Alright folks, the Sox and cubs are tied at 1 game a piece right now. Last night after a vicious rain delay the Sox came out and were able to post a 1 run lead and hold on for the win. Tonight is the rubber match of the series and the most important part about it has nothing to do with the fact that its against the Cubs. The Sox are still lingering a few games under .500. It is disappointing because they are a better team than what their record shows.
The problem is this team plays to their competition. They are 5 games over .500 when facing teams who are above the .500 mark. But are an astonishing 8 games under .500 when playing teams who are under the .500 mark. That is a huge problem people. Those are the teams you have to beat if you expect to win a division. Now the Sox are still only 4.5 games back, which is a minor miracle considering how inconsistently they have played this season. The offense has been sluggish at best lately and really just looks dead, most of the guys in the lineup do not have productive at bats. I would like to give a hearty tip of the cap to Paul Konerko who has homered in his last 5 straight games and is hitting right around .330. The man is on fire, the reason his average has been so stellar lately (last year and this year) is because he has figured out how to turn good pitchers pitches into base hits. He dumps the ball into right field when he needs to and he drives pitches that are on the inner portion of the plate. What I mean to say is, he has figured out how to hit in all situations. Even when hes down in the count, he fights off good pitches and turns them into gold. Paulie, this buds for you, you are a legitimate contender for AL MVP as of right now. Anyone who wants to argue that, look at his numbers.
From what I can see, this offense needs to make some changes if we expect to make a pennant push. We need an offensive spark plug, because really its basically been the Paul Konerko show, featuring AJ Pierzynski lately. The rest of the lineup just goes up there and looks like they don't wanna be there to be quite honest. They'll scatter a few hits here and there, but they just don't look hungry, they never get clutch hits and when its going like that, it spreads to everyone else in the lineup, a lineup with low confidence is not going to produce. So here is what I suggest (just in case Kenny or Ozzie are reading this lol)
1) Problem: Juan Pierre does not deserve to be starting for this team, especially in the lead-off spot, since he never gets on base. Since a lead-off man has one job (getting on base) and Pierre doesn't do it, there is no reason to keep running him out there. Not to mention he is a liability in left field.
Solution: Brent Lillibridge has earned the chance to start. He has made countless great plays in the field and has been that spark plug when he has had the chance to hit in the lineup. Its no coincidence that we usually win when he gets his hacks. I don't know how he would fare as an every day lead off-man because he hasn't ever had that opportunity in his career, but I think its worth a shot, what are we going to lose? Someone who cannot get on base or run down a ball in left field? Come on now, Brent is fast, he hits, he busts his butt every time he's given a chance, he is spectacular in the field and he has something to prove. Give him the nod Oz.
2) Problem: The DH, Adam Dunn is having the worst season of his life. He is basically a waste of an at-bat folks. He is hitting .178 (which I don't wanna dwell too much on his average since that is not what we picked him up for) But he only has 7 homers, which is the reason we picked him up. The problem here is, he is making so much money, they won't bench him.
Solution: I would say bench him and bring up Dyan Viciedo from the minors, he's hitting .330 down there and has tremendous power, he isn't a great fielder which is why DH would be perfect for him. But that won't happen because they are paying Dunn so much money, I hate to say it folks, but we're gonna be stuck with Dunn in the DH because of the big bucks we're giving him. We better just pray he figures it out, because I'll tell you this, it is all mental at this point, he is pressing so hard right now, he just needs to relax and go up there swinging.
3) Problem: Offensive production has been down and basically Rios hasn't done anything and Morel hasn't done much and Mark Teahan is just a waste of space on this roster. I do like Morel at 3rd though as he has a great glove, not to mention his bat is coming around.
Solution: I really want to see Dayan Viciedo get a shot in this lineup. I mean think about it, a young guy who is hungry and has something to prove. You bring him up and plug him in for someone like Rios or Teahan, he is going to spark this offense.
Overall Solution: Here is exactly what I would do. Move Quentin to left, replace Pierre with Lillibridge and put Lillibridge in Center and then plug in Viciedo in right. Either that or put him in at third and sit Morel, either way your sacrificing a little defense for a potential offensive explosion. But I think plugging in guys like Lillibridge and Dayan would spark this offense and that is what we need right now people. Unfortunately, money controls everything and they aren't going to bench Rios and probably not Pierre because of the big contracts they have. Which is sad, that we are going to sacrifice winning for money.
