I said yesterday that the White Sox were just about to bust out. Tonight, they did just that, as they ended their 7 game losing streak by salvaging one game against the Rays, winning 9-2.

The star of the game, to me, was Omar Vizquel. The soon to be 44 year old, went 2 for 5, with 2 RBI, and a stolen base. He also made a heads up defensive play, keeping a Ray close to 3rd, when he realized he couldn’t turn a double play. Did I say it was a stand up stolen base?

3 Sox players were hit by pitches? Alex Rios (1), Juan Pierre (2) & Carlos Quentin (4). Gavin Floyd responded by hitting a couple Tampa Bay players. Along with his HBP, Pierre also had 2 bunt singles, which led to him scoring a couple runs.

As Captain of the White Sox, you knew Paul Konerko would lead the the Sox out of this slump. Konerko went 3 for 5, with 2 RBI. Adam Dunn, who I think will heat up in Detroit, only got one hit, but it’s the 2nd day in a row that the Big Donkey has gotten a hit.

On the other hand, Alex Rios is beside himself. He says he doesn’t want a day off, but it may be time. Rios is pressing, you can see it on his face. His bat is also moving a lot while the ball is being pitched, and that didn’t happen last year.

Carlos Quentin had an at bat that he wouldn’t have had in previous years. 1st inning, he fouls off a number of tough pitches, before taking a walk. the walk was great, but it was his keen eye that got him that walk. He took a pitch that a last couple years he would have swung at and missed. The maturation of Quentin continues.

The losing streak also looks to be taking a toll on manager Ozzie Guillen. Twice I saw him take his cap off and run his hands through his hair, a sure sign that he is stressed. Loved his comments on whitesox.com about guys wanting to manage. He said “they may want to think about that”.

And anyone  questioning Ozzies job security should be fired. Ozzie brings more to that organization than just managing. He makes the Sox relevant every day, by what he says and does. Whether you like what he says or not, he still makes you stand up and listen when he talks. I’m sure a lot of visiting teams fans come to park to see him, instead of the actual players

Nice start by Gavin Floyd, who pitched in and out of trouble most of the night. He also made some key strike out pitches when needed, finishing with 7 punch outs. The key for Floyd was getting out of a bases loaded jam in the 3rd; 1-2-3 double play always helps.

The Sox bullpen was almost unhittable. Ohman, Santos and Gray pitched  3 innings of 1 hit ball, with 4 strikeouts. It looks like the pen has turned the corner, let’s hope the offense isn’t far behind.