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ARLINGTON, Texas -- Closer Addison Reed said he was trying to pitch A.J. Pierzynski inside, but he was not trying to intentionally hit his former Chicago White Sox teammate known for outspoken ways.

"I was trying to throw inside and it happened to hit him," said Reed, who worked a scoreless ninth for his ninth save. "Was I trying to hit him? Absolutely not."

Reed said he enjoyed throwing to Pierzynski when he was the White Sox catcher.

"I grew up a Sox fan rooting for him," Reed said. "I have nothing at all against him."

Pierzynski, signed by the Texas Rangers in the offseason, was used as a pinch hitter with two outs and nobody on in the ninth with the White Sox leading 5-2. Reed’s pitch hit Pierzynski in the elbow.

With a three-run lead against the powerful Rangers lineup, White Sox manager Robin Ventura explained, "We’re not trying to put anybody on base."

"You saw what happened," he said. "Thirty seconds later, they had the tying run at the plate. There was no message sent."

Reed said there was no conversation between himself and Pierzynski after the incident.

"I didn’t hear anything," Reed said. "I had other things on my mind."

In the Rangers clubhouse, Pierzynski said he wasn’t aware of any problems with Reed.

"Not that I know of," Pierzynski said. "I always got along fine with him."

Ian Kinsler singled after Pierzynski was hit. But Reed struck out Elvis Andrus, representing the tying run, with two on to complete his ninth save of the season. Reed has converted 15 straight save opportunities dating back to the 2012 season.

Together with Jesse Crain and Matt Thornton, the White Sox bullpen did not allow a run. Coming into the game, the bullpen had been tagged for a 7.43 ERA and an 0-4 record over the preceding eight games.

CHICAGO -- A combination of good pitching and just enough offense helped the Chicago White Sox snap their four-game losing streak.

Starter Jose Quintana extended his scoreless streak to 18 2/3 innings before giving way to the bullpen in the sixth inning against the Cleveland Indians. Quintana allowed one run in the inning before manager Robin Ventura went to Nate Jones with runners on the corners and nobody out.

Jones gave up a sacrifice fly, but he and his bullpen mates were flawless the rest of the way. The relievers pitched four shutout innings to preserve the win for Quintana and break the losing skid.

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TORONTO -- The Chicago White Sox scored a pair of ninth-inning runs and then hung on for a 4-3 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday at the Rogers Centre.

How it happened: White Sox starter Dylan Axelrod and Jays starter Josh Johnson engaged in a pitchers' duel for much of the game, with each right-hander allowing two runs over six and seven innings, respectively. Adam Dunn and Paul Konerko led off the ninth with consecutive walks, paving the way for Dayan Viciedo to drive in a run on a long fly ball to center field. Konerko later came in to score the game winner on a Hector Gimenez sacrifice fly. Addison Reed allowed his first run of the season in the ninth to cut Chicago's lead to one, but the closer held on to record his fifth save.

What it means: The White Sox picked up their second road win of the season, improving their record to 2-6 away from U.S. Cellular Field this season. Konerko's home run in the seventh inning was the 425th of his career, putting him one away from tying Cubs great Billy Williams for 45th on the all-time list. Konerko scored three runs in a game for the first time since May 26, 2012.

Outside the box: Axelrod threw a quality start (six innings, two earned runs, seven hits, one walk, four strikeouts), and yet the right-hander came ever so close to avoiding damage altogether. Axelrod twice allowed two-out solo homers on 1-and-2 counts -- Colby Rasmus connected on a long ball in the second inning, and J.P. Arencibia went deep in the sixth to temporarily give Toronto the lead. The two homers were the first homers allowed by Axelrod this season, and he had given up just one home run over his previous 32 1/3 innings dating to last season.

Offbeat: Axelrod was aided by some quality glove work from the White Sox infielders. Alexei Ramirez made a nifty jumping grab of a Brett Lawrie line drive to end the fifth inning. Dunn snagged a liner the next inning, a scorcher off the bat of Maicer Izturis that went right to Dunn at first base. Dunn made the catch and then stepped on first to double off Rasmus for an unassisted double play.

Up next: The White Sox play the third game of their four-game series with the Blue Jays on Wednesday at 6:07 p.m. CT. After throwing seven shutout, one-hit innings in his previous start, left-hander Jose Quintana (0-0, 4.09 ERA) returns to the mound against fellow southpaw J.A. Happ (2-0, 3.48).

CHICAGO -- The Chicago White Sox's bullpen was at it again Sunday, delivering three shutout innings that bought the offense enough time to pull off a 4-3 victory over the Seattle Mariners in 10 innings.

Newcomer Matt Lindstrom offered his third consecutive scoreless outing in a White Sox uniform, especially impressive since one of those outings was a 2 1/3-inning stint Friday that matched a career long.

Jesse Crain and Addison Reed each followed Sunday with their own scoreless inning. Reed hasn’t been scored upon in any of his four outings and has three saves and a victory to show for them.

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CHICAGO – Up against a former Cy Young Award winner, the Chicago White Sox had just enough for a 4-3 victory Saturday over the Seattle Mariners.

HOW IT HAPPENED: It’s why they play the games as the White Sox used injury-replacement starter Dylan Axelrod to get the best of the Mariners and ace Felix Hernandez. Axelrod, who is in the fifth spot only because John Danks is on the disabled list, went a solid 5⅔ innings, giving up an unearned run on three hits. The White Sox got to Hernandez with two run-scoring sacrifice flies and a two-run home run from Alex Rios. Addison Reed closed it out for his third save.

WHAT IT MEANS: While five games is far too soon to pull the plug on the struggling Jeff Keppinger as the third baseman, Conor Gillaspie showed he deserves some playing time. In his first start in a White Sox uniform he not only got the White Sox out of a jam in the top of the fifth when he went toward the line to start an impressive double play, he tripled to lead off the bottom of the inning and scored the tying run. He would also bring another left-handed bat to a lineup that only has two (Alejandro De Aza and Adam Dunn). As Gillaspie played third base, Keppinger moved to first base for the day.

OUTSIDE THE BOX: It hasn’t been the kind of start the White Sox were expecting out of Nate Jones. The right-handed reliever was charged with a run the day after he lost his first game of his career while giving up two runs. He has made three appearances this season and has put on a base runner each time. While it’s far too soon to panic, he already has an 11.57 ERA during the first week.

OFFBEAT: All it took was a little research to see that the White Sox actually stood a fair chance of defeating the Mariners and Hernandez. The right-hander is considered one of baseball’s best but not because of his appearances at U.S. Cellular Field. Hernandez is now 1-5 in eight career starts at the White Sox’s home park with a 4.88 ERA and has allowed 11 home runs.

UP NEXT: The White Sox will turn the rotation over for the first time as left-hander Chris Sale (1-0, 0.00) returns to the mound in the finale of the three-game series and season-opening homestand. The Mariners will counter with right-hander Hisashi Iwakuma (1-0, 1.50) in the 1:10 p.m. start from U.S. Cellular Field.

CHICAGO -- The Chicago White Sox bullpen wasn't necessarily the brightest of some bright stars on Opening Day, yet by the time the 2013 season picks up momentum it could be the glue that holds the club together.

Blessed with the ideal mix of live young arms and veteran savvy, the belief is that the late innings will be no place for opponents to forge a rally.

While not wanting to drop too much expectation on his relief corps this early in the season, manager Robin Ventura knows that his bullpen could become the strength of the roster.

"I hope by the end of the year it's that way," Ventura said after the White Sox's 1-0 victory Monday over the Kansas City Royals. "Right now I don't know if anyone has roles or anything in particular except for (Addison Reed), but I would like to say that. We're confident in it. I'm confident in it."

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The Chicago White Sox's 1-2 punch at the top of the starting rotation will be complemented this season by the 1-2 punch at the back end of the bullpen.

Where Chris Sale and Jake Peavy are being looked upon to give the White Sox a chance to win each and every night they take the mound, a different pair will be entrusted to make sure late leads aren't squandered.

That's the initial thought, anyway, as closer Addison Reed figures to have a fellow flame-throwing co-conspirator in Nate Jones, who is primed to become a full-time setup man. Manager Robin Ventura tried to suggest over the winter that the closer spot is up for grabs, but the job clearly belongs to Reed for now.

Add that Reed-Jones combination to veteran relievers Matt Thornton and Jesse Crain, not to mention newcomer Matt Lindstrom, and the White Sox have a group to envy.

