The protective measures the White Sox have placed on veteran pitchers Bartolo Colon and Jose Contreras have been extended to the rest of the rotation for the early part of the regular season.
That’s manager Ozzie Guillen’s plan, displayed in Thursday’s 3-2 victory when he pulled John Danks after six innings of two-hit ball.
“Early in the season, it doesn’t matter who is on the mound,” Guillen said before Friday night’s game. “I’m not going to overuse them. You see Danks threw the ball well, but [101] pitches and he was out. We have to build those guys a little to make sure we keep them strong all summer.”
Mark Buehrle had the highest pitch count in a game last year for a returning Sox pitcher, throwing 121 pitches Sept. 24 at Minnesota.
Sneaky Jenks: Closer Bobby Jenks admitted he didn’t have effective use of his slider in Thursday’s victory but was able to rely on his sinker to work out of a jam.
“I’ve had that pitch but really never used it that much,” Jenks said. “I just try to use it to left-handers to get a double play as I would to right-handers.”
Jenks had a smirk on his face when asked why he hasn’t thrown his curve more often.
“I’m saving it for later,” Jenks said.
Extra innings: The Sox acquired infielder Andy Phillips from the Pirates in a minor league trade for pitcher Michael Dubee. Phillips, 32, is a lifetime .250 hitter over parts of five seasons with the Yankees, Mets and Reds. Phillips played in 110 games with the Yankees in 2006, hitting seven home runs with a .240 average. …
Guillen plans to employ a predominantly right-handed hitting lineup Saturday night against Rays left-hander Scott Kazmir, with second baseman Brent Lillibridge and catcher Corky Miller expected get starting nods.
