PHILADELPHIA -- Just minutes after the White Sox were shut out for the fifth time this season on Monday night, Ozzie Guillen pointed out with a little bit of an edge as to how he was out of answers concerning his team's ongoing offensive woes.

"You have to ask our hitting coach, the players, what's going on," the White Sox manager said.

Before Tuesday's game, White Sox hitting coach Greg Walker answered the question with great detail.

"I don't think there is any magic answer," said Walker of his offense, which entered Tuesday's contest ranked last in the American League in average (.232), runs scored (232), total bases (716), doubles (77) and triples (two).

"If there was a magic answer, we have enough smart people in this room where we would have been able to figure something out," Walker added. "I said it all year. I saw it in the guys' eyes early this year."

What did Walker see exactly? It's a level of frustration that started to creep into the hitters' collective psyche when factors from poor weather to tough opposing starting pitching to miserable results started to slow them down. Walker went on to present his theory as to the three ways a team can approach each game.

Currently, the White Sox are in the worst area possible, by Walker's account. But Walker won't give up on the idea that his professional hitters won't give up either.

"We can play this game loosey-goosey with swagger, which we had all last year and we are the same guys," Walker said. "The second way is frustration, and that's how we have played all year.

"As a group, this has been a very frustrated locker room. What you get out of that is bad results, and that's exactly what we are getting. But if you give into it, this game won't feel sorry for you. It has a long history of if you feel sorry for yourself or get frustrated, it piles on. It will bury you. That's what happened to us.

"The third way, and it's the only way I think we can get out of this, is to fight and say, 'I'm going to get mean,'" Walker added. "If you have some success, you can build off of it and stick with it. Then, maybe we get our swagger back and turn into a good offensive team the rest of the year."

Support for a friend: Freddy Garcia has spent as much time in Guillen's visiting manager's office during the first two games of this series at Citizens Bank Park as he has spent in the Philadelphia clubhouse. That statement might be slightly exaggerated, but the family bond shared by the two cannot be denied.

With that connection in mind, it's of little surprise that Garcia staunchly defended Guillen as he guides the White Sox through this tough stretch.

"He's only the manager," Garcia said. "You got a team, and they have to go out and play. You can not play for them. The manager doesn't play.

"Talk to them about it. The players have to step up and do what they're supposed to do."

Garcia, who will travel to Alabama on Wednesday to have his right shoulder examined by Dr. James Andrews, echoed the sentiment expressed by Aaron Rowand on Monday in that getting traded from a championship team is just part of the business. Garcia pointed out how he did the job the White Sox wanted, finishing 40-21 over parts of three seasons in Chicago, not to mention a 3-0 record with a 2.14 ERA in the postseason.

When looking at the White Sox starting rotation, though, Garcia also saw the higher-end salaries carried by the other four starters and knew a change would be made.

"People were talking and I was like, 'I know.' I knew it was me," said Garcia of his trade to Philadelphia. "I like Chicago. I had great times there. Nice city, and I know I performed."

Unwanted assistance: Announcers on the ESPN telecast of Monday night's contest spoke on a few occasions during the night as to how Javier Vazquez was tipping his pitches. Vazquez received this report via a numbers of calls from friends in Puerto Rico.

After checking the video tape of Monday's 3-0 setback, Vazquez found there was no merit to the commentary.

"I've always done it the same way," Vazquez said. "Sometimes I think people on ESPN try to overanalyze stuff. But I checked the video just in case, and I wasn't doing anything."

Vazquez explained that during the course of a game, hitters will tell a pitcher whether he's tipping or not. He didn't see any of that reaction from Philadelphia on Monday.

"When you throw offspeed and people know it's coming, they usually sit on it and take it," Vazquez said. "You don't see bad swings.

"Yesterday, I saw bad swings. I gave up four hits, three home runs and they should be home runs. They were all out over the plate to good hitters."

Jack of all trades: When Pablo Ozuna was placed on the disabled list on May 28, Andy Gonzalez was called up from Triple-A Charlotte to take Ozuna's spot on the active roster. Gonzalez also has taken over Ozuna's super-sub role, having already played games at first, third, left and right. Gonzalez, who started Tuesday night in left field against Philadelphia southpaw Cole Hamels, even was talked about as the team's emergency catcher last Sunday during A.J. Pierzynski's one-game suspension.

"Yeah, I heard that," said Gonzalez with a smile at the possibility to move behind the plate. "Like I said, I'm an infielder and I feel more comfortable there. But I'll play wherever they put me.

"I'll go wherever they need me. All I need is to get at-bats."

Gonzalez picked up his first career hit and RBI in Sunday's victory over Houston.

Around the horn: Following four hitless at-bats in Charlotte's 13-2 rain-shortened victory over Indianapolis on Tuesday, Scott Podsednik now is hitting .238 during his Minor League rehab assignment. Podsednik has six runs scored and three RBIs, but he has not attempted a stolen base in six games. ... Look for Jerry Owens and Jim Thome to be in Wednesday's lineup against Philadelphia right-hander Kyle Kendrick. Owens and his strained right hamstring were available Tuesday. ... The White Sox have used six different leadoff hitters this season and eight players in the No. 2 slot.

Down on the farm: Ryan Sweeney, Jason Bourgeois and Kenny Kelly had three hits apiece, making a winner of Charlie Haeger, in Charlotte's victory on Tuesday afternoon. Kelly hit two home runs, while Sweeney and Ernie Young also went deep. ... Catcher Jeremy Frost homered and drove in three during Double-A Birmingham's 9-6 victory over Mississippi on Monday night. Thomas Collaro knocked out three hits and picked up his 49th RBI. ... Jacob Rasner fell to 3-6 as Greenville no-hit Class A Kannapolis in a seven-inning, rain-shortened contest.

On deck: Wednesday afternoon's series finale pits a battle of rookies, with John Danks making his 12th career start for the White Sox and Kendrick making his Major League debut for the Phillies, taking Garcia's slot in the rotation. First pitch is scheduled for 12:05 p.m. CT.