Resurgent Arms Put White Sox Back in Playoff Hunt

Three weeks ago, the Chicago White Sox were ready to be dissected.

More than two months into the season, the Sox were 9 1/2 games out of first place, nine games under .500 at 24-33 and starting to hear suggestions that it was time to play for next year.

Then three things happened that changed everything, according to setup man J.J. Putz.

"Starting pitching, starting pitching, starting pitching," Putz told FanHouse Wednesday. "It's like location, location, location in real estate. It's what matters most in baseball."

And the Chicago starters have indeed turned a corner. The Sox have won 16 of their last 19 games and the rotation has put together a 13-3 record to go with a 2.40 ERA. Jake Peavy and Freddy Garcia are 3-0 during the stretch and Mark Buehrle and John Danks are both 3-1.



Share But it may be Gavin Floyd (above), who is just 1-1 in the 19-game stretch, who best exemplifies Chicago's turnaround. Before the streak started, Floyd had started to turn the season around, but was still 2-6 with a 6.18 ERA. Since then he's made four starts and allowed five runs (four earned) in 29 2/3 innings, a 1.21 ERA.

"Gavin's wins and losses haven't been there, but he's been pitching great," Putz said. "He's one big reason we're playing better baseball now.

"That's what it's been like for all of our starters. The numbers may not have looked great, but the starters weren't pitching badly. It was one bad inning that might have done them in, or maybe one bad pitch.

"Now they're all making that one big pitch. And that's turned it around for us."

Of course, it's not all about the starters. The principal relievers -- Putz, closer Bobby Jenks and lefty Matt Thornton -- have been on a roll. Between the three of them, they've blossomed during the 19-game streak. Thornton (seven games, one save) and Putz (nine games, two saves) haven't allowed a run and Jenks (nine games) has eight saves and has allowed just one run.

"Starting pitching, starting pitching, starting pitching. It's like location, location, location in real estate."
- J.J. Putz "It's just been one of those things," Putz said. "The starters have been able to go deep into games and that allows [manager] Ozzie [Guillen] and [pitching coach Don] Cooper to match Matt and I up in the eighth inning before we get to Jenks.''

The offense started to pick up along the way. Carlos Quentin has 17 RBI in the 19 games, while Konerko has 15 and Alex Rios has 11.

Through it all, things haven't changed appreciably in the Chicago clubhouse, Putz said. Surprisingly, even at 24-33, the Sox never got down on themselves.

There were questions about the club's future and suggestions that first baseman and team leader Paul Konerko might be traded. Those were external, however, and didn't gain much currency inside the clubhouse.

"I think we feel better where we are now," Putz said, "But even three weeks ago, there was never a sense that we were out of this thing. Guys were showing up and working hard, and we kind of all had a feeling we'd go on a run sooner or later.

"We just didn't know when. And we had to hope that Minnesota and Detroit didn't get too far out of reach."

The Twins and Tigers stayed close enough that the White Sox came into Wednesday 1 1/2 games out of first and just one game back in the loss column.

"This whole thing with the pitching has meant that the offense hasn't had to press," Putz said. "They can go out knowing the game is going to be close, so they don't have to score early. They can be patient. And the patience has worked."

Has it ever.