Anyway, hopefully we can start a winning streak as we are playing a few bad teams these next few series. We'll just have to weather the storm and hope these guys (who are going to keep getting the starting nod) will start turning things around and start playing to their potentials.
Game is at 7:10 tonight, Jake Peavy returns to the starting rotation, lets hope he looks as good as he did in his rehab start and lets hope this offense wakes up. I've said it all year and I'll say it again, this team has too much talent to have the record they have. The Cubs are just a bad team this year as they are 13 games under .500, this is a team we should beat.
By the way, I went to the first game of the crosstown classic the other day, what a joke. I'm not just talking about the way the Sox played. I'm talking about the type of "fan" that invaded the Cell. I've never seen so many plaid shorts, dress shirts, man earrings, and drunks at a game than I saw on Monday night. Talk about binge drinking, Cub fans left and right stumbling around, trying to walk the stairs to their seats, starting fights, bragging about their 13 games under .500 team. It really was pathetic to watch. If I can make time for it, I will be posting that video, explaining Cub fans and the differences between us and them, since if I typed everything I wanted to say, it would be wayyyy to long.
Go Sox.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Monday, June 20, 2011
Sox Finish Road Trip on High Note
Again, I apologize for not posting in a couple games. I have been really really busy, not to mention the Sox didn't give me much to post about at the beginning of this past road trip, but I digress. Ok, I'm going to make this post quick so we can move on to previewing the crosstown classic (amongst other Sox/cub things).
Alrighty then, The Sox just took 2 of 3 from the Diamondbacks in AZ, as Danks picked up an impressive win on Saturday. What made it even more impressive, was that Johnny took a line shot off the side of his head in the early goings of that game, only to stay in and pitch 7 strong innings giving up 2 runs on 7 hits. I mean the man laughed on the field after taking a laser to the side of the head. He didn't ask for a doctor, he asked for the ball and that is what makes John Danks the competitor that he is. He's a bulldog as Hawk would say. Johnny, this buds for you. Anyway the offense would come alive in that game on Saturday late. As the Sox broke a 2-2 tie with a Konerko solo job in the 6th (picking up his 2nd RBI of the day and 2nd home run in as many days) making it a 3-2 Sox lead. But the finishing blow came in the 8th, with 2 on and 1 out Alex Rios, your neighborhood insurance agent, blasted a 3 run homer to give the Sox a 4 run cushion. They would hold on to win that one 6-2.
Yesterday, on Fathers Day, the Sox received another excellent pitching performance from Phil Humber. He went 7.2 innings, giving up 2 runs on 7 hits. The bats stumbled out of the gate but came alive late (again) plating 2 runs in the 7th and a 5 spot in the 8th. The Sox won that one 8-2 to take the series and pull (yet again) to within 3 games of .500. Konerko homered for his 3rd straight game and Rios homered for the second day in a row as well.
The Sox need to take this momentum and have a tremendous home stand this week. We play the Scrubs..... Chumps.... Chubs... sorry CUBS starting today (Monday) in the "Crosstown-Classic" Or as it will be known in about 2 weeks, the "Crosstown-Beat Down." Then we get the Nationals at home starting Friday. So we really really need to take care of business against 2 lesser National League teams.
Just would like to take this last opportunity to say thank you to my Dad. A hard working man who taught me everything I know about the White Sox. Always set a great example for me growing up on how to be a man and act like an adult, work hard for what I have, love the Sox and hate the Cubs. Thanks Dad! Happy Fathers Day (again).
Look for a post very soon previewing the crosstown classic (there might even be a video in there where I de-bunk Cub fans top 3 crosstown arguments as well as separate the two fan bases by demographic). Go Sox.
Alrighty then, The Sox just took 2 of 3 from the Diamondbacks in AZ, as Danks picked up an impressive win on Saturday. What made it even more impressive, was that Johnny took a line shot off the side of his head in the early goings of that game, only to stay in and pitch 7 strong innings giving up 2 runs on 7 hits. I mean the man laughed on the field after taking a laser to the side of the head. He didn't ask for a doctor, he asked for the ball and that is what makes John Danks the competitor that he is. He's a bulldog as Hawk would say. Johnny, this buds for you. Anyway the offense would come alive in that game on Saturday late. As the Sox broke a 2-2 tie with a Konerko solo job in the 6th (picking up his 2nd RBI of the day and 2nd home run in as many days) making it a 3-2 Sox lead. But the finishing blow came in the 8th, with 2 on and 1 out Alex Rios, your neighborhood insurance agent, blasted a 3 run homer to give the Sox a 4 run cushion. They would hold on to win that one 6-2.
