Royalshome.com | Kansas City Royals News, royals Scores, Game Recaps & Commentary - <div>Asked Tuesday before the season opener about the length of DeWayne Wise's lifeline in the leadoff role, White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said he was ''gambling once again.'' </div>''I gave him the shot, gave him the opportunity,'' Guillen said. ''But if we have to [make a change], we will do it right away.'' ''Right away'' meant eight at-bats. After a second 0-for-4 performance Wednesday against the Kansas City Royals, Wise arrived at the ballpark Thursday to find his name in the eighth spot, with rookie Chris Getz moved to leadoff from the No.2 spot to become the next possible victim. ''That's not a good way to look at it,'' Getz said, but considering the way Sox fans have treated failure in the leadoff role the first week of the season, that about summed it up. Getz went 0-for-4 on Thursday in the Sox' 2-1 loss to the Royals, but Guillen said he liked Getz's approach and would stick with him. Meanwhile, Wise still was trying to determine why he'd become the target of fans' angst. ''I can't figure it out,'' he said. ''I was at home last night, and I was thinking about it. I was like, 'Wow, it's not just me that's not hitting.' I've been the guy that's been singled out and taken all the heat. ''I guess this leadoff thing has been the topic all offseason and through the entire spring training. Maybe it's because the fans wanted a veteran guy in that spot, a natural leadoff guy that's had success on this level. I'm still going to go out there every opportunity that Ozzie gives me and make the most out of it. I believe in myself, and I know I'm going to snap out of it.'' It's no surprise Guillen turned to Getz, who'd been hinted to be the backup plan since the last week of Cactus League play. ''The last three at-bats [by Wise on Wednesday], I don't like it at all,'' Guillen said. ''He was trying to -- I don't want to say 'intimidated' -- but just wanted to protect the plate. I want to get him out of there for a couple of days until he starts to swing the bat better. If he swings the bat good and everybody at the top of the lineup is swinging the bat well, I'll keep him down there.'' While Getz, 25, is no stranger to leading off, he's unproven at the big-league level. ''I just saw the lineup card,'' Getz said. ''No one even said anything. I'm not opposed to it at all. Just another opportunity that the team is asking me to fulfill.'' With no free-agent leadoff hitter of interest to the Sox -- and with general manager Ken Williams insisting there was no deal to be made for a prototypical top-of-the-order guy -- the obvious question is who's the next leadoff option after Getz, especially with the Minnesota Twins scheduled to start two left-handers this weekend. ''I might lead off Josh Fields,'' Guillen said. ''Josh Fields is not a typical leadoff guy, but he will get on base. He will give you good at-bats. We've got a couple of options to see how that works.'' Comment at suntimes.com. TODAY: VS. Twins 7:11, CSN, 670-AM R.A. Dickey 5-8, 5.21 ERA ('08 with Mariners) '08 vs. Sox : 0-1, 36.00 Career vs. Sox : 0-2, 10.13 Does well against: To be determined Struggles against: J. Dye 6-10, 2 HR; A.J. Pierzynski 4-6, 1 HR Jose contreras 7-6, 4.54 ERA ('08) '08 vs. Minn.: Did not face Career vs. Minn.: 4-3, 4.13 Does well against: J. Morneau, .115 (3-26) Struggles against: N. Punto 11-29; J. Kubel 5-11 BOXSCORE KANSAS City AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Crisp cf 3 1 2 2 2 0 .364 Dejesus lf 5 0 2 0 0 0 .214 Teahen 2b-rf 5 0 0 0 0 2 .250 JGuillen dh 4 0 1 0 1 2 .167 Butler 1b 3 0 0 0 0 1 .000 b-Jacobs ph-1b 1 0 0 0 0 1 .000 Gordon 3b 3 0 0 0 0 1 .200 Aviles ss 4 0 0 0 0 2 .200 Buck c 4 0 1 0 0 0 .250 Bloomquist rf 2 0 1 0 0 1 .500 a-Callaspo ph-2b 2 1 2 0 0 0 1.000 Totals 36 2 9 2 3 10 SOX AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Getz 2b 4 0 0 0 0 1 .167 Pierzynski c 4 0 0 0 0 0 .200 Quentin lf 2 1 1 0 2 1 .125 Thome dh 4 0 0 0 0 2 .273 Dye rf 4 0 1 1 0 0 .417 Konerko 1b 3 0 1 0 1 1 .222 1-Lillibridge pr 0 0 0 0 0 0 -- AlRamirez ss 4 0 0 0 0 2 .000 Wise cf 2 0 0 0 0 0 .000 c-BAnderson ph-cf 1 0 0 0 0 1 .000 d-Betemit ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .000 Fields 3b 2 0 1 0 1 1 .429 Totals 31 1 4 1 4 10 Kansas City 000 000 002--2 9 1 SOX 000 000 001--1 4 1 a-singled for Bloomquist in the 7th. b-struck out for Butler in the 8th. c-struck out for Wise in the 8th. d-struck out for BAnderson in the 9th. 1-ran for Konerko in the 9th. E--Gordon (1), Fields (1). LOB--Kansas City 11, SOX 7. 2B--Crisp (2), Dejesus (1), Callaspo (1), Quentin (1). HR--Crisp (1), off Jenks. RBIs--Crisp 2 (3), Dye (1). SB--JGuillen (1), Gordon (1). Runners left in scoring position--Kansas City 6 (Teahen 3, Guillen, Aviles 2); SOX 2 (Quentin, Betemit). Runners moved up--Gordon, Getz, Pierzynski, Thome, Dye. DP-- SOX 1 (Ramirez and Getz). Kansas City IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Davies 7 3 0 0 2 8 103 0.00 Mahay W, 1-0 1 0 0 0 1 1 15 0.00 Soria S, 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 25 4.50 SOX IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Danks 6 3 0 0 3 5 95 0.00 Macdougal 0.1 2 0 0 0 0 10 0.00 Thornton 0.2 0 0 0 0 1 8 0.00 Dotel 1 1 0 0 0 3 19 0.00 Jenks L, 0-1 1 3 2 2 0 1 16 9.00 Inherited runners-scored--Thornton 2-0. HBP--by Danks (Gordon). Umpires--Home, Bruce Dreckman; First, Paul Emmel; Second, Gary Darling; Third, Bill Hohn. T--2:51. A--18,091. HOW THEY SCORED Royals ninth Jenks pitching. Buck grounded out. Callaspo doubled. Crisp homered to right on the first pitch, Callaspo scored. Two runs. Royals 2, White Sox 0. White Sox ninth Soria pitching. Quentin doubled. Thome grounded out, Quentin to third. Dye grounded out, Quentin scored. One run. Royals 2, White Sox 1.

