John Danks Injury and What It Means for Sox

It was recently announced that what was believed to be just soreness in the shoulder was more than that. First it was declared as a grade 1 tear that would not require surgery. But most recently they are saying that it is not a tear, but only a strain. Danks will undergo rehab for the injury and will not be back very soon for the White Sox. So what does that mean for the White Sox and their pitching staff?

The White Sox already recently called up Dylan Axelrod and will probably send Zack Stewart down after a terrible start against the Cubs. Axelrod will be mainly the long reliever, but don't rule him out to get a start at some point. I personally think that Axelrod is much better than Zack Stewart, but my grandma is probably better than Stewart.

So that problem is solved, but no Danks leaves the rotation a little bare. Peavy and Sale have both been pitching great and will hopefully continue to do that. Quintana has been pitching well, but nobody knows how long that's going to last because he hasn't exactly been perfect. He's just been good enough. Floyd and Humber have both been struggling and neither will get taken out of the rotation like some have speculated about because Danks will be gone for so long. The White Sox rotation isn't going to be good is what I'm saying.

Without Danks, I think the White Sox will struggle. Being in first place probably won't last long unless the offense starts to play really well and it doesn't look like that will happen. Winning the division isn't out of the question, but a winning streak like earlier in the season won't happen again. They will have to fight to win every game and will have to play well against division opponents if they want a shot. If they can't do that, they are toast.

Series Preview. White Sox vs. Mariners

The White Sox are riding an 8 game winning streak into their next series against the Mariners. The Mariners are coming off scoring 21 runs in Texas. It's easy to see that both of these teams are playing great baseball right now. The White Sox are obviously the hotter team because they are 9-1 in the last ten and the Mariners are only 4-6 in their last ten, but that doesn't tell the whole story and won't dictate who will win this series. The White Sox did sweep the Mariners the only other time that these two teams have faced off so far this year. That does not mean it will happen again, but there is a good chance. The Sox are sending out some of their best pitchers against the Mariners who until lately have not been a great offensive team. The toughest game will probably be when the Sox have to go against Felix Hernandez in the first game of the series. The best thing about baseball is that you never know who is going to win any game on any night.

Game 1
Jake Peavy (6-1 3.07 ERA) vs. Felix Hernandez (4-4 3.17 ERA)
Both of these pitchers are great pitchers and their sort of high ERAs don't really show how good they can be. Peavy's ERA was excellent until he had a bad game against the Indians. He still got the win as he got great run support. Hernandez is storied for not having run support, but with the Mariners scoring 21 runs maybe that offense is ready to do some good things.

This is going to be the game that the White Sox are the closest to losing. The White Sox can still win this one if they get the offense going again and Peavy throws another gem like has been doing this entire year. The Mariners aren't going to be easy for the Sox and the White Sox will have to work hard and do a better job with runners in scoring position. If the offense can click again, the Sox can win.

Game 2
Gavin Floyd (4-5 5.02 ERA) vs. Hector Noesi (2-6 5.01 ERA)
You look at these two guys' ERA and you expect this game to be a high scoring game. That might be true, but both of these pitchers are capable of having really good games. We all know as Sox fans that Gavin Floyd is probably the most inconsistent pitcher in all of Major League Baseball. If Floyd has a good game, he gives the Sox a great chance to win the game. If he has one of his bad games, the White Sox will have to work hard to get the win.

I think the Sox have a great shot to win this game as long as Floyd doesn't put them in a really bad position. One again, the White Sox have to be better than they were in the last game of the Rays series with runners in scoring position. They can't leave runners on and then lose by a few runs. One of these games, leaving the bases loaded with no outs is going to bite them in the butt. They have to stop failing in those situations and need to score a ton of runs off of those situations. Continuation hitting is one of the reasons that the Sox beat the Rays in the second game and they need to play like that to beat the Mariners and other teams.

Game 3
Chris Sale (6-2 2.34 ERA) vs. Kevin Millwood (3-4 3.56 ERA)
Chris Sale has been one of the best White Sox pitchers this year. In his last game, he threw 15 strikeouts and completely dominated a good Rays lineup. If he can do something like that again for the Sox, he gives them a really good chance to win. Millwood isn't a great pitcher, but his ERA isn't terrible and it's not going to be easy for the White Sox.

