Hits falling early for Beckham

CLEVELAND – Gordon Beckham was off to a fast start with three singles and two doubles in his first eight at-bats. And the White Sox scored 23 runs in their first two games, the second-most in club history since 1915.

Chalk it up to Ozzie Guillen’s decision to play everybody more in the final week of spring training, right? Beckham isn’t convinced.

“I was like 0-for-20 to finish the spring,” Beckham said. “So I think that was just for a change of scenery.

“I like led the Cactus League in at-bats with 75, and I felt really good at the start and middle and at the end I didn’t feel good.”

The important thing is how he feels at the plate now.

“Now I feel good,” he said.

Before heading to the cage to hit before Sunday’s game against the Indians, Beckham said he was somewhat encouraged by his first two games but wasn’t reading too much into them.

“Last year I played pretty well the first couple of games and then struggled really bad, so it can go both ways,” said Beckham, who is batting .333 since July 11.

“These first two games, I don’t feel like I’m hitting the ball as well as I can, and I’m getting hits so that’s a positive thing.

“I thought I had better swings yesterday than I did on Day One, so I just have to continue to get my work in and then go out and play.”

The Sox were looking to start 3-0 for the first time since 1992. Their 2-0 start was their first since 2005, their World Series championship season.