Think pink: Alex Rios' enormous Mother's Day not enough for White Sox

If there was, in fact, any sort of battle — real or perceived —

between Alex Rios and his former fan base in Toronto, he got the final

word Sunday.

And he did so by letting his bat — which was pink

in honor of Mother’s Day — do the talking.

“Yeah, I’ll think about using it again,” Rios said of his

rosy-color-fueled four-hit performance that included a game-tying

solo home run in the seventh inning. The center fielder reached base in

all five plate appearances and scored three runs in a game the White Sox

had in hand until giving up four runs to the Jays in the ninth inning

to eventually lose, 9-7.

In eight games against Toronto this year, Rios hit a robust .353

with three home runs and five RBIs. His exemplary game ran his current

hitting streak to 11 games and he’s connected on an extra base-hit in

seven consecutive games.

Rios found a once supportive fan base anything but welcoming in his

return to the Rogers Centre, where he was booed incessantly during a

series last month. During that four-game series, he was made to answer

for a YouTube video in which he curses at an autograph-seeking fan after

a charity event in Toronto last June.

Manager Ozzie Guillen defended Rios then, saying the verbose fan was

lucky he wasn’t acting that way toward Ozzie.

For his part, Rios

has said he harbors no animosity over his departure. He was, however,

surprised at the level of vitriol he faced with his news team.

”Yeah, I was surprised about that, I guess,” said Rios after a his

April 13 home run in Toronto broke up Jays starter Ricky Romero’s

no-hitter in the eight inning. ‘It wasn’t my choice to leave here; they

[waived] me. But it’s all good. It’s part of the game. It keeps the game

exciting.”

He certainly seems to have found his comfort zone on the South

Side. He’s hitting a team-best .324 after his offensive explosion

Sunday.

Afterward, he was asked if he’s pleased with how he’s

swinging the bat.

Obvious question, obvious answer.

“Yeah, I could say that.”

he said. “I’ve been putting good swings on the ball, and when you do

that, good things happen.”

“[He’s] has been great since Spring

Training,” Guillen said. “I’m very happy for him. Hopefully he continues

to swing the bat like that. He’s been playing great baseball since

Spring Training.”