Riddle me this: Which marginal, powder-blue sports institution, skippered by someone with an international resume has recently been advocating the Chicago White Sox out of all proportion? That’s right: the Kansas City Royals, who knocked Burl Ives and his Twins from their short-lived division lead in twelve innings behind a shining, 4K performance by the unfortunately-nicknamed Jokaim Soria.
Not that the South Side didn’t do its part. In a weekend that saw Chicago play host to three World Championship teams and the Cubs, the third in the series against Boston was the tightest yet. Gavin Floyd (W, 12-6, 5.1IP, 7H, 5R, 6K, 1BB) lost the handle on his curveball and got behind in the first, giving up a three-run bomb to Mike Lowell. But Jermaine Dye answered in the next frame with dinger #27 off of struggling Clay Buchholz (L, 2-8, 3IP, 7H 5R 4K 2BB) Floyd settled down in the third, setting the stage for a bloop-bomb-bloop-bomb-bloop White Sox rally that had Carlos Quentin ringing up homer #32, plus Jim Thome with his 23rd leaving five runs on the board.
Buchholz was pulled in the 4th and replaced with former White Sox pen problem David Aardsma, whose trademark control gave Quentin his 19th HBP on the season to load the bases, then struck out Dye and Thome. Boston woke up in the 6th with a JD Drew triple off of Dye’s glove followed by a Jason Bay RBI. With the score 6-4 South Siders, two on and two out, Ozzie pulled Floyd. The moment had come. The White Sox bullpen door opened. Enter the Windows Vista of middle relief, Matt Thornton.
One wild pitch, one earned run, one inning and three walks later, Ozzie tried again. With one out, up by one with the bases loaded by walks in the 7th, Octavio Dotel got the nod…followed by a Mike Lowell 5-4-3 double play grounder. I can’t wait to see what Fitzy has to belch about that.
A lovely game for a lovely day…although I must admit I was tense from the first inning on after Lowell’s just over the fence homer. Even with the lead and Floyd sttling down nicely. Let’s not forget the six-up-six-down 8th and 9th by Dotel and Jenks. Vicki was frustrated by all the runs we left on the bases. I just thought, tensely, that it could certainly come back to haunt. I mean they could have been up 9-3 with a big hit here or there. But that’s neither here nor there since the victory is under the belt. By the way I finally left a comment from Tuesday’s Detroit game post…I’m just sayin’ is all
Vicki was frustrated by all the runs we left on the bases.
Oh, I didn’t know you were a member of the team.
Aardsma has been really good coming out of the pen this year. I really like the kid. I’m not so sure that HBP wasn’t intentional.
Rog: I dunno…hit him to load the bases, then face JD and Thome?
Then again, we did register our displeasure with him last year with a sign that merely read “AAArdsma”, so I guess emotional hardship can’t be ruled out.
Rog, Jeff. Jeff, Rog. Jeff, you don’t want to disappoint Rog. Ask Ben. And yeah, the RISP picture for this team is tragicomic to say the least. Say hi to the lovely Victoria.