AL Central: White Sox finding success on the road

Baseball Betting Lines

05/17/2011 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - During their recent road trip, the Chicago White Sox finally began resembling the team pegged by many at the outset of the season as a potential playoff contender.

The White Sox won all three series on their nine-game West Coast trip, posting a 6-3 mark against the Seattle Mariners, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and Oakland Athletics.

With one quarter of the season in the books, Chicago still sits 10 games out of first place in the American League Central with a 17-24 record. But in order to close that gap, the White Sox will need to start winning some games at U.S. Cellular Field. They have won more road games than anyone else in the division (12-13) but have gone just 5-12 at home. That includes a 1-5 homestand earlier this month.

The offense, after sleepwalking through April, began to show signs of life on the recent trip. Following Sunday's 4-3 series-clinching victory over Oakland, in which the White Sox racked up 10 hits against All-Star pitcher Trevor Cahill, manager Ozzie Guillen had a simple message for his team.

"Go home and play better for our fans," Guillen said. "They deserve that. We owe them one after the last homestand we had. Hopefully we continue to play the way we're playing now."

But on Monday, the White Sox once again came out flat at U.S. Cellular Field, dropping a 4-0 decision to the Texas Rangers to open a seven-game homestand. Edwin Jackson departed in the seventh inning after receiving no run support, as he fell to 1-5 with a 5.35 ERA over his last six starts. Still, the postgame remarks were largely focused on Tuesday's game and getting back in the win column.

"It was a start," reliever Sergio Santos told the Chicago Tribune of the successful West Coast trip. "We knew it wasn't going to happen overnight. We knew we wouldn't win 24 games in a row. It starts with series. We're looking to win series, and the rest will take care of itself."

The team has valid reason to remain optimistic. Along with a mildly resurgent offense, the bullpen has also started to turn a corner. Santos boasts a 0.00 ERA in 19 innings pitched and has helped bring some much needed stability to Chicago's much-maligned bullpen, converting each of his last five save opportunities. As a whole, the 'pen has not allowed an earned run over the last 25 innings, a span of 10 games. Compare that to April, in which the relievers had combined for an MLB-worst 5.55 ERA and six blown saves.

"I think we're starting to play better as a whole, offensively, defensively, pitching, starting pitching, bullpen," added Santos. "When that kind of comes together, it's easier to get on a roll, and we all feed off each other."

NO END IN SIGHT FOR TWINS

Having reached the quarter-point of the Major League Baseball season, it is fair to start wondering whether the Minnesota Twins (12-27) are in a really bad funk, or if this is simply who they are. Twins fans, for that matter, have been asking that same question for weeks now.

A poor first month has extended into May, as the team has dropped nine in a row to lay claim to the worst record in baseball. It marks Minnesota's worst start since going 11-27 in 1995, and the nine-game skid is the team's longest since dropping 10 straight from Sept. 9-19, 1998. The Twins have even lost eight in a row at home, which last happened during a nine-game skid in 1997.

To say they failed to capitalize on this recently concluded homestand would be like saying Ashton Kutcher has some big shoes to fill on Two and a Half Men. And things won't get any easier, with the team last night having began a seven-game trip out west with stops in Seattle, Oakland and Arizona. Entering Tuesday, the Twins were already 13 1/2 games off the pace in the division.

Injuries, of course, have played a significant role in Minnesota's struggles. All-Star catcher Joe Mauer remains on the disabled list with leg weakness, along with designated hitter Jim Thome (back strain). Mauer's catching replacement, Drew Butera, is hitting just .108 with four RBI.

However, general manager Bill Smith recalled how his team overcame a 12-game deficit in mid-July of the 2006 season to win the AL Central. He remains optimistic the Twins can have a similar turnaround as soon as they get healthy.

"We've been counted out many times over the years," Smith told the Star Tribune. "Anything can happen. You look at the Tigers, they've won seven in a row. A week ago they were scuffling and I think we were only a game and a half behind them and now they've had a great run. When this team starts clicking, there's a lot of baseball left, but we're going to have to fight our way out of it."

SOLID DEFENSE, RELIEF PITCHING TRANSLATING TO WINS FOR ROYALS

Cementing their place among the Haves and Have-Nots, the Kansas City Royals opened the season with a $38 million payroll, the lowest in all of baseball. In comparison, Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez is making $32 million this year.

But Royals manager Ned Yost is not into comparing salaries or expectations. Instead, he has stressed to his players the need to focus on executing the little things, and results will take care of themselves. So far, Kansas City (20-20) has done just that.

