Sunday, April 15, 2007

Starters Carrying White Sox


Despite only having a .500 record, Ozzie Guillen has to like what he’s seeing from his Chicago White Sox so far this season. While the middle of the lineup has gotten off to a slow start, the starting pitching has picked up the load, showing signs that a poor 2006 may have been an aberration.

Every starter has now pitched twice and they have all thrown the ball better in their second start. The rotation’s biggest surprise thus far has to be Javier Vazquez. Vazquez was inconsistent last season as he struggled to get out of the fifth inning, but this year he has pitched better than any Sox starter. Leading the rotation with a 1.50 ERA, Vazquez is keeping himself out of trouble because he is striking guys out. In his two games he has pitched 12 innings and has 12 strikeouts. If that ratio holds throughout the season, the extension he recently signed, 3 years for more than 30 million dollars, will be viewed as a bargain.

Jose Contreas had a horrible opening day against the Indians but pitched great in his second start in Oakland. Though he had trouble getting his split finger over the plate for strikes, Contreras still went six innings and allowed only one run against a pesky A’s lineup. No one expects him to pitch as well as he did through the middle of last season, winning 17 straight decisions at one point, but he will have to steady for the White Sox to keep pace in the AL Central. Even though he was the opening day starter the Sox really don’t need him to be a true ace. If he can eat up innings and keep his walks down, Contreras should have a good 2007.

He was viewed as a question mark coming into the season, but John Danks has pitched better than anyone expected through his first two major league starts. The only runs he has given up this season have come off home runs and Danks hasn’t let the dingers rattle him. He’s shown tremendous poise on the mound for such a young pitcher and is living up to his lofty billing so far. Danks pitched well on Saturday against the Indians, going 5 1/3, allowing 7 hits, but only two runs.

The Sox other two starters, Jon Garland and Mark Buehrle, have been predictably solid to open the season. Buehrle had an awful second half in 2006 which seemed to lower expectations for him this year. People seem to forget that he has only had two bad halves his entire career and is showing that he will return to form this season. Pitching seven strong innings and giving up three runs against the A’s on Friday, Buehrle proved that a wrist injury he suffered in his first start had no lingering effect. While the game Buehrle pitched on Wednesday was good, Jon Garland was dominate the day before. Garland allowed just three hits in his second start on Tuesday against the A’s, going seven innings and not allowing an earned run. Winning 18 games each of the last two seasons, Garland was second in AL in victories in 2006, only behind Johan Santana.

If Garland can pitch the way he has the past two seasons, and if Buehrle can keep from going into a prolonged slump, the two should carry the White Sox rotation. Vazquez hasn’t pitched this good since he was in Montréal, and his performance this season could decide who wins the AL Central. Contreras just has to keep the offense in the game and anything the Sox get from Danks this season has to be considered gravy. The middle of the lineup will start hitting eventually and Scott Podsednik and Juan Uribe, two players who struggled mightily in 2006, have been spectacular so far. Though the season is only ten games old, the White Sox are already showing they should compete in 2007.

No comments: