CHICAGO – After a lengthy delay, the Chicago White Sox struggled to get anything going offensively against the Los Angeles Angels.
Even more disheartening, it was against a pitcher making his second major league start.
Rookie Tyler Chatwood pitched seven strong innings to lead the Angels to a 7-2 victory over the White Sox on Saturday.
The game was delayed by 2 hours, 10 minutes due to rain.
The White Sox were unable to string together any hits to build momentum in any inning, as they grounded into three double plays.
"I think right now our bats are kind of quiet," Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said. "But I'm not going to take any credit away from the kid. He threw the ball very well."
Chatwood (1-1) retired 10 of his first 13. He gave up five hits, struck out three and allowed only a solo home run to Carlos Quentin, his 100th career homer.
"The last couple games we've been facing some pretty good pitching," Guillen said. "I think maybe that's the reason our bats are quiet. Hopefully we start swinging the bat the way we know we can swing the bat."
Gavin Floyd (1-1) gave up six runs and eight hits over six innings. He threw three wild pitches and allowed hits to the leadoff batter in each of the first four innings.
After allowing two hits to start the fourth, Floyd appeared to have found his rhythm, retiring eight in a row. But after a pair of two-out walks in the sixth, pitching coach Don Cooper paid Floyd a visit and Conger drove the next offering down the right-field line for his second homer of the season to give the Angels a 6-1 lead.
"Things like that happen. You try to make pitches, get quick outs," Floyd said. "The last inning got two quick outs and decided to put guys on. Made a poor pitch to Conger. Trying to go fastball in and get ahead. Should have made a better pitch."
Paul Konerko hit his fourth homer for Chicago, a solo shot with two outs in the ninth.
Juan Pierre had two hits and reached base three times for the White Sox. He was caught stealing in the third, unsuccessful for the fifth straight time. He is 4 for 9 on stolen base attempts this season.
Howie Kendrick homered and drove in three runs for the Angels. Leadoff man Maicer Izturis had three hits.
Izturis has 14 hits in his last 26 at-bats against the White Sox, getting hits in seven consecutive meetings. He is 6 for 10 in the series.
In the third inning, Brandon Wood doubled and advanced to third on Izturis' second hit of the game, but Izturis was tagged out in a rundown. Kendrick then drove a 3-2 pitch over the left-center wall to put the Angels up 3-0.
Floyd was relieved in the seventh by Will Ohman, who gave up a double to Izturis and an RBI single to Kendrick that extended the Angels' lead to 7-1.
Angels' manager Mike Scioscia was pleased with the performance by Chatwood.
"We feel good about some of the young arms that are starting to come up," Scioscia said. "Right now, what you saw tonight is what we saw in Tyler."
NOTES: White Sox RHP Jake Peavy (right shoulder tendinitis) threw 34 pitches in a side session. He expects to throw 90-95 pitches Monday with Double-A Birmingham and will try to exceed 100 pitches next Saturday with Triple-A Charlotte. He hopes to rejoin the team by the end of April. ... The White Sox have committed the second-most errors in the majors this season, but manager Ozzie Guillen has confidence his team will improve. "We have a third baseman (Brent Morel) who will win the Gold Glove before his career is over," Guillen said. "The shortstop (Alexei Ramirez) should be a Gold Glove (winner)."
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