Yesterday, on Fathers Day, the Sox received another excellent pitching performance from Phil Humber. He went 7.2 innings, giving up 2 runs on 7 hits. The bats stumbled out of the gate but came alive late (again) plating 2 runs in the 7th and a 5 spot in the 8th. The Sox won that one 8-2 to take the series and pull (yet again) to within 3 games of .500. Konerko homered for his 3rd straight game and Rios homered for the second day in a row as well.
The Sox need to take this momentum and have a tremendous home stand this week. We play the Scrubs..... Chumps.... Chubs... sorry CUBS starting today (Monday) in the "Crosstown-Classic" Or as it will be known in about 2 weeks, the "Crosstown-Beat Down." Then we get the Nationals at home starting Friday. So we really really need to take care of business against 2 lesser National League teams.
Just would like to take this last opportunity to say thank you to my Dad. A hard working man who taught me everything I know about the White Sox. Always set a great example for me growing up on how to be a man and act like an adult, work hard for what I have, love the Sox and hate the Cubs. Thanks Dad! Happy Fathers Day (again).
Look for a post very soon previewing the crosstown classic (there might even be a video in there where I de-bunk Cub fans top 3 crosstown arguments as well as separate the two fan bases by demographic). Go Sox.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Twins Continue to Make Life Hell For Us
We are 0 for 4 against the Twins this season.
The Twins have 8 starters on the DL and we still lost both games to them
Thank God for the rain out or we would have dropped 3 games
In 36 innings against the Twins this season, we've scored 3 runs...........
I literally cannot watch this team sometimes, they are so frustrating
We hit into 6 double plays in 2 games against the Twins. Should have been 7 double plays, but the Twins committed an error.
The mediocracy of this team right now is really overwhelming.
They have so much talent in the lineup and are underachieving so much, I almost can't stand it.
Our only chance is if inter league play bails us out..... yet again.
We're in Arizona tomorrow. First pitch is at 8:40pm on Comcast Sportsnet.
The Twins have 8 starters on the DL and we still lost both games to them
Thank God for the rain out or we would have dropped 3 games
In 36 innings against the Twins this season, we've scored 3 runs...........
I literally cannot watch this team sometimes, they are so frustrating
We hit into 6 double plays in 2 games against the Twins. Should have been 7 double plays, but the Twins committed an error.
The mediocracy of this team right now is really overwhelming.
They have so much talent in the lineup and are underachieving so much, I almost can't stand it.
Our only chance is if inter league play bails us out..... yet again.
We're in Arizona tomorrow. First pitch is at 8:40pm on Comcast Sportsnet.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Rain, Rain Go Away So the Sox Can Win Today
Alright Sox fans, I'm just sitting here, waiting out the rain delay, flipping around stations (because God knows as soon as WCIU put "Meet the Browns" on as their rain delay programming, I turned the station). Anyways, I just wanted to take this time to preview this upcoming series in Minnesota.
We come into this 3 game set with an overall record of 33 and 35, 4 games out of first place, we're 6 and 4 in our last 10 games. The Twins come in with an overall record of 26 and 39, 9.5 games out of first, however, they've been playing good baseball lately sporting an 8 and 2 record in their last 10 games. This is going to be a big series for our White Sox. We have battled back over this past month to bring it within 2 games of .500. The Twins are a team you can never count out and have been charging as of late. We need to cool this team off and come away with at least a series win.
My keys to this series:
1. Get it Dunn
What I mean by this is, Adam Dunn needs to have a break out series. He has slowly begun to hit and when he starts to hit, our lineup becomes 10X more dangerous as he not only provides offensive production but protection for the hitters around him. He is a big key to our offensive success.
2. Clutch Hitting (By the way, they just cancelled the game for tonight)
Our offense is still leaving way to many men on base, the only way we are going to play to our potential is by knocking in runs when we have them out on the base paths. Obviously, we can't drive in every runner we put on base, but leaving 15 men on base in a game is unforgivable. If we are going to cool off the Twins, we need to start cashing the checks that are runners in scoring position.
3. Twin Throwings
Now that we're only playing 2 games in this series because of the cancelation today, we need our pitching staff to come out in both of our games and shut it down. We cannot have a let up, and that goes for our bullpen too. Santos especially needs to come out and absolutely shut it down (for his confidence and for the teams momentum)
This is a big one for our Sox folks. Lets hope they can come out and shut down a weak Twins team. Reason I say they're weak is because of the massive amount of injuries and big name players they have on the DL right now. They have been playing better than the team that they actually are. Its also a big one for us because after this series we go into Arizona to play a hot Diamondbacks team which kicks off inter league play for us, which is traditionally where the Sox make up a ton of ground.