Complementing that well-rounded collection of arms will be the versatile Hector Santiago, who can not only pitch late in games if needed, he can also be used in long relief. Add the fact that he is left-handed and Santiago could find himself in any of a number of roles this season, including spot starter if needed.

Depth has also shown itself this spring. Brian Omogrosso has pitched well and could land a roster spot if Crain isn't able to start the season on time because of a muscle strain in his right leg. Newcomer Ramon Troncoso appears to have recaptured some of the form that helped him to become a mainstay in the Los Angeles Dodgers bullpen for a few seasons.

Add to that the performances in Arizona of Daniel Moskos and Jhan Marinez, and the White Sox feel they have replacement pieces that could come in handy as the season progresses.

THREE KEYS TO SUCCESS

• If Reed hears Jones' footsteps behind him, that could end up being a good thing. For some, the idea that a teammate might be gaining on you and about to take your job could prove uneasy. More solid work from Jones could create that scenario, but Reed has shown that he can use pressure situations to his advantage. After all, last season he posted a 3.56 ERA over 30 1/3 innings of save situations and a 6.20 ERA over 24 2/3 innings in non-save situations.

• As the veterans of the bullpen, Thornton and Crain will need to be steadying influences. For Thornton that means overcoming inconsistencies that have cropped up over the past few seasons and be the left-handed reliever the White Sox can rely on. Including this spring, Crain is starting to show he is susceptible to nagging injuries at age 31. When healthy, Crain has shown he is more than good enough to get the job done so avoiding the injury bug will be huge.

• Lindstrom brings another live arm to go along with Reed and Jones and if he can get into a groove, the White Sox can be brutal to contend with after the sixth inning. Lindstrom has spent most of his big-league time in the National League, but in 34 games with the Baltimore Orioles last season he delivered a 2.72 ERA and had 30 strikeouts to 12 walks, while opponents hit .254 against him.

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- The Chicago White Sox came to contracts terms with 25 players for the upcoming season, including projected starting position players Dayan Viciedo and Tyler Flowers.

Also coming to an agreement on a deal was closer Addison Reed and starter Chris Sale.

All the players who reached agreements Friday are those on the 40-man roster and are still in the early part of their careers and under team control. All players on the White Sox’s 40-man roster are now under contract.

Viciedo will make $2.8 million in 2013, while Sale will make $600,000 and Reed will make $520,000. The minimum major league salary is $490,000 this season.

The one-year deal for Viciedo is significantly higher because he made $2.5 million last season plus a prorated portion of his signing bonus in the final year of the four-year, $10 million deal he signed when he became White Sox property in 2009. Players can't make 20 percent less than they made in the previous season.

Pitchers who reached deals: Dylan Axelrod, Simon Castro, Deunte Heath, Nate Jones, Charlie Leesman, Jhan Marinez, Nestor Molina, Brian Omogrosso, Jose Quintana, Reed, Andre Rienzo, Santos Rodriguez, Sale, Hector Santiago, Leyson Septimo and Donnie Veal.

Catchers: Flowers, Hector Gimenez, Josh Phegley.

Infielders: Brent Morel and Angel Sanchez.

Outfielders: Jordan Danks, Jared Mitchell, Blake Tekotte and Dayan Viciedo.

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Chicago White Sox right-hander Addison Reed has decided that treating the entire run of spring training as one long save situation will serve him best.

If all goes to plan, Reed will wind up locking down the closer role based on performance and not the fact that the job was his for most of last season.

It's probably not a tact the hard-throwing California native needs to employ. In public, the White Sox's staff is saying that others will have a chance to prove themselves in game-saving situations, but behind the scenes the pecking order has been set and Reed is undoubtedly the closer.

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GLENDALE, Ariz. -- The way veteran reliever Matt Thornton sees it, the Chicago White Sox had a solid season in 2012, and when it comes to the bullpen, anyway, they are even further along than a year ago when spring training opened.

“Last spring training we had a lot of guys fighting for jobs and Nate Jones came in and won a job,” Thornton said. “We knew who he was but he was still off the radar and came on with a great spring training and established himself as a great arm for us.”

