Ozzie Guillen to sit him in the opener on Friday. He had a hit in Saturday's 4-2 win before having the type of game Sunday that Chicago expects to see from its leadoff hitter.

 

Podsednik feels he's starting to get his rhythm back after being bothered by a sore left shoulder and a strained left groin earlier this season.

 

"I felt pretty good the last three to four nights, but I haven't put anything together," he said. "I got results today. Hopefully this is the start of something."

 

He had 23 hits and six stolen bases in 17 games against the Royals last season, but was 1-for-9 in two games at Kansas City this year.

 

The White Sox (7-5) have won six of seven and are looking to avenge a series loss -- they dropped two of three games -- to the Royals from April 7-9.

 

Chicago can expect to get off to a good start in the rematch with Jose Contreras going to the mound.

 

The Cuban right-hander is 5-0 with a 2.23 ERA in seven starts against the Royals, and he's off to a strong start this season. He's 1-0 in two outings, allowing a total of three runs and 12 hits over 14 innings.

 

The White Sox, however, are the only team Kansas City (2-9) has defeated this season, going 0-8 against its other opponents.

 

The Royals are looking for their first road win and have lost seven straight overall, including Sunday's 9-5 defeat to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

 

"The way I would expect them to handle it is exactly the way they're handling it," Royals general manager Allard Baird said. "They're not making excuses for themselves, with the injuries they've had. They still expect to win every day and when they don't win, they're not happy about it. That's the way it should be."

 

Joe Mays will try to end Kansas City's slide when he makes his third start of the season after lasting a combined seven innings in the first two. Mays went 2 2-3 innings against the New York Yankees last Tuesday, giving up four runs, eight hits and five walks in a 9-7 loss.

 

He avoided taking the loss in that game, though his ERA rose to 12.86.

 

Mays, an offseason acquisition from Minnesota, went 0-2 with a 12.46 ERA last season as a starter against Chicago.

 

He has struggled against Jim Thome, the White Sox's hottest hitter. Thome is batting .381 (8-for-21) with three home runs and seven RBIs against Mays.

 

Chicago's designated hitter tied his season total for home runs in 2005 on Sunday when he hit his seventh of the year. He has scored at least one run in all 11 of Chicago's games -- the longest streak to open the season by a major leaguer since former White Sox slugger Frank Thomas did it in his first 14 games in 1994.

Edited April 17, 200619 yr by Timoperezrulez

Let's keep it going Jose. Stick a fork(ball) in these bastards!

Let's kill these losers...

Thome should hit a dong off of Mays unless they IBB him.

 

I will be at this game. Hell yeah.

He has struggled against Jim Thome, the White Sox's hottest hitter. Thome is batting .381 (8-for-21) with three home runs and seven RBIs against Mays.

 

 

 

Any word on Uribe's status?

It seems to me like Mays has struggled against every single batter in the White Sox lineup except for Uribe. The lowest average of any of our batters against him (aside from Uribe, who is hitless against Cy Mays) is Konerko's .293. Our lineup's cumulative OPS against Mays is .951, and our batters hit, in total, about .350 against him.

Reminder: the Bulls are on CSN at 6:00 today so if you want to see the Sox you'll find them on CSN+.

I am really looking forward to Scotty Pods tonight. Hopefully, he is out of the slump and can get us rolling again.

He has struggled against Jim Thome, the White Sox's hottest hitter. Thome is batting .381 (8-for-21) with three home runs and seven RBIs against Mays.

 

Any word on Uribe's status?

Cintron is doin better so does it matter, Id rather have the player is doing better out there.

Well, I have been to the Cell the last two days, and am debating to make it 3. The Sox fan in me says "Go you dumb asshole" but the cheap college kid says, "Gas is like 9.00, dont go."

Someone should tell that to the kids who come up from Champaign.

Well, I have been to the Cell the last two days, and am debating to make it 3. The Sox fan in me says "Go you dumb asshole" but the cheap college kid says, "Gas is like 9.00, dont go."

 

Listen to the Sox fan in you, you dumb asshole. ;-) Seriously, you ought to go and tickets should be cheap due to the Discount Monday pricing.

Kenny, gas is expensive.

 

There, done.

Trust me, the dumb asshole ALWAYS wins out in my case. Having over 10,000 posts on a message board proves it.

 

I'll be there tonight.

 

I knew you were a smart kid. The fact you go to U of I is a great indicator. Have fun tonight.

if i was in town i would be there in a second. i mean its half price monday.

 

 

but we need to come out and make a statement tonight against the royals. show them that the games in KC were flukes. and so I can rub it in the face of these KC down at school.

Should be a slaughter. I can't wait for Thome to hit eight. And Contreras -- oh how I love Contreras games.

Someone should tell that to the kids who come up from Champaign.

 

I'll be one of those kids making the drive up to Champaign... for the second time in 4 days. I need to leave Champaign for good before I go broke from gas $$

I'll be one of those kids making the drive up to Champaign... for the second time in 4 days.  I need to leave Champaign for good before I go broke from gas $$

And he talks me into going as well. Good stuff.

 

Edit: Just realized this is the Sox 7th home game, and this will be my 4th coming up from champaign. Woops.

Edited April 17, 200619 yr by IlliniKrush

And he talks me into going as well. Good stuff.

 

Edit: Just realized this is the Sox 7th home game, and this will be my 4th coming up from champaign. Woops.

 

You guys ought to organize and either get big carpools or get some type of discount from the Illini Swallow bus lines. They don't do great business on weekdays anyway.

Go Sox.

Hopefully after the series loss at KC, the intensity is a little higher than the mental mistakes that we saw last time...

Good luck on your test tonight Steve, i'll have a brat for you.

Good luck on your test tonight Steve, i'll have a brat for you.

Ouch, you're harsh.

The Sox will be no-hit this evening.

The Sox will be no-hit this evening.

 

 

With Joe Mays pitching, they will somehow manage to have -1 hits

QUOTE(Kalapse @ Apr 17, 2006 -> 11:12 AM)

Reminder: the Bulls are on CSN at 6:00 today so if you want to see the Sox you'll find them on CSN+.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

s***, I can't even remember what CSN+ is O__o