Asked Tuesday before the season opener about the length of DeWayne Wise's lifeline in the leadoff role, White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said he was ''gambling once again.''

''I gave him the shot, gave him the opportunity,'' Guillen said. ''But if we have to [make a change], we will do it right away.''

''Right away'' meant eight at-bats.

After a second 0-for-4 performance Wednesday against the Kansas City Royals, Wise arrived at the ballpark Thursday to find his name in the eighth spot, with rookie Chris Getz moved to leadoff from the No.2 spot to become the next possible victim.

''That's not a good way to look at it,'' Getz said, but considering the way Sox fans have treated failure in the leadoff role the first week of the season, that about summed it up.

Getz went 0-for-4 on Thursday in the Sox' 2-1 loss to the Royals, but Guillen said he liked Getz's approach and would stick with him.

Meanwhile, Wise still was trying to determine why he'd become the target of fans' angst.

''I can't figure it out,'' he said. ''I was at home last night, and I was thinking about it. I was like, 'Wow, it's not just me that's not hitting.' I've been the guy that's been singled out and taken all the heat.

''I guess this leadoff thing has been the topic all offseason and through the entire spring training. Maybe it's because the fans wanted a veteran guy in that spot, a natural leadoff guy that's had success on this level. I'm still going to go out there every opportunity that Ozzie gives me and make the most out of it. I believe in myself, and I know I'm going to snap out of it.''

It's no surprise Guillen turned to Getz, who'd been hinted to be the backup plan since the last week of Cactus League play.

''The last three at-bats [by Wise on Wednesday], I don't like it at all,'' Guillen said. ''He was trying to -- I don't want to say 'intimidated' -- but just wanted to protect the plate. I want to get him out of there for a couple of days until he starts to swing the bat better. If he swings the bat good and everybody at the top of the lineup is swinging the bat well, I'll keep him down there.''

While Getz, 25, is no stranger to leading off, he's unproven at the big-league level.

''I just saw the lineup card,'' Getz said. ''No one even said anything. I'm not opposed to it at all. Just another opportunity that the team is asking me to fulfill.''

With no free-agent leadoff hitter of interest to the Sox -- and with general manager Ken Williams insisting there was no deal to be made for a prototypical top-of-the-order guy -- the obvious question is who's the next leadoff option after Getz, especially with the Minnesota Twins scheduled to start two left-handers this weekend.

