They are 4-3 against the Mariners and Angels, and now it is time to finish strong by taking at least two out of three against “Rick Moranis and the Little Giants”.

The first Inter-League series of the season has all the drama of a daytime soap opera. 

Team batting average leader and former Giant, A.J. Pierzynski returns to San Francisco where he is sure to be relentlessly booed.  Things never clicked for A.J. in San Francisco, and he was very vocal about his displeasure.  (imagine that!). 

In addition, former White Sox outfielder Aaron Rowand is hitting .333 with 5 HR and will be seeking revenge on his former club.  San Francisco paid him $60 million for five years and some fans think that GM Kenny Williams “missed out” on signing him in the off-season.  I think Kenny made the smart move by not overpaying for Torii Hunter or Aaron Rowand.  He instead acquired Nick Swisher via trade for half the price of Rowand, and he is signed through 2011 with an option for 2012.  I understand that fans may be frustrated with Swisher’s performance thus far, but he is hitting .308 in his past four games and he really looks more confident at the plate lately.

It’s Gavin Floyd against Johnathan Sanchez tonight, the struggling Mark Buehrle faces off against the 0-7 Barry Zito tomorrow (watch out McCovey Cove!!!), and John Danks toes the rubber Sunday in a match-up with another young and talented starter in Matt Cain.

Konerko is a career .279 hitter, so I am not expecting a career year like in 2006 (when he hit .313 and 35 HR), but his current .213 average is really frustrating to watch.

Although Ken “The Hawk” Harrelson has repeatedly mentioned that Paulie’s hits have been big hits in big situations, he has also ended a lot of innings prematurely and hit into big double plays.

There is a ton of blame to go around for the struggling offense, but Paulie is easy to focus on because he is in his 10th season in the middle of the White Sox line-up.

A face of the franchise if you will.

Others like Swisher, Cabrera, and Thome haven’t been with the team very long, and we don’t know yet what to fully expect.

With Konerko, we know what to expect: About 150 games, over one-hundred K’s, around one-hundred RBI, and of course, no speed.

The batting average is the real issue lately, as he hit only .259 last year, and as mentioned earlier, only .213 so far this year.

As far as the club as a whole, they are now two games under .500 at 18-20, but continue to remain in the mix in the AL Central due to solid starting pitching, finding themselves only two games back of Minnesota.

John Lackey makes his season debut for the Angels tonight, after missing the first month and a half of the season with a strained right triceps. Hopefully his struggles to find his command when he matches up against Jose Contreras in another late west coast game at 9:05pm CST.

The good news: The Angels are on a four game losing streak.

The bad news: They’re returning home, they’re pissed, and they’re facing Mark Buehrle who was absolutely shelled in his last outing. (He gave up seven earned runs in only one and two-thirds innings.)

This one looks like it could be an Angels blow out, but I wouldn’t count veteran Mark Buehrle out quite yet. The last two times he gave up seven or more earned runs, he followed it up with solid performances. The other thing that Buehrle has going for him is that he is facing off against rookie Nick Adenhart who has struggled terribly in his first two career starts. (He has given up eight runs on nine hits and ten walks in just six and one third innings over his first two starts.)

Tonight’s game should feature quite a bit of offense, which could be exactly what the doctor ordered for this White Sox club. There are some signs that guys like Orlando Cabrera and Paul Konerko are beginning to find their stroke, but it would be really nice to see a total team effort and ten or more runs on the board.

That is, of course, assuming that Buehrle can hold them to less than ten.

The West has not been kind to our Southsiders in the past, but I don’t get too hung up on trends like that. It’s a different club, with different players, and what the club did a few years ago has no bearing on how this particular trip will go.

That being said, this trip will show me something about this team. The Sox are coming off of a disastrous 0-6 “double-dome-dip” against the Twins and Blue Jays in which they scored only nine runs. The next ten games are at the Mariners, the Angels, and then the Giants. If they can come back 5-5 or 6-4, I will be content. If they come back 8-2 or 9-1 I will be elated. If they fall apart like the last road trip and come back 1-9 or 2-8, it will be a cause for concern.

The Angels are tough, but the Mariners and Giants are more then beatable, and the Sox need to prove they can win on the road. The sputtering offense finally showed some signs of life against the Twins, but their .233 team average is really starting to make me wonder if last year wasn’t the anomaly.

