Box > Vazquez dominant in season debut Starter limits Twins to just one hit over 6 2/3 innings
But when the White Sox needed him most on Saturday against the Twins, in just the fourth game of the regular season, Vazquez showed for at least one afternoon why expectations are so high surrounding his 2007 performance. The right-hander allowed only Michael Cuddyer's leadoff single in the second over 6 2/3 innings while walking four and striking out five to lead the South Siders to a 3-0 victory in front of 33,278, who endured the bone-chilling, 31-degree conditions at U.S. Cellular Field.
Vazquez remained aggressive from start to finish, even when he momentarily lost the strike zone in the second and third innings. But Vazquez's ability to stay sharp in the midst of two precarious jams while protecting a one-run lead could truly be a harbinger of big things to come for the rotation's fourth starter.
"That's what we talked to him all spring about and last year: Stay aggressive, and don't back down when things go the wrong way," said White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski. "He gave us a tremendous lift today, and that's what we expect out of Javy every time."
"He has great stuff, we all know that," added White Sox first baseman Paul Konerko of Vazquez, who supported his starter with two hits, including a run-scoring single to center in the first. "You hope that a guy like that ... can gain some steam, get that snowball rolling down the hill. He has the stuff where he can win 20."
The Twins also gave Vazquez a little bit of timely assistance. Trailing, 1-0, in the second, Minnesota (3-1) loaded the bases on Cuddyer's single and walks to Justin Morneau and Jason Kubel. Vazquez then retired Jason Tyner for the second out on an infield popup to shortstop Juan Uribe, and Cuddyer helped the White Sox cause by losing track of the outs and getting doubled off third.
Manager Ozzie Guillen thought Cuddyer's rare blunder was a big momentum boost for his squad.
"Those guys never beat themselves," Guillen said. "I think when that happens, I say we catch a break. I always say like Bobby Cox says, 'Hopefully, the ball starts jumping on our side now.'"
"I lost concentration out there," Cuddyer added. "There are no excuses."
Minnesota starter Carlos Silva, who threw five strong innings, and reliever Matt Guerrier, who chipped in with two perfect frames, battled Vazquez into the seventh, when the Twins once again mounted a rally. Vazquez hit Cuddyer to lead off the inning and followed it with a walk of Morneau, but he quickly bounced back to retire Torii Hunter on a slick around-the-horn double play turned by Joe Crede, Tadahito Iguchi and Konerko.
Reliever Andrew Sisco struck out pinch-hitter Jeff Cirillo to end the threat. Vazquez threw 65 strikes out of his 102 pitches, a total making him a somewhat unlikely candidate to come back on short rest on Wednesday in Oakland if Mark Buehrle is not physically ready. But on Saturday, Vazquez handled both the Twins and the elements, throwing just one fewer inning than did starters Jose Contreras, Jon Garland and Buehrle, combined, through the first three games.
Although Konerko called Saturday's frigid weather "as bad as I've ever been in," Vazquez, a native of Puerto Rico, didn't seem to be bothered.
"It's tough, but you've got to get mentally prepared for what it's going to be," said Vazquez, who attributed Saturday's success in part to locating his fastball and throwing more two-seamers. "I've known since the middle of last week that Friday was going to be cold, so I got prepared for that. [That game] got canceled, but I got prepared for today, also.
"You always want to start off on the right foot. It's good to go out there and throw that well the first time of the year."
A two-run rally in the eighth off reliever Dennys Reyes gave the White Sox (2-2) a little cushion, as well as a little extra bump for Bobby Jenks to pick up save No. 1 with two strikeouts in the ninth. Uribe launched his first home run as part of this mini-uprising, but the offense found its success against Twins pitching by staying away from swinging for the fences.
Darin Erstad, who has reached base eight times in four games, clearly personified that approach. He singled and scored in the first as the culmination of an 11-pitch at-bat and laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt to move Scott Podsednik into scoring position in the eighth, with Podsednik eventually scoring on an errant pickoff throw.
"Erstad had a tremendous game at the plate," said Guillen of his No. 2 hitter. "[He] did a tremendous job today as a team player."
"We did a good job of not trying to get big," Konerko added. "We had good at-bats all day. We had the right approach with this weather."
Sunday's forecast calls for a balmy 40 degrees and reduced winds as rookie John Danks makes his Major League debut. Thanks to Vazquez's effort, the White Sox survived the big chill and have a fresh bullpen lined up to support their rookie's first start.
"From here on, I hope we start getting on a roll, and we throw more good games as a group," Vazquez said. "I really don't care how much W's there are for me, as much as the team. I'm here for one reason: to win a world championship."
"You got to get the win," added Konerko of the primary reward gained from enduring Saturday's late frost. "If you don't, you come up empty and stand out in the cold all day."
Scott Merkin is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
U.S. Cellular Field
In a chilly Saturday afternoon game at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago, the air temperature hovering around freezing the entire game, the Minnesota bats were ice cold. White Sox pitching staff held the Minnesota Twins to only three hits. White Sox starter Javier Vázquez pitched more than six innings and gave up only a single hit in the second. Twins starter Carlos Silva gave up what would end up being the winning run in the first.

Paul Konerko picked up an RBI in the first inning on a single to the outfield that scored Darin Erstad, putting Chicago ahead by one. Juan Uribe would extend the lead with a solo home run in the eighth before an attempted pickoff throw failed and the ball trickled to the outfield, allowing Scott Podsednik to score from second base.

Friday evening's series opener between the AL-Central Division rivals was postponed due to the inclement cold weather, and has not yet been rescheduled. The White Sox, now 2-2, and Twins, now 3-1, will finish their series with an Easter Sunday matinée game. Highs tomorrow in Chicago are forecasted to be slightly warmer in the upper-30s.