The White Sox are hitting only .247 on the road after Monday night’s 9-0 loss in Fenway Park, continuing a disturbing trend.
What can a manager do?
“I have to research and check it out and meditate on whatever I think can help,” manager Jerry Manuel said. “We can’t assume that they’re hot and we’re not. We have to look at the reasons and see why we’re inconsistent.”
One of the reasons the Sox’s offense has struggled has been the recent slowdown of Kenny Lofton, the leadoff hitter who made things happen at the start of the season.
Lofton had 13 steals in April, when he hit .343 and led the league with 28 runs scored. Lofton stole second with the White Sox trailing 7-0 in the seventh inning Monday night, leaving him with five steals and 10 runs scored in May while hitting .242 (16-for-66). He hit .288 in April 2001, but tailed off over the next three months, batting .255 in May, .221 in June and .216 in July.
“I don’t worry about him at all,” Manuel said.
Lofton can’t steal if he’s not getting on base, and Manuel said teams are keying on him again.
“When you had a reputation, then you didn’t do what your reputation says you would do, and then you begin to do it, they start paying attention to you,” Manuel said. “They’ve paid him a lot of attention.”
Manuel said Lofton has seen more pitchouts since his hot start, as well as more pickoff attempts and slide-steps by pitchers trying to keep Lofton in check.
Yin and yang: The Sox began Monday ranked second in the American League in runs scored, but the offense has been all-or-nothing through the first seven weeks. After scoring 15 runs against Texas last Tuesday, they managed only two hits in a 5-2 loss Wednesday night. After trouncing the Angels 10-4 Saturday, they had only four hits in a 6-1 loss Sunday and three hits in Monday night’s loss.
The heart of the Sox’s order–Magglio Ordonez, Paul Konerko and Frank Thomas–is a combined 1-for-20 over the last two games.
“I just don’t think we’ve hit on all cylinders yet,” Manuel said. “It could be because not everyone’s contributing at the same time. We’ve always had one or two guys, but never four or five at the same time. There are certain guys, that if they are right, they can carry the team. A guy like Kenny Lofton, when he’s right, he sets the whole game up.”
Unlike 2000, when the White Sox staged several dramatic comebacks late in games, the 2002 version hasn’t been adept at playing catch-up. They’re 1-19 when trailing after six innings, and have yet to post a ninth-inning comeback victory.
“I think a lot of that has to do with, No. 1, our approach to hitting,” Manuel said. “We tend to go away from what’s successful early, and try to take it in our own hands later. And also the bullpen’s inconsistency [hurts]. If your bullpen is not stopping the opposition, it’s difficult to overcome anybody that’s scoring runs.”
Left out: Manuel played Jeff Liefer in left field Monday and plans to return him there Wednesday against right-hander Frank Castillo. It doesn’t mean Carlos Lee will platoon with Liefer.
“If Royce [Clayton] continues to struggle, and I pinch-hit `Lief’ for him, I want to feel I can get a good at-bat from him,” Manuel said. “Right now it wouldn’t be fair to ask him [to pinch-hit]. I’m just kind of rolling the dice.”
Liefer went 1-for-3, but Lee will go back into left Tuesday against lefty Darren Oliver.