By the way, I also just started a new poll, located on the right side of this page, let me know who you think has been the biggest surprise of the 2011 season so far. Also, like the perspective on facebook!
So lets come back tomorrow and get that first win in Minnesota, the game starts at 7:10 and thats going to be over on WCIU. Big series. Lets get it done Sox.
So lets come back tomorrow and get that first win in Minnesota, the game starts at 7:10 and thats going to be over on WCIU. Big series. Lets get it done Sox.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Sox Get it Dunn in Finale
Adam Dunn has been struggling mightily these first 2 months of this 2011 season. But lately it seems he has started to turn the corner, belting two home runs in this last series against the A's, driving in 6 in the series while walking 3 times and scoring 3 runs. One of his two series home runs was a game changer in the series finale on Sunday.
The White Sox offense struggled early, unable to get anything going until the 4th when Konerko started things off with a single, followed by an hit batsmen to AJ, which eventually set Dunn up with 2 on and 2 out to take a hanging curveball and absolutely park it deep in the right field bleachers.
You can't leave the breaking ball there.....
That was a big moment for a few reasons, first of all it gave the Sox the lead and put a struggling offense right back in the game. But possibly more important (because this is more long term) it gave Adam Dunn more confidence and right now, that is what he needs. Nothing helps break a ball player out of a huge slump more than production. He said in a post game interview that he is finally starting to feel better up there at the plate, which is huge for the White Sox.
After 2 A's runs (which tied the game at 3 in the 7th) the White Sox would catch a break and take full advantage of it in the bottom half of the 7th. With men on 1st and 2nd Carlos Quentin would hit a slow roller to A's third basemen Scott Sizemore who would rush his throw to second (as a speedy Alexi was trucking into second) and throw the ball into left field, allowing Teahan to round 3rd and score and Alexi to get up and make 3rd. Konerko would follow with a solid single into left to plate an insurance run in Ramirez to give the Sox the 5-3 lead. Santos would come in for the save, he looked shaky again giving up 2 hits, a walk, and a run. The game ended on a ground ball to third and a close (and questionable) play at first, but none the less the White Sox got the much needed win to close out the A's and take 3 of 4 for the series.
Lets talk pitching real quick. Phillip Humber was absolutely solid yet again, he has yet to give up more than 4 runs in a game for this entire season. He went 7 innings, giving up 3 runs on 4 hits. Phil had a rocky first inning but after that he was lights out, striking out 7 and only walking 2. He has been our most reliable starter all season and quite the pleasant surprise I might add. Humber was done in the 7th, giving way for Matt Thornton in the 8th who pitched an inning, giving up no hits and walking one. Cue Sergio Santos in the 9th, coming off a horrendous blown save on Friday Sergio looked shaky again. As I said earlier he gave up 2 hits, a walk, and a run. But he did record the save, giving the Sox the win.
Where does this win put us? 3.5 games out of first and 2 under .500. We go on the road to Minnesota to face off with a red hot Twins team who have been charging as of late. They are 8 and 2 in their last 10, hopefully we can cool them down and get back to .500. I don't mean to pat myself on the back prematurely but I do believe I set the date at June 15th for the Sox to be back to .500. Well they're 2 games under with 2 games to play until June 15th..... (not to mention that game on Friday night, if they hang on to that, they're an even .500 right now, oh well). But we need to keep this momentum going and we need to just dominate in Minnesota to propel this team into inter league play (which is where we always make up ground).
I wanna talk about one player right now who has been an absolute force lately. Paul "The Captain" Konerko. He is currently on a 13 game hitting streak, hitting an unreal .460 (23 for 50) with 9 doubles, 6 homers, 15 RBIs, 6 walks, and 10 runs scored during this streak. That is unbelievable. The man has been on a mission. That is why he is our captain people, he has single handedly ignited this offense. Numbers don't lie. As of right now, his numbers on the season are as follows:
Average: .322
Home Runs: 16
RBI: 52
Doubles: 11
OBP: .390
SLG: .563
Walks: 28
The man has literally gotten better with age. Paulie, this buds for you.
