Floyd flirts with no-hitter, falls to Royals

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Sunday, Sept. 25, 2011Posted: 3:42 p.m.Updated: 4:48 p.m.

By BrettBallantini
CSNChicago.com White SoxInsiderFollow@CSNChi_Beatnik
CHICAGOThis is the way Alex Rios season has gone: Even when he saves a no-hitter with a daredevil catch in center, one of the primary Chicago White Sox whipping boys manages to doom the no-no at the same time.

Hows that? Well, it started when Rios ended the fourth inning with a terrific, running catch on a Billy Butler flyball deep to center. He made the catch a step from the wall but smashed full-force into a padded beam, knocking him to the ground and leaving his face and head bruised.

Rios, who left the game for precautionary measures at the inning break, passed his concussion tests but will not play on Monday, according to manager Ozzie Guillen.

But how was Rios in turn responsible for the no-hitter being lost in the top of the sixth? Well, its merely an indirect indictment, in that by leaving the game he forced Alejandro De Aza over to center field and Dayan Viciedo into the game in right. And that first hit off Floyd, by Lorenzo Cain, naturally blooped out to right, where the slower-footed Viciedo could not corral it for an out.

Of course, Floyd quickly ran into bigger trouble in the sixth and just losing his no-no, as Chris Getz immediately followed with a single to center, and both runners scored on a double by the diminutive Jarrod Dyson. It would turn out to be all the Kansas City Royals would need in a 2-1 win, as Luis Mendoza hurled a gem over 7 23 innings, handcuffing the Chisox offense to five hits and escaping with just one earned run, let in by reliever Greg Holland.

Aside from the RBI double surrendered to Paul Konerko on a first-pitch fastball, Holland struck out all four batters he faced to earn his fourth save. Konerko had been relishing a rematch with Mendoza, who left a nasty knot on the first basemans elbow with a HBP in the sixth and opted to stay in the game.

We couldnt get anything done all day, Guillen said, in his latest incarnation of his thats White Sox baseball talk. We couldnt come through with a two-out RBI.

Floyd had another strong game, a 76 game score to earn his sixth game at 70 or better, by far the best on the White Sox. Over eight innings, he struck out 10 against just two walks and three hits.

Floyd, who pitched absolutely well according to Guillen, recognized early on he had a lot of snap to his curveball but admitted that all of his pitches were working well.

In losing their 11th of 18 games vs. the Royals and falling to 77-82, Guillen was forced today to accept the fact that the White Sox would finish with a losing record in 2011.

I think were a losing team when I get the x, Guillen said, referring to playoff elimination. Im not here for stats. Once I see the x, Im done.

Brett Ballantini is CSNChicago.com's White Sox Insider. Follow him @CSNChi_Beatnik on Twitter for up-to-the-minute Sox information.

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