Guillen displeased for Garcia embarrasing Iguchi

[RockSports17]

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With the rain pelting down in the top of the fifth and the dirt of the U.S. Cellular Field infield a quagmire, White Sox second baseman Tadahito Iguchi fumbled an easy grounder that would have ended the inning.

Sox starter Freddy Garcia raised his hands to reveal his displeasure, thus showing up a teammate. Garcia struck out the next batter to nail down a rain-shortened 6-4 victory over Toronto, but his gesture was a topic of conversation in the clubhouse afterward.

"I was upset at Freddy," manager Ozzie Guillen said. "I don't want my players to embarrass [teammates]. The way the game was and the field was, his reaction was a little bit out of control. I understand his frustration. I understand he wanted to get the inning over. But I don't like my pitcher to show anybody up."

After the inning, Guillen negotiated a patching up between Garcia and Iguchi.

Garcia took a 6-0 lead into the fifth. With the rain pouring down, he walked four batters, including two with the bases loaded. Iguchi's error only prolonged the misery.

"I was desperate," Garcia said. "You don't know how hard it was to be out there. I was trying to hurry up, trying my best to get out of the inning."

It finally ended and Garcia earned his second victory, although he continued to struggle with velocity. During the first two innings, many of his pitches were clocked around 80 m.p.h. His velocity increased after a 42-minute rain delay in the top of the third inning.

"The first couple of innings, I didn't really feel good," he said. "But after they restarted the game, I felt really good. I was a different pitcher. I got more power."

Guillen and pitching coach Don Cooper have been trying to figure out why Garcia has had trouble getting loose and why his velocity is so low.

"Maybe it was because he got ready for the Venezuelan team [in the World Baseball Classic]," Guillen said. "I don't know if he was a little over-used. It was a short time to Opening Day. He didn't have much time with us in spring training and I think that's why his velocity is not there. He had only three [spring] outings with the team, maybe it affected him.

"Hopefully, as the season goes along, it will get better."

Garcia's troubles date to the end of last season.

Guillen joked that Sunday was "his first complete game in a long time," even though he pitched only five innings. Garcia's last complete game was Aug. 23, 2005, when he pitched eight innings in a 1-0 loss at Minnesota.

Thoughts?

[DirtyKash]

a non-story. That team is solid chemistry-wise. This is just a minor blip on the radar for them.

[Dam8610]

a non-story. That team is solid chemistry-wise. This is just a minor blip on the radar for them.

Couldn't have said it better myself.