Anyway, today (Monday) is a much needed off day for the club as they travel to Minnesota. Lets hope we can cool the Twins down and get back to .500. We are right back in this pennant race folks (just as this White Sox fanatic predicted we would be). This team is too good to not be in it. Enjoy the off day and lets go out and get those pesky Twins tomorrow. Go Sox!
The White Sox offense struggled early, unable to get anything going until the 4th when Konerko started things off with a single, followed by an hit batsmen to AJ, which eventually set Dunn up with 2 on and 2 out to take a hanging curveball and absolutely park it deep in the right field bleachers.
That was a big moment for a few reasons, first of all it gave the Sox the lead and put a struggling offense right back in the game. But possibly more important (because this is more long term) it gave Adam Dunn more confidence and right now, that is what he needs. Nothing helps break a ball player out of a huge slump more than production. He said in a post game interview that he is finally starting to feel better up there at the plate, which is huge for the White Sox.
After 2 A's runs (which tied the game at 3 in the 7th) the White Sox would catch a break and take full advantage of it in the bottom half of the 7th. With men on 1st and 2nd Carlos Quentin would hit a slow roller to A's third basemen Scott Sizemore who would rush his throw to second (as a speedy Alexi was trucking into second) and throw the ball into left field, allowing Teahan to round 3rd and score and Alexi to get up and make 3rd. Konerko would follow with a solid single into left to plate an insurance run in Ramirez to give the Sox the 5-3 lead. Santos would come in for the save, he looked shaky again giving up 2 hits, a walk, and a run. The game ended on a ground ball to third and a close (and questionable) play at first, but none the less the White Sox got the much needed win to close out the A's and take 3 of 4 for the series.
Lets talk pitching real quick. Phillip Humber was absolutely solid yet again, he has yet to give up more than 4 runs in a game for this entire season. He went 7 innings, giving up 3 runs on 4 hits. Phil had a rocky first inning but after that he was lights out, striking out 7 and only walking 2. He has been our most reliable starter all season and quite the pleasant surprise I might add. Humber was done in the 7th, giving way for Matt Thornton in the 8th who pitched an inning, giving up no hits and walking one. Cue Sergio Santos in the 9th, coming off a horrendous blown save on Friday Sergio looked shaky again. As I said earlier he gave up 2 hits, a walk, and a run. But he did record the save, giving the Sox the win.
Where does this win put us? 3.5 games out of first and 2 under .500. We go on the road to Minnesota to face off with a red hot Twins team who have been charging as of late. They are 8 and 2 in their last 10, hopefully we can cool them down and get back to .500. I don't mean to pat myself on the back prematurely but I do believe I set the date at June 15th for the Sox to be back to .500. Well they're 2 games under with 2 games to play until June 15th..... (not to mention that game on Friday night, if they hang on to that, they're an even .500 right now, oh well). But we need to keep this momentum going and we need to just dominate in Minnesota to propel this team into inter league play (which is where we always make up ground).
I wanna talk about one player right now who has been an absolute force lately. Paul "The Captain" Konerko. He is currently on a 13 game hitting streak, hitting an unreal .460 (23 for 50) with 9 doubles, 6 homers, 15 RBIs, 6 walks, and 10 runs scored during this streak. That is unbelievable. The man has been on a mission. That is why he is our captain people, he has single handedly ignited this offense. Numbers don't lie. As of right now, his numbers on the season are as follows:
Average: .322Home Runs: 16
RBI: 52
Doubles: 11
OBP: .390
SLG: .563
Walks: 28
The man has literally gotten better with age. Paulie, this buds for you.
Anyway, today (Monday) is a much needed off day for the club as they travel to Minnesota. Lets hope we can cool the Twins down and get back to .500. We are right back in this pennant race folks (just as this White Sox fanatic predicted we would be). This team is too good to not be in it. Enjoy the off day and lets go out and get those pesky Twins tomorrow. Go Sox!
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Brent Lillibridge Saves the Day
As I posted yesterday, I apologize for not posting this past week, I was in Cooperstown NY. The Sox had a decent week while I was gone and are slowly climbing the ladder. That being said, lets get started.
The White Sox came into US Cellular field on Saturday needing to bounce back after a heartbreaking loss on Friday. We have been slowly crawling back towards a .500 record and the top of this division. On a night where the bats weren't really there, the Sox needed all the help they could get from their pitching and defense. Brent Lillibridge and John Danks certainly rose the the occasion.