For a final time I'm going to say it, the White Sox have to succeed when they have runners in scoring position especially when there is less than two outs. Right now AJ is the best player on the team with runners in scoring position and he will probably be playing tomorrow, but who knows how many of these three games he will play because he hasn't had rest in awhile due to how well he's been playing.

White Sox Pitching

Heading into this season, nobody thought that the White Sox pitching staff would be doing anything remarkable. Now that we are 45 games into the season, I think we can say that the White Sox rotation has gone above and beyond the expectations set before them at the beginning of the year. They may not be the most conventional group, but they each know how to get things done. As a team, the White Sox have a 3.88 ERA which is 18th in Major League Baseball. They aren't the best, but they are a unit that can get things done. At some times they can be inconsistent, but there are games when each and every one of these pitchers can shut a team down.

John Danks got a big extension this offseason and went into the season expected to be the ace of the staff. So far this season, he has not delivered in that role, but the recent announcement that he is headed to the DL for shoulder soreness could be the reason that he has been struggling. Looking at the past few seasons, fans can see that John Danks has the stuff and ability to get batters out and win games. He hasn't done that stuff yet this year, but he has the potential and if he is healthy then he can be the ace that everyone expected him to be at the beginning of the season. 3-4 with a 5.70 ERA is not what the Sox expected from their ace at the beginning of the year, but in the past two seasons he has ended with 8-12 4.33 ERA and 15-11 3.72 ERA. 2010 was his best year that he has ever had. Since then he has degressed, but his struggle the last two seasons has been understandable. If the conditions are right and he is healthy, Danks can be a successful ace for the White Sox.

Jake Peavy has been a great story this year. Ever since being traded to the White Sox, he hasn't had the same stuff as he did when he played for the Padres. This year is the one year where he has been pitching like he's back in San Diego. So far this season he is 5-1 with a 2.39 ERA. To prove my point that he hasn't pitched this way since he was playing in San Diego, go look at the stats. The last time that his ERA was close to what it is right now is his last season with the Padres. Peavy's comeback year is perfect timing for the White Sox because of the fact that Danks hasn't been the ace that the Sox needed him to be and because Floyd has been one of the most inconsistent pitchers I've ever seen. The Sox needed Peavy to step it up this season and he did just that in a very big way.

Gavin Floyd has been the biggest pitching disappointment for the White Sox this year. Every year, he has those starts when fans say "Hey, maybe this is the year that he'll figure everything out and finally be that guy." and then the next time he pitches, fans are swinging baseball bats at anything in swinging distance. Floyd can be the pitcher that the White Sox want, but he has to go out to every game he starts knowing that he can be that pitcher and he needs to execute every single time. The one thing that has been consistent is his bad ERA. Floyd hasn't had an ERA below 4.00 since 2008. He's going to need to be consistent and get better if he wants to stay in Chicago and stay as the 3rd starter in the rotation.

This is Chris Sale's first year as a starting pitcher and he has been the second best pitcher in the rotation this year. He has great stuff and many of the batters he faces haven't faced him yet, so he has that advantage over them. He was drafted to be in the Sox rotation and he has already accomplished that. His last start was a great showing of what he can do. He pitched well and got himself the win. I'm looking forward to the many years of Chris Sale as a White Sox starting pitcher to come.

Phil Humber is an odd case. He has games when he completely dominates the other team (perfect game) and he has games when he is just another pitcher in the rotation. I love him as the fifth pitcher of the rotation because he pitches well enough to be that guy and sometimes he pitches better than that guy has to which is a nice surprise when it happens. If the Sox can get a number one and number three guy, this rotation can be one of the best in the league. I like what Humber has done so far this season and it has been a reassurance that his breakout year last year was not a fluke and that Humber will be good for the Sox for years to come.

The White Sox rotation is not the best in the league, but it gets the job done. With a little maintenance, this rotation can be one of the best because they have some of the best pieces of a rotation. Each guy can give a quality start and with the help of the offense can win games. 

