Sox Notebook: Danks didn't help his cause in loss to Mariners
It obviously didn't help them Sunday, but John Danks' outing against the Seattle Mariners may have helped the White Sox make up their minds about what to do with the starting rotation.
The Sox are unsure who will start when beyond Friday, but they've been particularly cautious about monitoring Danks' innings, and Sunday's outing - in which he allowed six runs in 4 1/3 innings - may have provided them a perfect excuse to skip the rookie left-hander's next turn and give Gavin Floyd one final chance in the rotation.
"We'll meet with (general manager Ken Williams on) Tuesday, see what he wants to do," manager Ozzie Guillen said. "Not to make my lineup, but what he wants to see. Does he want to see Gavin one more time? …
"Right now, we're at a stop sign about what we're going to do."
All they know for sure is that Jon Garland, Mark Buehrle and Javier Vazquez are to start this week in Oakland. Jose Contreras is to start Friday in Seattle and likely has pitched his way back into the rotation full-time.
After that, one very possible solution is to skip Danks' turn Saturday and give him a rest. They could then plug in Floyd and make what Guillen insisted would be their final move with the right-hander this season based on that start.
That move likely would come down to keeping him in the bullpen as a long man or optioning him back to Triple-A, since pitching coach Don Cooper doesn't want a six-man rotation.
"Because then we have five guys in the bullpen and one guy we're looking to take care of (Danks) and one guy who sometimes has a four-inning outing (Floyd) - and then the bullpen will be taxed," Cooper said.
For his part, Danks says he isn't tired despite being 0-4 with a 6.67 ERA over his last five starts.
"I feel fine. It's just one of those days where I went out there and didn't help our cause at all," Danks said after allowing homers to Richie Sexson (second inning), Adrian Beltre (third) and Jose Guillen (fifth).
Avoid playing the Fields
If Joe Crede wins the third-base job back next year, Guillen isn't sure it would be a good idea to try Josh Fields in left.
"Right now, I think he has to put his attention to third base," Guillen said. "He's in the process right now to learn, and he's a quick learner. Right now, I'm going to let him play. Spring training next year, then we'll start working on what we need to work."
Difference-maker
So what's the difference between the record-tying Bobby Jenks and the one who was 0-1 with a 9.45 ERA over a brief stretch immediately before the streak?
"He's throwing strikes, getting ahead of guys and putting them away," catcher A.J. Pierzynski said. "He's not making a whole lot of mistakes. His ball has the life on it that it has had the last couple of years. Anytime you have that and the velocity that Bobby has been able to throw with, it makes it tough on hitters."
Harder or easier?
Jenks is tied with former San Francisco starter Jim Barr for the major league record with 41 consecutive batters retired. Cooper thinks it's a more impressive record for a reliever than a starter.
"Starter David Wells (who had held the American League record by retiring 38 in a row) was the perfect game and 'X' amount of innings after that," Cooper said. "For Bobby, that's 41, so that's about 14-15 appearances, and obviously they're very clean appearances."
Joking around
Reliever Matt Thornton on Jenks' record: "I'm at six right now, so I'm on a roll, too."
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