But Jones’ presence isn’t the only factor that solidifies the White Sox's bullpen. Thornton says that Addison Reed's emergence in the closer role has established a definitive pecking order.

“It’s that first full big-league season, the stress of being in contention all year long,” Thornton said. “Getting that under their belt is huge for those guys. Now situations won’t overwhelm them. Not that it did before, but they know what to expect, they know what September brings, they know what August brings. It’s a long year and they will be ready for it a little more this year.”

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Doug Padilla previews the White Sox by position in the days leading up to pitchers and catchers reporting for spring training on Feb. 12.

Nothing beats a cost-effective young closer like Addison Reed, especially since his low price tag gives the Chicago White Sox the opportunity to spend on other areas of the bullpen.

Jesse Crain and Matt Thornton, the bullpen veterans, will split $10 million between them with there still a little left over to bring in a hard-throwing newcomer in Matt Lindstrom, who will pocket $2.3 million this season. The rest of the relief help falls into the "affordable" category.

The back end of the bullpen appears to be solid, but the White Sox still can't ignore other areas. Finding a quality long man (or two) will be vital, especially with starter John Danks returning from injury and any efforts the club might undertake to maintain Chris Sale's innings.

So far, the only thing the White Sox are saying in regard to Sale is that he will get a later start than others in spring training and no mention has been made on a targeted inning count for 2013. Sale threw 192 innings in 2012.

Addison Reed, RHP: The young talent was far from the only one who dealt with a late-season swoon. It's easy to see that Reed trailed off last season with an 8.00 ERA in September and an opponents' batting average of .351 in the month. Reed's most ardent supporters, though, will point a handful of outings, especially the six runs he allowed May 13, as the reason for his untidy 4.75 ERA. The bottom line is that consistency will be Reed's aim this season and his first full season of experience should help him get there. He plans on using a new cardio program to help with stamina throughout the summer.

Matt Thornton, LHP: Once again, there will be a lot expected from one of the veteran anchors of the White Sox's bullpen. It's perhaps a tall order considering that Thornton's 10 losses were easily the most of all left-handers last year and were tied for the most among all relievers in baseball. Add to that four blown saves as the carnage mounted. Through it all, Thornton did manage seven saves and an ERA under 3.50. His veteran presence will be leaned on heavily.

Jesse Crain, RHP: A strained left oblique and a strained right shoulder disrupted a 2012 season but the year still wasn't a lost cause. Crain managed to make 51 appearances (48 innings) while posting a 2.44 ERA to go along with four saves and two victories. His 1.08 WHIP was his best since posting a 1.07 mark in his rookie season of 2004 with the Minnesota Twins. He is expected to pitch for Canada in the WBC.

Nate Jones, RHP: In the epitome of a surprise breakout season, Jones managed to skip the Triple-A level entirely by earning a roster spot with a solid 2012 spring training. His 2.39 ERA and 8-0 rookie marks signal that the sky's the limit for the hard thrower from Kentucky. At SoxFest manager Robin Ventura told the crowd that Jones would be able to challenge Reed for the closer spot. Ventura's wink afterward suggested Reed will keep his job, but there is still no mistaking the White Sox like what they have in Jones.

Matt Lindstrom, RHP: If Reed and Jones represent the hard-throwing youngsters, Lindstrom is the older equivalent. He will turn 33 on Monday but still relies on the velocity of his youth. Despite pitching in both leagues last season (with Arizona and Baltimore), he still posted a 2.68 ERA over 48 outings. Finally getting a chance to pick his own club via free agency, Lindstrom says he delayed the process this winter in order to hear from the White Sox. He's right where he wants to be now.

Hector Santiago, LHP: If Danks isn't ready to start the season on time, Santiago could end up getting some early starts. Either way, he should be a key member of the bullpen as a long man, and his ability to rack up innings would help ease the early innings count on the recovering Danks. If Gavin Floyd can't work his way back toward 200 innings, Santiago could be in for a long, grueling season.

Dylan Axelrod, RHP: Also in the competition for any early Danks starts, Axelrod could also help in the long man department. It isn't likely the White Sox carry two long men, but if either Axelrod or Santiago is starting at any point then a bullpen spot would be available for the other.

