The White Sox wasted a golden opportunity on Thursday night, falling hard to the Seattle Mariners, 9-0, at U.S. Cellular Field. The Sox failed to pick up ground as last night’s slate of games also saw the AL Central-leading Tigers and AL Wild Card-leading Twins lose. The Sox trail Detroit by six games and Minnesota by 5.5 with just nine games remaining on the schedule.
“Right now, I feel embarrassed,” said Ozzie Guillen, after his team managed just five hits off Mariners starter Jake Woods. “My team should feel embarrassed. There’s people paying to watch us play and that’s pathetic.”
The White Sox wasted a seven-plus innings, 12 strikeout performance by starter Javier Vazquez. The bullpen gave up four runs in just 1 1/3 innings pitched, including an Adrian Beltre homerun.
“Watching this team pitch the way we pitched and play the way we play, they should be embarrassed for Javy [Vazquez], and they should be embarrassed for the fans.” Guillen’s rant continued: “They should be embarrassed for themselves.”
Unless the South Siders pull off a miracle, the remaining games of the Mariners series will be the final three at U.S. Cellular Field for the season. The Sox leave town on Monday for a three game set in Cleveland and wrap up the 2006 campaign in Minnesota.
“I always hope for the best and I always stay positive,” Guillen added, finishing off just the first portion of his diatribe. “But if we keep playing like that, they better start packing today.”
Number of the Day: 973
People who plan to attend the final Sox games of the season, now that the team isn’t going to the playoffs.