John Danks who recently made a minor change in his mound mechanics has been lights out his last 2 starts (including last night). He went 7.2 innings only giving up 2 runs on 4 hits. He was stellar. John Danks obviously is a better pitcher than his 2-8 record reflects. But it is nice to see him still going out there and absolutely battling every time he has as start. Look for him to start stacking up the wins, I honestly wouldn't be surprised if he ended the season with a winning record (Mark my words right now). Anyways, Danks goes 7 and 2 thirds innings and gives way for Jesse Crain who finished off the final inning and a third to nail it down and get the save to give the Sox a 3-2 victory.
Lets talk about the defense real quick. Not the strongest outing all around as the Sox committed two errors, one by Ramirez at short and one by Castro behind the plate. But those errors were erased from our minds when Brent Lillibridge made a game saving, home run robbing snag, going over the wall and bringing a Coco Crisp shot back into the park.
From this angle you can really see what a great catch (especially given the circumstances) this really was.
With a man on base for the A's, that ball would have taken the lead away from our Sox and a win away from John Danks. Brent Lillibridge has been playing his way into a starting position. He hustles all the time, he throws the leather, and boy for a little guy, he can really swing. Last night was no different, making a huge play in the field as well as on the base paths, stealing second and advancing to third in the 6th, only to score what turned out to be the winning run on the next play. Brent Lillibridge, this buds for you.
As I stated earlier, the offense struggled a little bit scoring 3 runs on only 6 hits. Out of our 3 runs 2 of them were the results of throwing errors. Ramon Castro led off the 4th inning with a solo home run and that was really it for the offensive fireworks. But we took advantage of mistakes by the other team and thats what great teams do. They find a way to win, which is exactly what the Sox did last night.
We need to keep stacking up wins people, there has been a changing of the guard in the AL Central as the Tigers moved into a first place tie with the Indians last night. I don't mean to say "I told you so" but just as I stated many times earlier this season, the Indians have finally come down to earth and are fading fast. They are 2 and 8 in their last 10 and I suspect they will continue to fade. This race is between 2 teams folks, the White Sox and the Tigers. We need to keep winning, we're almost back to .500 and when that happens this race will really heat up. First things first, we need to take care of business today against Oakland and take 3 of 4 from the A's at home. The key for us to winning this division is going to be to win games at home, our home record going into today (Sunday) is 15 and 17. Thats not good folks, we need to win at home. Its as simple as that, if we can start winning big at home, this team is really going to take off. They have been playing better and better and continue to climb, lets get this one today and go from there.
Today (Sunday) we have Phil Humber on the mound who has been our best starter, first pitch is going to be at 1:10 over on Comcast Sportsnet. Go Sox.
The White Sox came into US Cellular field on Saturday needing to bounce back after a heartbreaking loss on Friday. We have been slowly crawling back towards a .500 record and the top of this division. On a night where the bats weren't really there, the Sox needed all the help they could get from their pitching and defense. Brent Lillibridge and John Danks certainly rose the the occasion.
John Danks who recently made a minor change in his mound mechanics has been lights out his last 2 starts (including last night). He went 7.2 innings only giving up 2 runs on 4 hits. He was stellar. John Danks obviously is a better pitcher than his 2-8 record reflects. But it is nice to see him still going out there and absolutely battling every time he has as start. Look for him to start stacking up the wins, I honestly wouldn't be surprised if he ended the season with a winning record (Mark my words right now). Anyways, Danks goes 7 and 2 thirds innings and gives way for Jesse Crain who finished off the final inning and a third to nail it down and get the save to give the Sox a 3-2 victory.
Lets talk about the defense real quick. Not the strongest outing all around as the Sox committed two errors, one by Ramirez at short and one by Castro behind the plate. But those errors were erased from our minds when Brent Lillibridge made a game saving, home run robbing snag, going over the wall and bringing a Coco Crisp shot back into the park.
With a man on base for the A's, that ball would have taken the lead away from our Sox and a win away from John Danks. Brent Lillibridge has been playing his way into a starting position. He hustles all the time, he throws the leather, and boy for a little guy, he can really swing. Last night was no different, making a huge play in the field as well as on the base paths, stealing second and advancing to third in the 6th, only to score what turned out to be the winning run on the next play. Brent Lillibridge, this buds for you.
As I stated earlier, the offense struggled a little bit scoring 3 runs on only 6 hits. Out of our 3 runs 2 of them were the results of throwing errors. Ramon Castro led off the 4th inning with a solo home run and that was really it for the offensive fireworks. But we took advantage of mistakes by the other team and thats what great teams do. They find a way to win, which is exactly what the Sox did last night.