Series Preview. White Sox vs. Indians

The White Sox start a three game series against their division rival Indians today. This is a very important series because the Indians are leading the central right now and the White Sox are not that far behind them in the race. The Indians are a hot team coming off a sweep of the Tigers and they are 8-2 in their last 10 games. The White Sox are also hot as they are 7-3 in their last ten and just won a series against the Twins. This will be a tough series and will be a test for both teams in all three parts of the game. Whichever team wins the series will have a great advantage in the division heading forward.

Game 1
Jose Quintana (0-0 0.00 ERA) vs. Jeanmar Gomez (3-2 3.19 ERA)

Jose Quintana will get his first major league start because John Danks was recently put on the DL for having shoulder soreness. In AA, he pitched 35.1 innings and had a 3.06 ERA, 26 Ks, and 11 BBs. He made his big league debut in the bullpen for the White Sox and will now have a chance for his first start. Nobody knows whether or not he will have a good start, but the White Sox can hope that he comes out confident and by having stuff that none of the players have seen, he can fool some of their batters.

Gomez has been pretty good recently. In his last three starts he is 1-1 with a 3.60 ERA. He had a pretty strong start against the Marlins on Saturday and hasn't allowed a run in his last 16 innings. The last time that he pitched against the Sox, he gave up 6 runs in one inning. His pitching could go either way against the Sox and if players like Konerko, De Aza, and Rios keep up their hot streaks the White Sox can easily win this game.

The key to this game will be whether or not Quintana has the stuff to beat a major league team. The White Sox offense will have to back him up by scoring quite a few runs, but I think the Sox have a great shot to win this game.

Game 2
Jake Peavy (5-1 2.39 ERA) vs. Derek Lowe (6-2 2.15 ERA)
Jake Peavy has probably been the best pitching story of the year. He had a terrible year last year and came back this year and is dominating teams. He isn't up to the level he was when he won the Cy Young, but he is doing a great job being the second pitcher in this rotation. In his last three starts, he is 2-0 with a 3.38 ERA and 16 strikeouts. If he continues to pitch like he has previously, he gives the Sox a great chance to win this game.

Derek Lowe has pitched well this season and recently. He's had two quality starts in a row, one in which he pitched a complete game shutout. In his last three, he is 2-1 with a 2.71 ERA and 5 Ks. He'll be a tough test for the White Sox offense, but since they are so hot recently that challenge might not be a challenge at all. In 64.2 innings pitched against the White Sox he has a losing record at 1-2 and has 3.34 ERA and 43 strikeouts. The White Sox haven't really struggled against him and if they can score 3-5 runs, they can win the game easily.

Game 3
Gavin Floyd (3-5 4.66 ERA) vs. Ubaldo Jimenez (5-3 5.02 ERA)
Floyd has been Mr. Inconsistent this year having a good start and then the next time he goes out, he is horrendous. If Floyd has one of his good starts, the White Sox have a good chance. If Floyd has a bad start it kills the entire team's momentum and they will probably lose.

Jimenez is having an alright year. He has a winning record, but his ERA isn't something to get worked up about. The same story goes for his last three starts (he is 2-1 with a 7.16 ERA). The White Sox will be able to score runs against him, but the key to winning will be stopping the Indians offense from backing him up like they have done so far this year.

Story of the Week
Paul Konerko is the story of the week for the White Sox. He has been extremely hot and is on a 10 game hitting streak. He leads the team in almost every hitting statistic and might even have a shot at MVP if he keeps hitting like he is. Right now he is .384/.462/.649 with 10 HR which is quite impressive and is obviously leading the team. In the last week he is batting .615 with 3 HRs and 6 RBIs which is the reason he is the story of the week.

Series Recap. Sox take 1/3 from Rangers

The first series of this season did not go the way the White Sox would have wanted, but I think they played well against one of the better teams in the American League. The Rangers came ready and they were good. The White Sox had to struggle and play a really good game just to beat them once. It was a good series and other than a few mistakes in the last game, the Sox were pretty close with the Rangers.

Opening Day didn't go the White Sox' way for the first five innings, but managed to score a run thanks to Dunn and his home run. (Wow, there was a lot of rhyming in that sentence). They scored another run that inning driven in by Alexei. For a first game it wasn't bad, but Danks could have used a little bit more run support. It's not fun losing when the other team only scores three runs.