It’s beginning to look like that is the case, as young Gavin Floyd came just two outs away from pitching a no-hitter last night. He was just five outs away from a no-hitter earlier in the year against Detroit.

Floyd is emerging as one of baseball’s best young pitchers, and a welcomed surprise to White Sox fans. In six games started, he is 3-1, with a 2.50 ERA, and a WHIP of 0.96. (That’s walks and hits per inning pitched for those who do not play fantasy baseball).

More important then his stats, is his confidence and demeanor on the mound. He looks and acts like the ace of a team. In Philadelphia, and on this club last year, he appeared to lack confidence and command of his pitches. Whatever he did over the off-season, it is working.

I think pitching coach Don Cooper needs to get some credit for the turn around as well. He may be one of the most underrated pitching coaches in baseball. You always hear about Cardinal’s pitching coach Dave Duncan, and former Braves pitching coach Leo Mazzone, but “Coop” deserves some recognition as well.

The 2005 pitching staff was very well-coached, and became the key to the World Series championship. This year’s club ranks 3rd in all of baseball with a 3.45 ERA, and first in “Batting Average Against”, which is a slim .232.

Cooper has a good handle on the personalities and strengths of each pitcher, and he has proven that he can handle “hot-headed” manager Ozzie Guillen.

Although his name may be unknown to fans across the country, you can be sure that GM’s and owners across the league know who he is. Unfortunately for White Sox fans, he may be managing another club in the near future if that is his goal.

But for now White Sox fans, enjoy him while we have him, and hope that quality pitching translates into another championship.

The odd thing about the current league leading, six-game losing streak is that the starting pitching has been great and the club has still managed to lose. Over the last 6 games, White Sox pitching has only given up an average of just over 3 runs a game. It’s very frustrating to watch, but I would rather have it this way than the starters getting shelled. A solid one through five in the rotation and a dependable bullpen will keep this team in the mix all year.

So how and when will this offensive slump end?

The next three games are at home against the first place Minnesota Twins. The home stand could be a great opportunity to right the ship and get the offense kick-started against average starters Nick Blackburn, Livan Hernandez, and Scott Baker.

Regardless if they turn it around now, or a week from now, they need to be more aggressive. Having runners on second and third and nobody out and coming away with nothing is unacceptable. Hit and Run, Run and Hit, Bunt, Shuffle the Line-up – Just do something to take an active approach to the offense.

Let’s hope for Ken “The Hawk” Harrelson’s coronary health that they turn it around soon. It’s three at home against Minnesota, and then a West Coast swing against Seattle, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.

 The Whitesox are hitting a blistering .232 as a team which ranks 29th in the league.  As for Sox pitching they are getting the job done. The team ranks 6th in the league with a 3.64 Era. This is a great sign as the bats you would hope should come around to get this team going.

This series against Minnesota at home is very important this early in the season. Whitesox are on a six game losing streak and currently two games back of the Twins in the Central. As a Whitesox fan you hate to call this a must win series but if you get swept and become five games back, then this team could really talespin. The pitching matchups look to favor Chicago slighty as they have Floyd/Buehrle/Danks going against Blackburn/Hernandez/Baker.

One last thing as I want to give you my thought on Ozzie Gullien and his latest rant. As a Whitesox fan I have to say PLEASE SHUT UP ALREADY! Manage the team and don’t worry about the media and what fans are saying. If you don’t like Chicago fans then please resign your post. Ozzie your on a thin line my friend and I really think the people of Chicago are tired of you. Folks go read his quotes because it will show how much this guy just loves himself and what he has to say.

The 3-3 tie against Baltimore has been rescheduled to August 25th, which will be a strange situation as they will complete the game before their regularly scheduled start at Camden Yards.  Hopefully, it’s the cold weather freezing the bats, and by that time the offense will be in a groove.

As my colleague Jaryd Wilson eluded to in his last article, the offense is really beginning to be a problem.  The White Sox are currently last in the American League in batting average, hitting a paltry .242.  It is a bit reminiscent of last year, but luckily the make-up of this team is a bit different.  The main difference is that although their average is low, the table setters are getting on base.  The club leads the American League in home runs with 36, and timely hitting has been a key.

