CHICAGO – One team had its ducks in a row. The other was riding adrenaline like a jet stream.
Although some observers wanted to portray the White Sox and Angels as carbon copies, they entered last night’s ALCS opener in completely opposite situations.
“You can look at it as they’re rested and we’re tired,” Angels Game 2 starter Jarrod Washburn said. “Or you can look at it as they’ve had a few days off and they could be rusty, and we’re staying in the groove.”
Chicago could have chosen from three starters for Game 1, and manager Ozzie Guillen decided on Yankees bust Jose Contreras. On the other hand, Los Angeles’ rotation was in disarray.
Two of the Angels’ top three pitchers were injured or ill. Bartolo Colon entered Monday night’s ALDS Game 5 start with back pain and exited with an inflamed shoulder. He was not on the Angels’ roster for this series.
Washburn, listed as tonight’s starter, was expected to start Game 4 against the Yankees last weekend. But he had a 102-degree fever and is recovering from a throat infection. He reportedly ate for the first time in three days Monday and was raspy and looked thin during his pregame press conference yesterday.
“I feel great,” he said sarcastically.
The Angels squandered a chance to wrap up the ALDS against the Yankees on Sunday night in The Bronx, needing to fly back to the West Coast to secure a 5-3 victory in front of their home fans Monday. The extra game meant that for the third straight night, the Angels would be playing in a different city, a situation that almost never happens in the regular season.
The players got to their Chicago-area hotel around 6:30 a.m.
“We’re going on adrenaline, just like we did in [Monday’s] ballgame,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. “We got about as much playoff sleep as you get anyways.
“We’re ready to go. There’s a lot about us being banged up and the walking wounded, but we’re in better shape than I think guys will give us credit for.”
The White Sox had been in a holding pattern since sweeping Boston out of the postseason. Before Monday morning’s workout, White Sox slugger Paul Konerko said it was “tough to say” whether his team held a decided advantage in Game 1.
“From a physical standpoint, obviously everybody who plays [Monday] is going to be tired,” Konerko said. “But obviously whoever wins is going to be on a high and have great thoughts about winning and all that.
“It’s a little bit bad, a little bit good if you’re a team that’s coming here. I think every team that’s left is good.
“So I think no matter what the bad things are, they can block it out.”
Will Chicago lose its edge?
“I don’t think so,” Konerko said. “We’ll be ready to go. It’s not a big deal.”
The White Sox outhomered the Angels 200-147 in the regular season, but Los Angeles outhit Chicago .270-.262 and outscored the White Sox, 761-741.
Both teams produced excellent pitching, but they found different ways to do it. Chicago’s 3.61 ERA was tied for the best in the AL, and the White Sox juggled their closer’s role between Dustin Hermanson and rookie Bobby Jenks.
The Angels’ most dangerous weapon might be their bullpen, backed by Francisco Rodriguez. Their starters were mediocre, other than Colon and John Lackey. Still, the staff’s 3.68 ERA was third in the AL.