The second game was by the far the White Sox best game. Peavy pitched well and only gave up 3 runs on 8 hits. Not bad for a guy that was a big question mark coming into the season. The offense played well, mostly led by Paul Konerko who drove in 3 of the 4 runs that the Sox scored. Only four players actually recorded a hit, but the offense seemed to be doing fine. The Sox did just enough to win the game thanks to the home run hit by Rios in the ninth inning.

The third game was not good at all for the White Sox. They didn't play good offense and Floyd didn't pitch a very good game. The Rangers came ready to hit Floyd's fastball and they sure did hit it. The Rangers had three home runs and scored 5 runs off Floyd. The bullpen did pitch well and fans got a nice taste of what Nate Jones can do. There were positives in this game, but the most important thing it did was point out the weaknesses in the team.

The story of this series was the White Sox continued struggles with runners in scoring position. In the second game, it wasn't as much of a problem as the Sox were 2-4 in that game with RISP. In the other two games they were 0-7 and 0-8, respectively. They aren't going to win games if they keep leaving runners on second and third with one or less outs. They have to get better at getting clutch base hits and bringing runners home. That's the key to this offense.

Game Recap. White Sox lose 5-0 to Rangers

The White Sox did not play a very good game today. They didn't score a single run and gave up 5, including three homers. The Sox end up losing the series 1-2.

The first few innings of the game were great pitching. The problem is that Floyd made three mistakes and all three of them were driven out of the park. The Rangers only scored one run that didn't come from a home run. After Floyd got out of the game, the bullpen was good. Nate Jones got to play in his first ever MLB game. His first two batters were a little shaky and he walked both, but then he got a double play and struck out Josh Hamilton. The thing that worries me most about this game is that Floyd didn't pitch well. If the White Sox want to be successful, Floyd has to pitch well.

The offense was a big problem in this game. Not a single player on the team had more than one hit. Everyone was equally bad. Konerko had two bad at bats today. Dunn didn't get a single hit and neither did Rios. Pierzynski really struggled today because for the entire game he had to face a left handed pitcher. I'm not sure why Ventura played him instead of Flowers against the lefty.

Right now everyone is to blame for this game. Neither pitching or offense was good and when neither is good,  it's hard to win games. The Sox should be able to get back on track against a team that's not as good in the upcoming series. They'll play the Indians in Cleveland next.

Game Preview. White Sox vs. Rangers Game 3

The White Sox aim to win the series today against the Rangers after tying the series last night thanks to the Alex Rios solo shot in the the ninth.

Eduardo Escobar will start in place of Brent Morel today. I like this change because Morel hasn't been good and because Ventura is being smart. He has said that he wants to get everyone in during one of the two first series.

This is what separates Ventura and Ozzie. Ventura knows that guys can't sit on the bench forever. He'll need more than one guy at certain positions and you can't expect a guy that has been sitting on the bench for six or seven days to just play a good game.

The White Sox can win this game as long as Floyd pitches well and the Sox get some runs early. Beckham hitting in the 2 hole could change things a little. He could either not play well or he could flourish in that spot. I like Ventura testing him there because if he does hit well there, he's a great 2 spot hitter.

Series Preview. White Sox vs. Rangers

The White Sox start their season with a three game series against the Texas Rangers. The Rangers went to the World Series last year, but lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games. They were one of the best teams in the AL last year and will probably be a challenge to beat this year.

The White Sox have basically the same look that they had last year. The big changes are the losses of Mark Buehrle, Carlos Quentin, and closer Sergio Santos.

The Rangers also have basically the same team as they did last year. They'll be looking to continue their dominance in the western division.

Game 1
John Danks vs. Colby Lewis


This will be an interesting matchup. This is Danks' first opening day start and first start as the ace of the Chicago White Sox. Hopefully nerves don't get the best of him and he can perform well. He'll need the offense to back him up, though.

Colby Lewis is one of the best pitchers in the league. The Sox will have to score a few runs off of him to insure that Danks can get the win.

I think the biggest factor in this game will be whether the White Sox bullpen shows up or not. If the bullpen is bad, they could lose this game for the Sox.

