karn wrote:mets = done

It's been the running joke for some time by White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen.

Whenever the topic of pitcher Jose Contreras is brought up, Guillen is usually there with a one-liner about the veteran right-hander's age.

On Father's Day, Guillen wished him, ''Happy grandfather's day.''

Following a 9-6 loss Wednesday to the Baltimore Orioles at U.S. Cellular Field, however, there was very little for the South Siders to laugh about -- especially because Contreras is pitching like the old man in Guillen's jokes.

''I never remember being like this,'' Contreras said. ''I've never lost 10 games. I've never been under .500 in my life.''

He is well under .500 at 5-10. And the latest disappointment from the 35-year-old -- although Guillen claims he's in his 50s -- came when the Sox (36-45) actually believed they had a run in them before the All-Star break.

Winners of seven of their last nine entering the Fourth of July contest, Contreras was hoping to move the club seven games below .500.

Allowing six runs and eight hits in five innings, however, wasn't going to get it done...
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Contreras gave up four runs on six hits in the third and Jay Gibbons' two-run homer in the fifth. Contreras is 1-6 in his last eight starts, posting a 6.85 ERA in that span.

''I just kept leaving the ball high,'' Contreras said. ''When you pitch high, you're going to have problems no matter what.

''I just feel bad because everyone is doing such a good job and I'm struggling. I can't help the team win.''

Guillen didn't disagree.

''He was not throwing strikes,'' Guillen said. ''That's his problem. He has heavy counts lately. The one inning [the third] was just too much. He's all about strikes. When Jose throws strikes and gets ahead of the count, all of a sudden his forkball works.''

BigEd76 wrote:and the Phils are scouting him? Great...