Luvofthegame
09-07-2006, 08:39 PM
By Scot Gregor
Daily Herald Sports Writer
September 07, 2006
BOSTON — There was some much-needed good news all around for the White Sox on Wednesday.
Not only did the offense get back in gear with 14 hits in an 8-1 win over the Red Sox, the White Sox also had positive results on the injury front.
Closer Bobby Jenks, sent back to Chicago on Tuesday to have his sore right hip examined, checked out fine and could be in the game tonight when the Sox open a four-game series against the Cleveland Indians at U.S. Cellular Field.
“The MRI basically read negative for any kind of joint problems,’’ said White Sox trainer Herm Schneider. “It’s a muscular problem, which we were really hoping for.’’
Mark Buehrle also was cleared to make his scheduled start Friday after receiving an MRI on his sore back. Like Jenks, Buehrle returned to Chicago on Tuesday.
“He has nothing going on, just some muscular stuff,’’ Schneider said. “He has no bulging discs, no herniations. We can all rest comfortably. Plus, if he was going to sign another contract, they were going to want an MRI anyway. So, I killed about five birds with one stone.’’
Buehrle has a $9.5 million club option for 2007, which the Sox are expected to pick up. If not, they’d owe the workhorse left-hander a $1 million buyout.
Jermaine Dye returned to the lineup after missing Tuesday’s game with a sore back. The right fielder hit his 40th home run in the fourth inning.
“He had a little tweak,’’ Schneider said. “Guys get nervous with a tweak, and it’s my job to make him more comfortable.’’
Taking the lead: A night after going 2-for-3 in his first major-league start, Ryan Sweeney replaced the slumping Brian Anderson in center field Wednesday and batted in Scott Podsednik’s customary leadoff spot.
Manager Ozzie Guillen was hoping to ease the 21-year-old Sweeney into the big leagues, but with time running out, he decided to push Sweeney a bit.
“If Sweeney swings the bat good, I might keep the lineup the same way it is right now,’’ Guillen said.
Sweeney was 0-for-6 with 1 RBI.
“I didn’t expect him to go 6-for-6,’’ Guillen said. “I think I’m going to keep putting him out there. I liked his at-bats. His attitude at the plate is pretty good.’’
Guillen said there was a reason he dropped Podsednik to the No. 8 spot in the order.
“We’re trying to have more speed down in the bottom of the lineup,’’ Guillen said. “We’re slow right now, and we need some speed down there. We’re really slow.’’
Making history: Jermaine Dye’s 2-run blast over the Green Monster on Wednesday night was his 40th home run.
Dye is just the fourth player in White Sox history to reach the plateau. Frank Thomas hit 40 or more homers five times, Paul Konerko has done it twice, and Albert Belle hit franchise-high 49 home runs in 1998.
“It means a lot,’’ Dye said. “It’s something I don’t go into the year thinking about, but things have been clicking this year. A lot of things I’m doing this year are paying off. Finally, for once, I’ve kept the same batting stance the whole year, the same approach. I didn’t panic if I felt like I was having a couple bad games.’’
Daily Herald Sports Writer
September 07, 2006
BOSTON — There was some much-needed good news all around for the White Sox on Wednesday.
Not only did the offense get back in gear with 14 hits in an 8-1 win over the Red Sox, the White Sox also had positive results on the injury front.
Closer Bobby Jenks, sent back to Chicago on Tuesday to have his sore right hip examined, checked out fine and could be in the game tonight when the Sox open a four-game series against the Cleveland Indians at U.S. Cellular Field.
“The MRI basically read negative for any kind of joint problems,’’ said White Sox trainer Herm Schneider. “It’s a muscular problem, which we were really hoping for.’’
Mark Buehrle also was cleared to make his scheduled start Friday after receiving an MRI on his sore back. Like Jenks, Buehrle returned to Chicago on Tuesday.
“He has nothing going on, just some muscular stuff,’’ Schneider said. “He has no bulging discs, no herniations. We can all rest comfortably. Plus, if he was going to sign another contract, they were going to want an MRI anyway. So, I killed about five birds with one stone.’’
Buehrle has a $9.5 million club option for 2007, which the Sox are expected to pick up. If not, they’d owe the workhorse left-hander a $1 million buyout.
Jermaine Dye returned to the lineup after missing Tuesday’s game with a sore back. The right fielder hit his 40th home run in the fourth inning.
“He had a little tweak,’’ Schneider said. “Guys get nervous with a tweak, and it’s my job to make him more comfortable.’’
Taking the lead: A night after going 2-for-3 in his first major-league start, Ryan Sweeney replaced the slumping Brian Anderson in center field Wednesday and batted in Scott Podsednik’s customary leadoff spot.
Manager Ozzie Guillen was hoping to ease the 21-year-old Sweeney into the big leagues, but with time running out, he decided to push Sweeney a bit.
“If Sweeney swings the bat good, I might keep the lineup the same way it is right now,’’ Guillen said.
Sweeney was 0-for-6 with 1 RBI.
“I didn’t expect him to go 6-for-6,’’ Guillen said. “I think I’m going to keep putting him out there. I liked his at-bats. His attitude at the plate is pretty good.’’
Guillen said there was a reason he dropped Podsednik to the No. 8 spot in the order.
“We’re trying to have more speed down in the bottom of the lineup,’’ Guillen said. “We’re slow right now, and we need some speed down there. We’re really slow.’’
Making history: Jermaine Dye’s 2-run blast over the Green Monster on Wednesday night was his 40th home run.
Dye is just the fourth player in White Sox history to reach the plateau. Frank Thomas hit 40 or more homers five times, Paul Konerko has done it twice, and Albert Belle hit franchise-high 49 home runs in 1998.
“It means a lot,’’ Dye said. “It’s something I don’t go into the year thinking about, but things have been clicking this year. A lot of things I’m doing this year are paying off. Finally, for once, I’ve kept the same batting stance the whole year, the same approach. I didn’t panic if I felt like I was having a couple bad games.’’