''I might lead off Josh Fields,'' Guillen said. ''Josh Fields is not a typical leadoff guy, but he will get on base. He will give you good at-bats. We've got a couple of options to see how that works.''

Comment at suntimes.com.

TODAY: VS. Twins

7:11, CSN, 670-AM

R.A. Dickey

5-8, 5.21 ERA ('08 with Mariners)

'08 vs. Sox : 0-1, 36.00 Career vs. Sox : 0-2, 10.13

Does well against: To be determined

Struggles against: J. Dye 6-10, 2 HR; A.J. Pierzynski 4-6, 1 HR

Jose contreras

7-6, 4.54 ERA ('08)

'08 vs. Minn.: Did not face Career vs. Minn.: 4-3, 4.13

Does well against: J. Morneau, .115 (3-26)

Struggles against: N. Punto 11-29; J. Kubel 5-11

BOXSCORE

KANSAS City AB R H BI BB SO Avg.

Crisp cf 3 1 2 2 2 0 .364

Dejesus lf 5 0 2 0 0 0 .214

Teahen 2b-rf 5 0 0 0 0 2 .250

JGuillen dh 4 0 1 0 1 2 .167

Butler 1b 3 0 0 0 0 1 .000

b-Jacobs ph-1b 1 0 0 0 0 1 .000

Gordon 3b 3 0 0 0 0 1 .200

Aviles ss 4 0 0 0 0 2 .200

Buck c 4 0 1 0 0 0 .250

Bloomquist rf 2 0 1 0 0 1 .500

a-Callaspo ph-2b 2 1 2 0 0 0 1.000

Totals 36 2 9 2 3 10

SOX AB R H BI BB SO Avg.

Getz 2b 4 0 0 0 0 1 .167

Pierzynski c 4 0 0 0 0 0 .200

Quentin lf 2 1 1 0 2 1 .125

Thome dh 4 0 0 0 0 2 .273

Dye rf 4 0 1 1 0 0 .417

Konerko 1b 3 0 1 0 1 1 .222

1-Lillibridge pr 0 0 0 0 0 0 --

AlRamirez ss 4 0 0 0 0 2 .000

Wise cf 2 0 0 0 0 0 .000

c-BAnderson ph-cf 1 0 0 0 0 1 .000

d-Betemit ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .000

Fields 3b 2 0 1 0 1 1 .429

Totals 31 1 4 1 4 10

Kansas City 000 000 002--2 9 1

SOX 000 000 001--1 4 1

a-singled for Bloomquist in the 7th.

b-struck out for Butler in the 8th. c-struck out for Wise in the 8th. d-struck out for BAnderson in the 9th. 1-ran for Konerko in the 9th.

E--Gordon (1), Fields (1). LOB--Kansas City 11, SOX 7. 2B--Crisp (2), Dejesus (1), Callaspo (1), Quentin (1). HR--Crisp (1), off Jenks. RBIs--Crisp 2 (3), Dye (1). SB--JGuillen (1), Gordon (1).

Runners left in scoring position--Kansas City 6 (Teahen 3, Guillen, Aviles 2); SOX 2 (Quentin, Betemit). Runners moved up--Gordon, Getz, Pierzynski, Thome, Dye.

DP-- SOX 1 (Ramirez and Getz).

Kansas City IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA

Davies 7 3 0 0 2 8 103 0.00

Mahay W, 1-0 1 0 0 0 1 1 15 0.00

Soria S, 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 25 4.50

SOX IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA

Danks 6 3 0 0 3 5 95 0.00

Macdougal 0.1 2 0 0 0 0 10 0.00

Thornton 0.2 0 0 0 0 1 8 0.00

Dotel 1 1 0 0 0 3 19 0.00

Jenks L, 0-1 1 3 2 2 0 1 16 9.00

Inherited runners-scored--Thornton 2-0.

HBP--by Danks (Gordon).

Umpires--Home, Bruce Dreckman; First, Paul Emmel; Second, Gary Darling; Third, Bill Hohn. T--2:51. A--18,091.

HOW THEY SCORED

Royals ninth Jenks pitching. Buck grounded out. Callaspo doubled. Crisp homered to right on the first pitch, Callaspo scored. Two runs. Royals 2, White Sox 0.

White Sox ninth Soria pitching. Quentin doubled. Thome grounded out, Quentin to third. Dye grounded out, Quentin scored. One run. Royals 2, White Sox 1.