Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said John Danks’ spot in the rotation is safe, but the left-hander knows he has to start winning. If he doesn’t, Danks could be the first White Sox pitcher in 69 years to lose his first eight decisions.
Danks takes the ball Sunday when Chicago goes for a rare win visiting the Toronto Blue Jays.
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After leading the White Sox (24-30) with 15 wins last season, Danks (0-7, 4.34 ERA) is still looking for his first victory of 2011 following Monday’s 4-0 loss at Texas. The left-hander tossed his third career complete game, allowing nine hits.
Danks’ run support average is 2.98, and Chicago has scored just four runs for him in his five road starts.
“I’ll just keep plugging along,” Danks, the first White Sox pitcher to open 0-7 since 1996, told the White Sox’s official website. “… I know I have a job to do and tomorrow I’ll start getting ready for my start in Toronto.”
The White Sox have dropped 16 of 20 visiting the Blue Jays (26-26) following Saturday’s 9-8, 14-inning loss that ended on Corey Patterson’s career high-tying fifth hit, a solo home run.
Chicago will try to avoid its first three-game skid since May 3-6, but Danks has not fared well in Toronto, going 1-2 with a 5.03 ERA in four starts. Getting Jose Bautista out could help the left-hander from joining Eddie Smith, who started 0-10 in 1942, as the last two White Sox pitchers to lose their first eight decisions.
Among the league leaders in batting average (.353), walks (45), on-base percentage (.502) and slugging percentage (.801), Bautista walked twice and went 3 for 4 with his major league-leading 20th homer Saturday. The right fielder set a Blue Jays record by reaching that plateau in 44 games – nine fewer than previous record holder George Bell in 1987.
Bautista’s continued production could benefit scheduled starter Ricky Romero (4-4, 2.91), who is 2-0 with a 0.79 ERA in last three outings. Trying to win his third consecutive start, the left-hander did not earn a decision in a 5-4 road loss against the New York Yankees on Tuesday when he yielded one run in seven innings.
While Romero has surrendered two or fewer runs in eight of 10 starts, he’s also been tagged for eight homers in his last eight outings.
Former Blue Jay Alex Rios is 4 for 6 off the left-hander, including a two-run homer in a 4-2 loss at Toronto on April 13, 2010. That was the only hit allowed by Romero, who struck out a career-high 12 over eight innings in his first career start against the White Sox.
Adam Dunn might not be looking forward to facing Romero. The White Sox designated hitter is 0 for 36 with 15 strikeouts against left-handers.
Toronto’s Juan Rivera, batting .385 with two homers and seven RBIs during a season-high 10-game hitting streak, is 6 for 22 with four strikeouts against Danks.
Blue Jays shortstop Yunel Escobar, 2 for 3 off the left-hander, will try to hit safely in his season-best 10th straight game.
Second baseman Gordon Beckham could return to the White Sox’s lineup Sunday after getting hit with the ball just below his left eye on a relay throw from Rios in Friday’s 4-2 loss. But with no hits and three strikeouts in six at-bats against Romero, Beckham might benefit from another day off.
