24

"Slip sliding away, slip sliding away. You know the nearer your destination, the more you slip sliding away." Yes, it's time again to quote Paul Simon. After Tuesday, when the White Sox got nearer their destination by cutting Detroit's lead to 5.5 games, they were slip sliding away yesterday, by losing to Seattle 4-1 and falling 6.5 games behind the Tigers. The Sox now have an elimination number of 11 compared to a Magic Number of 24.

And they may be short-handed down the stretch. Gavin Floyd, yesterday's starter, left the game after three innings with a sore left hip, and there's talk of shutting him down for the season. So just when they get Jake Peavy ready to pitch (against KC on Saturday), Floyd drops out of the rotation. Wait till next year talk is rampant.

Floyd was hurting while he was in the game, and his stats show it. He gave up three runs and four hits in his three innings. D.J. Carrasco, who's been pretty valuable this season taking over for Sox starters who leave early, gave up the Mariners' final run, and a cast of characters from the bullpen shut the M's down the rest of the way.

Rookie of the Year candidate Gordon Beckham accounted for the only Sox run with a homer. Jermaine Dye, who had been in an 0 for 20 slump, and Alex Rios, who was working on a 1-20 drought, each had two hits for the Sox. Four others got hits, but it's not worth talking about.

One thing we should mention is that David Aardsma picked up his 35th save and lowered his ERA to 2.09. Why couldn't he have pitched like that when he was a member of the Sox? Speaking of being a member of the team, Bartolo Colon isn't. The Sox released him yesterday, with Ozzie saying he just wouldn't get with the rehab program designed for him. No big loss there. Go Sox!