Game 2
Jake Peavy vs. Derek Holland


This should be an interesting game. It'll be interesting to see if Peavy can be the kind of pitcher that the Sox really need in the second spot of the order this year. He's been successful before and the Sox are hoping that he can be successful this year.

Holland is a good pitcher, but the White Sox offense can take advantage of him.

I think this game will be high-scoring and once again, the White Sox bullpen will be tested.

Game 3
Gavin Floyd vs. Matt Harrison 


I'm really looking forward to seeing Floyd pitch this year. He struggled last year, but has been pretty good in the past. I think he'll have a good season this year. He has a lot to play for and I hope he pitches up to his potential.

Matt Harrison won't be a tough challenge for the Sox, but they'll have to score quite a few runs to back up Floyd.

The big key in this game will be who's offense is better and scores more runs.

Series Preview. White Sox vs. Yankees

This is a big four game series against the Yankees. The Sox really need to win or tie this series so they can stay in the race for their division. That will be tough, because the Yankees are a good team.

The Yankees are 7-3 in their last ten, while the Sox are only .500 in their last ten. New York is obviously the hotter team, but that doesn't necessarily mean they have a better chance to win.

Game 1
CC Sabathia (15-5 2.56 ERA) vs. Jake Peavy (4-4 5.27 ERA)

Peavy's last three starts have been terrible. He is 0-2 with a 6.61 ERA and 13 Ks. He looks to improve those numbers this series.

CC Sabathia has been good in his last three starts going 2-1 with a 1.57 ERA and 30 Ks. He has been dominant all season and these numbers are just proof that he hasn't slowed down.

This game seems like an obvious loss to me. Peavy and Sabathia is a giant mis-match. Peavy has been terrible lately while CC has been one of the best pitchers in the league all year. The White Sox offense doesn't look like it will be able to hit off this guy. Konerko is not in the lineup thanks to getting hit yesterday and that is just another reason to predict a loss. Who knows, the Sox might surprise me and somehow win.

Game 2
Phil Hughes (1-3 8.24 ERA) vs John Danks (4-8 3.79 ERA)

Hughes hasn't been good all season and especially not in his last three starts. He is 1-1 with a 6.06 ERA and 11 Ks.

Danks has been a lot better in his more recent starts going 1-0 with a 0.61 ERA and 18 Ks in his last three starts. Hopefully he continues to pitch well and gets himself another win.

This game can easily be won by the White Sox. Konerko could hopefully be back and Hughes isn't a very good pitcher. They can score some runs off of him and Danks will probably pitch well as he has been doing lately.

Game 3
AJ Burnett (8-9 4.23 ERA) vs Gavin Floyd (9-9 3.96 ERA)

Burnett has not been good in his last three starts going 0-2 with a 4.74 ERA and 20 Ks. Maybe the Sox can take advantage of that and score some runs off of him.

Floyd has been fantastic in his last three starts going 3-0 with a 0.81 ERA and 16 Ks. Hopefully he keeps it up and gets himself another win to get over .500.

This is another game that the Sox can easily win. Burnett has not been good lately and Floyd has been on fire. If Floyd pitches another great game, the Sox should easily win.

Game 4
Bartolo Colon (8-6 3.30 ERA) vs Philip Humber (8-7 3.44 ERA)

Colon has been pretty good in his last three starts going 2-1 with a 2.45 ERA and 19 Ks.

Humber has not been himself lately and the numbers show that. In his last three starts he is 0-3 with a 9.00 ERA and 14 Ks.

Hopefully Humber stops his nonsense in this game and the Sox can get a win and win the series. Colon has been pretty good, but hasn't been consistant this year. If Humber has a good start and Colon has a bad one, the Sox can win.

Overall, if the Sox win 2 of these games I will be happy. They have the chance to win 3 games and win the series, but the Yankees are pretty good and I don't know if they can really pull of winning 3 of the games.

Game Recap. White Sox win 3-1

Both Gavin Floyd and Tim Wakefield had good games. Through the first few innings, they were fanning down batters. Gavin made the first mistake in the third inning, giving up a home run to Jarrod Saltalamacchia but that would be his only big mistake of the game and the only run he would give up.

In the sixth, Juan Pierre laid down a bunt and reached first on that bunt. Omar Vizquel then sacrificed him over. Wakefield threw a wild pitch and Pierre advanced to third. Konerko hit a deep fly and that would tie the game.