The Royals' 24 errors are the seventh-fewest in the AL, and their 462 assists are tops in the league by a wide margin. Put simply, they avoid giving away unnecessary runs by consistently making plays in the field. In the bullpen, closer Joakim Soria is flanked by five rookies and a second-year pitcher. Regardless of age, Yost has been able to count on his relievers in tight situations.

"It's hard to anticipate this bullpen being as good as it's been," Yost said. "You like the guys, you like their stuff, but being young guys, you don't really know what to expect. So, you just go into it and see what you've got."

On Monday, the white-hot Cleveland Indians lit up Royals pitchers in a 19-1 shellacking, 17 of which were charged to the bullpen. Starter Kyle Davies had to leave the game in the first inning with soreness in his pitching shoulder, prompting Vin Mazzaro into early action. Mazzaro went on to allow a club- record 14 runs in 2 1/3 innings and was optioned to Triple-A Omaha not long after the game had ended. Prior to that disastrous showing, K.C.'s bullpen ranked fourth in the AL with a 3.05 ERA as the relievers had allowed just six earned runs over their previous 48 innings (1.13 ERA).

The offense has also been pulling its weight, Monday's meltdown notwithstanding. The Royals are among the league leaders in runs scored (6th), total bases (6th) and batting average (5th). All the while, Yost continues to juggle his "win now" approach with the reality that he has a young team in transition, and that nights like Monday are bound to happen.

"You've got development mode, and you've got winning mode," Yost told the Kansas City Star prior to Sunday's rainout. "We're combining them, and its tough. Its doable and fun, but its a challenge. If you're a big-leaguer, you're a big-leaguer. I throw them right in the fire. You've earned your right to be here, and now I have to protect you?"

INDIANS ADAPTING TO WINNING CULTURE

Consider the Cleveland Indians living proof that winning really is contagious. The Tribe continue to boast the top record in the majors (25-13) and is coming off a historic 19-1 smackdown of the Kansas City Royals on Monday night, in which the team piled up 20 hits.

The 19 runs marked the most runs ever scored against Kansas City. The highlight was a 10-run fourth inning, the second time this year the Indians have scored 10 runs in an inning. Cleveland now leads the AL in runs scored (200) and team batting average (.270). Nine of those 10 runs during the fourth inning came with two outs, which has become somewhat of a trend for this team.

"It's contagious," first baseman Matt LaPorta said. "You see guys in front of you get hits and you want to be right there driving them in."

The one noticeable blip on the radar is star center fielder Grady Sizemore and his bruised right knee. Sizemore suffered a deep bruise during a hard slide last Tuesday -- although not on his left knee that required season-ending microfracture surgery last June. He spent the next five days resting and rehabbing, but the pain still lingered and on Monday he was placed on the 15- day disabled list.

An MRI revealed no structural damage. Potentially, Sizemore could rejoin the team as early as the May 27-29 series in Tampa. He is not likely to need a rehab assignment, though ultimately, only time will tell how his knee responds to increased baseball activities.

"We're optimistic," trainer Lonnie Soloff said on Monday. "He's still uncomfortable with lateral movement and more dynamic, unpredictable movements."

VERLANDER, SCHERZER FUELING TIGERS' RESURGENCE

Good pitching always trumps good hitting, and the Detroit Tigers (22-19) have a couple of starting pitchers who have been regularly mowing down the competition.

Staff ace Justin Verlander (4-3, 2.91) has registered a quality start in all nine of his outings on the season. Following his second career no-hitter against Toronto on May 7, Verlander silenced the Kansas City Royals bats this past Friday, allowing only two hits and one earned run in eight innings to go along with seven strikeouts.

Royals manager Ned Yost had a first-hand perspective on Verlander's maturation as a big league pitcher.

"When he's got four quality pitches going like he does, when he throws his curve and change, a 92- to 93-m.p.h. fastball looks like 97," Yost said of Verlander's performance Friday night. "When he's throwing his fastball 96-97, it's like it's 105. You can't sit on his fastball because his breaking stuff is so dynamic.

"He has developed into a complete pitcher. There had been times where you would hope to get his pitch count up and get him out of the game early. We knew that plan wouldn't work (Friday night). From what we've seen of him lately, he's gotten real efficient with four quality pitches. He throws them all for strikes. You really can't improve on that."

Fellow starter Max Scherzer came up short in his bid Monday night to become the majors' first seven-game winner and the Tigers' first pitcher to be 7-0 at any point in May since 1939. Scherzer came away with the no-decision after yielding one unearned run over seven innings of an eventual 4-2 loss to the Blue Jays, which snapped Detroit's seven-game win streak. He is 6-0 with a 2.81 ERA on the season.

Verlander and Scherzer have each taken the ball every fifth day and been rock solid for the Tigers. They have been a big reason why the team has been able to rebound from a rough start to get within 4 1/2 games of the division lead.