Donnie Veal, LHP: With Santiago and Thornton in the bullpen, the White Sox have coverage from the left side. But Veal could end up being a lefty specialist like the White Sox tried to do with Will Ohman in recent years.

Other bullpen options include Deunte Heath, Brian Omogrosso and Leyson Septimo, who all saw some action with the White Sox last season. Non-roster invitees to camp with major-league experience include Jeff Gray, who pitched 52 innings for the Twins last season, and Ramon Troncoso, who was a key member of the Los Angeles Dodgers' bullpen that made back-to-back NLCS appearances in 2008 and 2009.

CHICAGO -- New Chicago White Sox bullpen coach Bobby Thigpen certainly doesn't lack confidence ... or a positive outlook.

Asked about the 2013 bullpen, he didn't mince words.

"How good can the group be?" Thigpen said. "The best in baseball."

At least the White Sox relievers know they have a coach who believes in them.

Of course Thigpen is going to heap praise to the group, especially after taking over as bullpen coach from Juan Nieves, who moved on to become the Boston Red Sox's pitching coach.

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- With the Chicago White Sox's fade down the stretch still fresh in his mind, manager Robin Ventura has ideas on how to avoid another year of September exhaustion.

One plan will be to give Paul Konerko more days in the designated-hitter spot during the upcoming season and letting Adam Dunn play in the field more often.

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Rookie reliever Nate Jones could have folded up like a tent when Chicago White Sox manager Robin Ventura asked him to pitch two innings-plus for the second consecutive day on Friday.

Instead of giving in to fatigue, he took the ball and got the job done once again. That type of attitude and performance has been the mantra for this team under Ventura and his staff.

At the beginning of September, veterans like Jesse Crain, Matt Thornton and Brett Myers took the young bullpen pitchers under their wing for the stretch run.

”They talked to us and more importantly never showed any panic mode when things went poorly,” Jones said. “They keep it under control in every situation they were in. That type of approach helps me and the rest of the guys calm down and take a similar approach. When you see them handle things in stride, you follow suit.”

Jones has been rock-solid for the Sox, throwing 22 1/3 scoreless innings over his last 21 appearances. His 8-0 record is the best start by a Sox rookie pitcher in 77 years. The bullpen collectively has been outstanding, keeping the team in games when the starters have failed to get the job done.

“I give the credit to the guys down there,” said Ventura of his veteran relievers. “It’s always better when the message comes from out there, where the guys are doing it. It is one thing when you hear it from a coach. They are getting it from a veteran guy who is doing it, where they can see and practice it then go back out and do it.”

Closer Addison Reed had a bad experience in Minnesota two weeks ago, loading the bases and leaving a save situation without retiring a batter. Instead of gaining a spot in the dog house, Ventura slowly weaned him back into the one-inning save mode. That type of positive reinforcement and veteran support has been twofold in the development of the young bullpen group.

“This type of pennant-pressure pitching experience will help all of us that are going through it for the first time develop,” Reed said. “We have had a lot of help from the older guys and the staff but nothing beats getting the chance to do it and succeeding.”

The bullpen has a 1.55 ERA over the last 15 games.

CHICAGO -- Chicago White Sox manager Robin Ventura has frequented the mound 68 times to call upon his bullpen since September arrived.

Through the month’s first 11 games, the bullpen was hit-or-miss for Ventura, allowing 28 runs. Lately, though, it’s become more dependable, and that was case again Monday in the White Sox’s 5-4 win over the Detroit Tigers at U.S. Cellular Field.

Ventura went to bullpen five times Monday, and the five White Sox’s relievers combined to allow one hit and no runs in five innings.

In the past four games, which were all wins, 13 White Sox relievers have combined to give up five hits and one run in 13 innings.

Nate Jones carried the load in Monday’s win. He was called up in the fifth inning after starter Jose Quintana allowed a double and single to start the inning. Jones started off shaky, allowing a single to Delmon Young to score a run, but from there he settled down. He retired the next seven hitters he faced.

Jones has made 15 consecutive scoreless appearances and again fell in line for the win. He’s now 8-0 on the season.

“Nate picked the bullpen up big time today going those couple innings,” fellow White Sox reliever Brett Myers said. “That’s huge. He stepped up, threw the ball great. He dominated them today. That’s huge. That’s a big step for us to have him throwing the ball well right now.”

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