We need to keep stacking up wins people, there has been a changing of the guard in the AL Central as the Tigers moved into a first place tie with the Indians last night. I don't mean to say "I told you so" but just as I stated many times earlier this season, the Indians have finally come down to earth and are fading fast. They are 2 and 8 in their last 10 and I suspect they will continue to fade. This race is between 2 teams folks, the White Sox and the Tigers. We need to keep winning, we're almost back to .500 and when that happens this race will really heat up. First things first, we need to take care of business today against Oakland and take 3 of 4 from the A's at home. The key for us to winning this division is going to be to win games at home, our home record going into today (Sunday) is 15 and 17. Thats not good folks, we need to win at home. Its as simple as that, if we can start winning big at home, this team is really going to take off. They have been playing better and better and continue to climb, lets get this one today and go from there.
Today (Sunday) we have Phil Humber on the mound who has been our best starter, first pitch is going to be at 1:10 over on Comcast Sportsnet. Go Sox.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Apologies for not posting for so long
Hey everyone, sorry I haven't posted in about a week, I was actually in Cooperstown NY on a very baseball oriented trip. I just wanted to apologize and give my explanation really quick. That game last night was the first thing I saw when I got back into town, needless to say I don't have much to say about it. I'm actually still in shock that we couldn't close that one out last night. I keep randomly saying out loud "how... how did we lose last night? I mean it was right there...." So I'm gonna need some time to collect my thoughts. But I will be posting again tonight after the game ends, so look for a much needed new post after the game tonight! Go Sox! We really need this one!
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
White Sox Complete The Boston Massacre
Shout out to Jay Modelski for the title.
The White Sox completed a HUGE sweep of the Boston Red Sox today (Wednesday). This was a back and forth game that eventually landed on the White Sox side. Just a monster win today for our Sox. They NEEDED this one and they got it. What I loved about this game was the fact that we were down early and battled back to hang on and win by 3 runs. Right now, we are to the Red Sox what the Twins are to us. A pain in the rear. How great is it that we stormed into Fenway and swept the hottest team in the league?
Come on, I had to do it
Gavin Floyd looked very shaky early on, giving up a quick 3 runs in the 2nd inning. But after that folks, Gavin settled down and put it on cruise control with just a 1 run speed bump in the 6th. So Floyd goes 6.2 innings and gives up 4 earned runs and 9 hits. The Red Sox scored 3 in the 2nd as I said already, those 3 runs off 4 hits. They would score again in the 6th on a David Ortiz home run. Sale would come in and shut down the Bo Sox for the 3rd out of the 7th inning and then the entire 8th, he goes 1.1 innings retiring everyone he saw, setting up Sergio Santos to come in and close it out in a 1-2-3 9th.
The offense was stellar again, scoring 7 runs on 12 hits. Highlighted by a powerful day at the plate for Brent Lillibridge, who was 2 for 5 with 2 RBIs and a homer and a double off the top of the green monster (which was his second ball in as many days that hit the very top of the monster, if we were at home, he would have had 2 more homers). Alexi was 3 for 5 with an RBI, continuing to tear the cover off the ball. Not to mention another great day at the plate by the captain, Paul Konerko who was 3 for 4 with 3 RBI, a homer, and a run scored. This offense is heating up with the weather (just like I said it would about a month ago). The pitching is completely shutting teams down, the bullpen has been stellar, and the offense is starting to really mash. This team is falling right into place like we thought it would (well most of us at least).
Their last 15 games against the Red Sox, the White Sox have outscored Boston 88 to 50! They have now won their last 7 straight games at Fenway Park, the last time the White Sox did that..... 1959. Foreshadowing? We'll see.
We come home now and let me just say, its about time, we've already had 3 ten game road trips and have played the most road games in all of the major leagues. Get this, the Sox are only on the road for 9 games from now until the all-star break (July 11th). This is our time to get hot and tear it up at home. This is our chance to get back to .500 and burn right past it and take our top spot in the division. I don't think its any fluke that the Indians have played mostly home games (when compared to the other teams in the league) and we've been on the road more than any team in the bigs and the standings look the way they do. Its going to even out, the Indians are on their way back down to earth, and our talented Sox are finally starting to let their talent show. Sit back, relax, and strap it down Sox fans, here come the Sox!
If you like what I write, please share it with your friends on facebook , twitter, stumbleupon, ect. by clicking the icons below and then clicking "share" Its easy to do and it is much appreciated.
