Thornton and Pierre off the Mark

Mark Buehrle threw an absolute gem of a baseball game for the White Sox on Monday night. The hot Oakland Athletics came into town, running Dallas Braden out onto the bump in the opener of a 3 game set. It was being called the battle of the perfectos (as both Buehrle and Braden recorded perfect games last season) and it lived up to the name. Buehrle allowed 2 hits, striking out 1 and walking 1 in 8 innings, as Braden went 6 innings giving up 5 hits and allowing 1 earned run (a homerun off the bat of Brent Lillibridge of all people) striking out 7 and walking 2. That Lillibridge homerun held up as the only run of the game until the 9th inning, when Matt Thornton came into the game, looking for his first save of the season, and that’s when the wheels starting falling off. 

Thornton got ahead of the leadoff man and with a 1-2 count hung a slider (he has been struggling with his slider lately) Laroche lined the hanger into the gap, starting the inning off with a double. Thornton retired the next hitter, setting the stage for the turning point of the game. Deep fly ball to left, Pierre drifts over, drifting, drifting, he’s there.... drops. the. ball.... Run scores, momentum shifts, my remote control goes flying across the room and slams into the wall. What really killed me was Pierre made a very similar error in Friday nights 9th inning implosion against the Rays, which ended up costing us that game (that, a bloop hit, and an Alexi Rameriez throwing error). Not to be out done, by each other, Alexi Rameriez and Juan Pierre almost collide on an inning ending flyout in shallow left field to send tonight’s game to the bottom of the 9th. What are these 2 doing? They play a solid defensive game all day long (same as Friday) and then, all of a sudden, the 9th inning hits and it looks like neither of them have ever picked up a glove. Between the dropped popup and the near collision due to terrible communication, I had to check the T.V guide to make sure I was watching a Major League game and not just a regional qualifier to get to Williamsport. 

Needless to say, the Sox put 2 on in the bottom half and then stalled (vintage White Sox), we go to the 10th. Cue Jesse Crain, who did a great job, getting ahead of hitters, making good pitchers, he came in with 1 out in the 9th, pitched out of Thornton’s jam and looked sharp. He made one bad pitch with 2 outs and a 1-2 count in the 10th, left a fastball over the plate, belt high, 335 feet later it landed in the bullpen. Sox failed to do anything in the bottom. 

Sox fans, we need to realize that our team has been playing exceptional baseball so far this season. We are literally 2 bad 9th innings away from an 8-2 record. That’s baseball. What’s frustrating is when Mark Buehrle pitches his ass off and comes up with nothing because we cant calm down and get 3 outs in the 9th. Everyone is quick to blame Thornton for all of these; let me tell you why it is not entirely Matt Thornton's fault.

The White Sox defense has been horrendous during Matt Thornton's time as our closer. Flashback again to Friday night, Thornton gave up a broken bat bloop hit another soft single and 2 errors. Now, there is nothing you can do about bloopers or broken bat hits. But errors? come on, Ramirez makes a throwing error, and Pierre drops a fly ball, that’s 2 outs that should have been recorded. With 1 out already recorded, game shoulda been over, we shoulda been shaking hands on the mound. Instead, those errors keep the inning and the game alive long enough for Thornton to make a bad pitch and get burned on a game winning 3 run homerun. 

Tonight, sure he gives up the double to start the inning, but then he records an out, throws a fly ball to Pierre who drops it. Now, if he makes that catch, we have 2 outs with a guy on second, with Thornton settling in. No one knows if he would have completed the save, but I think its safe to say he would have been well on his way to his first save of the season. 

At least let the other team beat you, right now we are beating ourselves in these games, our defense has been uncharacteristically bad. With the starting pitching we have been getting and the way the offense has been producing, as soon as our bullpen settles in (which, mark my word, will be soon) the Sox are going to be even more dangerous than they are right now.

Baseball is a game that you need to have a short memory with, lets not dwell on tonight. Lets let it go and bounce back tomorrow. It’s all about being optimistic. I mean, think about this, at least we aren't Cub fans right? I mean, we blow a game like tonight and yea, it hurts, but at least our team doesn’t blow games like tonight all the time. Imagine the anger and shock you felt tonight after that loss. Now imagine that happening 95 times a season. Count your blessings Sox fans, tonight before you go to bed just remember this:

1. At least our team has won this century

2. At least our fan base knows what baseball is

3. At least our General Manager knows what he’s doing

4. At least our stadium is in one piece

5. At least Alfonso Soriano isn't on our payroll

6. At least we aren't yuppies

7. At least Oldstyle isn't our beer

8. We actually have a good team this year, unlike the Cubs, who WILL be in contention.... in contention with the Pirates for 5th place in the NL Central.

9. We've been putting up a ton of runs and getting great starting pitching

10. We WILL have a great season, our bullpen WILL settle in, and our defense WILL improve

Get some rest Sox fans, everything will look better after we win tomorrow.