In the next inning, Quentin was walked and then Pierzynski hit a home run that would win the game for the White Sox.

Santos got his 22nd save of the year. Even though he still isn't officially the closer, he kind of is. He'll probably have more than 30 saves this year, which is pretty good for a short stop.

Humber and Lester go at it tomorrow, which should be a good game. Both pitchers have been very good this season.

Game Preview. Sox vs. Sox

The White Sox look to take the first game of this three game series. The White Sox lineup is as follows:

Juan Pierre LF, Omar Vizquel 3B, Paul Konerko 1B, Adam Dunn DH, Carlos Quentin RF, A.J Pierzynski C, Alexei Ramirez SS, Alejandro De Aza CF, Gordon Beckham 2B

Gavin Floyd is on the mound today. He has been good in his last few starts and hopefully he continues the good pitching today.

The Red Sox lineup is

Jacoby Ellsbury CF, Dustin Pedroia 2B, Adrian Gonzalez 1B, Kevin Youkilis 3B, David Ortiz DH, Carl Crawford LF, Josh Reddick RF, Jarrod Saltalamacchia C, Marco Scutaro SS


Tim Wakefield will pitch today for Boston. He has been pretty good in his last few starts, but hopefully the White Sox can hit well off of him like they did the last time they met.

Today should be an interesting game. Hopefully Gavin can shut down the powerful Boston offense. Dustin Pedroia has a 25 game hit streak and he hopes to continue that against the Sox. Quentin has been good lately for the Sox and maybe he will keep that up tonight. A White Sox win would be a good start to a series they would like to win.

Series Preview. White Sox vs. Red Sox

The Red Sox head to Chicago to take on the White Sox this weekend. The Red Sox are the best team in the American League, but the White Sox are very succesful against Boston, especially at home. In the only series these two teams met, Chicago swept Boston in Boston.

The White Sox are 6-4 in their last 10 games. The Red Sox are 7-3 in their last 10. Both teams are relatively hot, which should make this a good series.




Game 1
Tim Wakefield (6-3 5.15 ERA) vs Gavin Floyd (8-9 4.11 ERA)

In his last three starts, Floyd has pitched well. He is 2-1 with a 3.79 ERA and 13 Ks. Hopefully he continues to do well.

Wakefield's last three starts aren't bad. He is 2-0 with a 6.50 ERA and 14 Ks. The last time the Sox faced Wakefield they hit well, hopefully the Sox can continue that.

The pitching has been the only reason the Sox have been winning this past week. There's no guarantee that Gavin will pitch well again. The offense needs to step it up in this series. There are Quentin trade talks, but hopefully he stays in Chicago and helps the White Sox win this series.

Game 2
Jon Lester (10-4 3.23 ERA) vs Philip Humber (8-6 3.27 ERA)

Humber hasn't been good lately. In his last three starts he is 1-2 with a 5.51 ERA and 14 Ks.

In Lester's last three starts he is 1-0 with a 0.55 ERA and 16 Ks. Hopefully he doesn't continue to dominate and the Sox offense hits him hard.

This game will be a pitching duel for sure. Humber hasn't been good since the All-Star break, but I think he ends that this weekend. Lester has been good lately and will probably continue the domination especially because the White Sox offense isn't very good. Hopefully the White Sox offense comes out on top of this pitching duel.

Game 3
Andrew Miller (4-1 5.45 ERA) vs Mark Buehrle (8-5 3.22 ERA)

Mark Buehrle's last start was classic Buehrle and hopefully that rolls over into this game. In his last three starts he is 2-0 with a 0.86 ERA and 15 Ks. I would love to see the ace continue pitching this way.

Andrew Miller is 1-1 in his last three starts with a 9.00 ERA and 4 Ks. Not good at all and hopefully this an easy game for the White Sox to win.

If Buehrle continues to pitch well and the White Sox offense is able to take advantage of the bad pitcher, they have a good chance to win this game and possibly win the series.

Overall, looking at the pitching match-ups and knowing how good Chicago is against Boston I think the White Sox will win this series. Hopefully Detroit and Cleveland continue to lose and the Sox gain ground in the division this weekend.