White Sox Starters Answering Guillen's Call To Arms

Ozzie Guillen issued a challenge to his starting pitchers the day Jose Contreras went down.  Now is the time to step up and pitch the way they are all capable of.  So far the results may be better than they seem.  Since the injury, Floyd, Danks, and Vasquez have all put up solid, if not spectacular starts.

Counting Buerhle’s last outing, the White Sox staff has put together a solid little run of starts.  Buerhle, Danks, and Vazquez were just short of amazing while Floyd battled for a win against a tough lineup.  Is this the start of a strong late season run?  Or is it just a false glimmer of hope for a fading team?

There is nothing wrong with a little optimism.  Optimism backed up with a little analysis.  A breakdown of each of the Sox four remaining established starters suggests that things might just come together for the Pale Hoes.

Mark Buerhle

Despite what anyone says Mark Buerhle is the ace, heart, and soul of this rotation.  After a rocky start, Buerhle reeled off one of the better runs in his career.  However, a few shotty starts lately have the doubters out in droves.  One thing is for sure, for the first time in a while Buerhle is pitching well after the All-Star break.

The one blemish on his otherwise stellar career has been the Sox left-hander’s tendency to fade in the second half.  This was exactly the trend that Ozzie and pitching coach Don Cooper hoped to avoid.  They lightened Buerhle’s load in spring training and even gave him extra days off early in the season.

At the time, I thought the extra rest hurt Buerhle and kept him from getting into peak form but the strategy might be paying off.  If Buerhle can hit his mid-season form now, and if last week’s start against Boston is any indication, than the Sox will have their ace.

Javier Vazquez

Vasquez is easily the most talented and frustrating member of the Sox staff.  He has the best stuff on the staff but seems to not have a clue how to use it.  Following a year in which he won 15 games for a fourth place team, the Sox right-hander came into the year primed for an 18 to 20 win season.

He jumped out to a great start but since then has gotten back into his underachieving ways.  Last night’s start was encouraging; it was actually his second win in three starts.  Believe it or not, Vazquez has been a very good second half pitcher for the White Sox.  In 2006 and 2007, he put together great runs down the stretch.  If the patterns hold true, last night may be the sign of good things to come. 

Jon Danks

There is just no reason to assume that Danks, who has been one of the top 10 pitchers in the AL this year, will not continue to have success.  He looks as sharp as ever and is showing no signs of the late season meltdown he went through last year. 

This is not Danks’ rookie season any more. He has one season under his belt and it's time for him to show that he is no longer one of the best young pitchers in this league, but rather one of the best pitchers in the league.

Gavin Floyd

Though plenty of Sox fans and BR writers refuse to have faith in Floyd, he continues to give his team a chance to win.  Long the poster boy of a first round pitching bust, Floyd is turning in a career-resurrecting season. 

More than anyone he knows what it feels like to get hit, and hit hard in this league.  He knows how quickly things can go from good to bad.  For some reason that escapes me, Sox fans are obsessed with this idea that Floyd will fall apart. 

As a breed we are gluttons for punishment and part of me thinks that these fans actually want to see Floyd fall apart.  So far he has not, and every time he takes the ball the team has a chance to win. 

The fifth starter situation is interesting.  In a few days the issue could go away.  If DJ Carrasco gets the call tomorrow in the series finale and continues to pitch the way he has all season than it could be a moot point.  In a perfect world, Carrasco could be lightning in a bottle, and the AL hitters, most of whom haven’t seen him, may struggle against his funky enough delivery. 

On the other side, if the Sox can’t find a viable fifth starter, this team could go the way of the 2003 and 2004 White Sox.  Teams that had the hitting and the top of the rotation guys to be dangerous teams in the playoffs but did not get there. 

In both of those seasons, every fifth day the Sox would almost surely lose.  That can’t happen this year. This is because; like in those years the pesky Twins have a five deep rotation of above average but not spectacular young pitchers. 

Putting the Sox fifth starter spot aside, there is no reason to believe that the other Sox starters are not primed for a strong late season run.  If they all pitch well and answer Ozzie’s call, the Sox should outlast the Twins. 

Remember that the Twins’ starters are very young and have never gone this long and this far into a season.  Ozzie wants his starters to man up, and they just might be answering the bell.