For one day, at least, manager Don Baylor’s critics had to take a seat.
The Cubs benefited from Baylor’s decision to start Darren Lewis in center field Saturday. Although many observers want Corey Patterson to play every day, Baylor said before the game that it was not a difficult call.
“Not when you have a guy as capable as Darren Lewis,” he said.
“If you keep running Patterson out against lefties, the kid will have frustrations. I’m trying to eliminate that.”
Left-hander Mark Buehrle started for the White Sox, and Lewis entered the game hitting .286 against lefties. Patterson’s average against left-handers stood at .233, but as the second-year center fielder said recently, he can’t improve against lefties from the bench. The learning curve, though, will remain stagnant for another day.
Lewis drew a walk on a 3-2 pitch in the first inning and came through in the fifth with a two-run single.
“When I’m in there I have to be kind of crazy, in a sense,” Lewis said. “You have to do whatever it takes for that day. You can’t make any excuses about why you’re not playing. Just go out there and get the job done.”
Wise up: White Sox manager Jerry Manuel wants his team to play smarter baseball while maintaining an aggressive approach. But trying to balance those two objectives has been difficult.
“We’ve never penalized anyone for being aggressive,” Manuel said. “But we would like them to play a little smarter.”
Manuel is growing frustrated at what he’s seeing. He cited two instances Saturday. In the bottom of the fifth inning, after Lewis singled with runners on second and third, left fielder Carlos Lee slipped while fielding the ball and then threw over the head of the cutoff man, allowing Lewis to take second.
“Once Carlos slipped, he should’ve thrown to second base,” Manuel said.
“I don’t think he’s thrown out two runners in left field. After you slip, what makes you think you’re going to throw him out now?”
Manuel also questioned Jose Valentin’s decision on Alex Gonzalez’s grounder in the sixth. Instead of throwing to first, Valentin saw Moises Alou backtrack to third and tried to make a diving tag. Alou easily made it back, and Chris Stynes eventually drove in the tying and go-ahead runs.
Manuel talked about players “trying to be the hero” instead of “letting the game flow to you.”
“I thought he was far enough away to tag him,” Valentin said. “Unfortunately, he wasn’t.”
Wise choice: With runners at first and third in the fifth inning and the Cubs trailing 3-2, Jon Lieber stepped in against Buehrle.
Rather than risk a strikeout or a double play, Baylor called for a sacrifice bunt.
“A tough left-handed pitcher against Jon, I don’t like my chances there,” Baylor said.
With two strikes, Lieber said, Baylor removed the bunt sign. But the veteran right-hander laid one down anyway, leading to Lewis’ two-run single.
Lineup changes: Paul Konerko heads back to the bench Sunday as Frank Thomas gets his first start for the Sox since Wednesday.
“Hopefully we’ll blow them out and I’ll get the day off,” Konerko said. “It’s no big deal to me.”
Konerko made a crucial error in the sixth inning, calling it a “textbook example of letting the ball play you.”
“All you kids watching at home,” he continued, “don’t copy me on that play.”
Thomas made two errors at first in a game in Kansas City the first week of the season and hasn’t played defense since.
Manuel also plans to rest Magglio Ordonez, whose sore hand bothered him during the game. Ordonez declined to talk about it afterward. Kenny Lofton will be out again, meaning Aaron Rowand is back in center with Jeff Liefer in right.
Coming clean: So why did Carlos Zambrano receive a five-game suspension for his involvement in a June 4 bench-clearing brawl during a minor-league game?
He said he came to the defense of a teammate by kicking a Salt Lake player in the ribs.
“I saw three guys holding my teammate and I had a bad reaction,” he said. “[Lefty] Jesus Sanchez asked for help.”
Baylor said he wished Zambrano had not taken part in the melee.
“When you’re on a major-league rehab, you should be hiding out in the locker room,” he said.
Zambrano is appealing the suspension.
You’re out: Pinch-hitter Delino DeShields was ejected by plate umpire Greg Gibson in the eighth inning after arguing a called third strike.