The Southsiders have worked their way to first place in the Central by pitching and timely hitting, but I do get nervous as I think of how the low batting average will catch up with them down the stretch.  I mean, we can’t count on late inning Joe to bail us out all the time can we?

BTW:  In reference to Joe Crede:  I heard a recent interview with owner Jerry Reinsdorf and he putting all of the blame of Crede’s contract issue on his agent Scott Boras.  Not really a newsflash, but he did say, “Although we know Joe is a fan favorite, he will be a free agent at the end of this year because of his agent.”

If that is the case, GET SOMETHING FOR HIM  KENNY!!!

The Sox took a 2-1 lead on Paul Konerko’s single in the seventh, but Bobby Jenks blew his second straight save opportunity against Baltimore in the 9th, sending the game into extra innings.  In the 10th, Carlos Quentin, the Sox’ hottest hitter, lead off with a double and moved to third on Crede’s flyout.  But instead of giving Brian Anderson a chance to win another game with a walk-off hit (or sacrifice fly), Ozzie Guillen decided to go with a suicide squeeze.

Anderson had been on base three times earlier in the game, yet Ozzie took the bat out of his hands with the squeeze attempt.  Anderson whiffed on the bunt attempt, Quentin got tagged out at home, and what looked like a very promising end to the homestand died on the next pitch when Anderson struck out.

Uribe kept the Sox from losing with a game-tying homer in the 11th, but Pierzynski was retired for the sixth time with two men on, proving to be the last at bat of the game.

I hope this game doesn’t get finished because it would put too much strain on the players.  Baltimore would have to fly halfway across the country for potentially one inning, and the Sox would have to give up an off day - not something they want to do considering they’ve played fewer games than any other team in the majors.  This game should only get finished if it is going to mean something come playoff time.  And while the teams are in first now, chances are things won’t stay that way so it probably won’t matter.

As for the offense, Sox fans have no choice but to be concerned.  Big offseason aquisitions like Swisher, Cabrera, and Quentin have done okay, but the middle of the lineup is awful right now and as a group the Sox are last in the AL with a .242 average.  Remind you of last year?

The bright spot so far this year has been the pitching.  The bullpen has been good and the starters have kept the team in almost every game.  The offense must wake up soon though, as 16 of the next 19 games are on the road.

Nevertheless, the Sox are guaranteed to be in first place at the start of May, who would have thought! 

Who is leading the White Sox in Runs and On Base Percentage, and tied for second in RBI and Stolen Bases?

Carlos Quentin.

That’s right. The guy who didn’t have a starting spot on opening day, and was expected to contribute off the bench this year.  Nobody went hog-wild when he was acquired via trade in the off-season, but now he is really starting to turn some heads.

Manager Ozzie Guillen, and radio broadcasters Steve Stone and Ed Farmer have all agreed that he doesn’t waste an at bat or a swing.  Farmer says he may be the strongest player on the team.  That is quite a compliment considering the team has burly hitters like Jim Thome, Paul Konerko, and A.J. Pierzynski.  CBSsportsline.com claims that he has .300-30-100-100 potential. 

So how in the world did the White Sox land him?

He was acquired in a trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks for minor league 1B Chris Carter.  Quentin was always known as a young player with tremendous potential, but he really laid an egg last year in Arizona, and that dropped his market value.  Here are some of the reasons Kenny Williams was able to swing what now looks like a great trade:

• He suffered a small tear in the labrum of his left shoulder during spring of 2007.
• He hit .214 with five home runs and 31 RBIs in 81 games for the D-Backs last season.
• He lost his starting job in right field and was demoted to the minors in July, then recalled a few weeks later.
• He missed most of August with a strained right hamstring and was left off the playoff roster.

If his re-emergence proves to be real, the 25 year old will have a starting spot on the White Sox for years to come.  After all, he was once a top prospect:  (From yahoo.com)

• He entered 2006 ranked by Baseball America as the 20th-best prospect in pro baseball and the best defensive outfielder in Arizona’s system.
• Quentin was chosen by the Diamondbacks out of Stanford in the first round (29th overall) of the 2003 amateur draft.
• He hit .348 with four homers and 27 RBIs in 33 games with Triple-A Tucson in 2007.

Whether or not Quentin keeps up the pace for the remainder of the season remains to be seen, but it is starting to look like the Carlos Quentin trade may be another in the long list of moves that Kenny Williams has made that have turned to gold.