Also, make sure you take a look at my wrap up for the Sox month of May. Some pretty eye opening stats in there.
The White Sox completed a HUGE sweep of the Boston Red Sox today (Wednesday). This was a back and forth game that eventually landed on the White Sox side. Just a monster win today for our Sox. They NEEDED this one and they got it. What I loved about this game was the fact that we were down early and battled back to hang on and win by 3 runs. Right now, we are to the Red Sox what the Twins are to us. A pain in the rear. How great is it that we stormed into Fenway and swept the hottest team in the league?
Gavin Floyd looked very shaky early on, giving up a quick 3 runs in the 2nd inning. But after that folks, Gavin settled down and put it on cruise control with just a 1 run speed bump in the 6th. So Floyd goes 6.2 innings and gives up 4 earned runs and 9 hits. The Red Sox scored 3 in the 2nd as I said already, those 3 runs off 4 hits. They would score again in the 6th on a David Ortiz home run. Sale would come in and shut down the Bo Sox for the 3rd out of the 7th inning and then the entire 8th, he goes 1.1 innings retiring everyone he saw, setting up Sergio Santos to come in and close it out in a 1-2-3 9th.
The offense was stellar again, scoring 7 runs on 12 hits. Highlighted by a powerful day at the plate for Brent Lillibridge, who was 2 for 5 with 2 RBIs and a homer and a double off the top of the green monster (which was his second ball in as many days that hit the very top of the monster, if we were at home, he would have had 2 more homers). Alexi was 3 for 5 with an RBI, continuing to tear the cover off the ball. Not to mention another great day at the plate by the captain, Paul Konerko who was 3 for 4 with 3 RBI, a homer, and a run scored. This offense is heating up with the weather (just like I said it would about a month ago). The pitching is completely shutting teams down, the bullpen has been stellar, and the offense is starting to really mash. This team is falling right into place like we thought it would (well most of us at least).
Their last 15 games against the Red Sox, the White Sox have outscored Boston 88 to 50! They have now won their last 7 straight games at Fenway Park, the last time the White Sox did that..... 1959. Foreshadowing? We'll see.
We come home now and let me just say, its about time, we've already had 3 ten game road trips and have played the most road games in all of the major leagues. Get this, the Sox are only on the road for 9 games from now until the all-star break (July 11th). This is our time to get hot and tear it up at home. This is our chance to get back to .500 and burn right past it and take our top spot in the division. I don't think its any fluke that the Indians have played mostly home games (when compared to the other teams in the league) and we've been on the road more than any team in the bigs and the standings look the way they do. Its going to even out, the Indians are on their way back down to earth, and our talented Sox are finally starting to let their talent show. Sit back, relax, and strap it down Sox fans, here come the Sox!
If you like what I write, please share it with your friends on facebook , twitter, stumbleupon, ect. by clicking the icons below and then clicking "share" Its easy to do and it is much appreciated.
Also, make sure you take a look at my wrap up for the Sox month of May. Some pretty eye opening stats in there.
Month of May: Turn Around?
Alright Sox fans, May is over with. Was May the month the Sox started to turn it around? Or just a big tease? I believe that in a few months, we'll look back on May and say "Yes, this is where our season turned around." Hawk Harrelson always talks about "season defining moments." So far, the play that seems to have turned our season around was a 3 run home run by Brent Morel back on Tuesday, May 17th against the Texas Rangers. I was actually at that game and let me tell you, it was not a pretty start. John Danks was wild, falling behind hitters, walking guys, giving up hits. He had 72 pitches through the first 3 innings. The offense was dead. It looked like we were going to get shutout. But then Brent Morel of all people, stepped to the plate in 5th, setting the scene for what up until now, has been the moment that has turned this team around.
With a 2-1 Count of all things, Brent gets a fastball out over the plate and does not miss it. Notice that there was also 2 outs. This ball got out of here in a hurry and I remember sitting there at the game (after I came down off the high supplied by this Brent Morel shot) that this could be the moment that gets this team going and not to pat myself on the back, I believe that I was right.
Look at his swing, head down, bat and arms extended. Perfect. Since this play the Sox have been playing a lot better, they've had a tough game here and there but you can see the offense and the pitching bearing down. They were 9 and 6 after this home run, not great, but thats also including this tough road trip we've had to deal with lately. But anyone who has watched this team lately can tell they've been playing better.
I have a few stats here for the Month of May, especially compared to the awful start we got off to in April.
We closed out May with a 13 and 16 record. That compared to our 10 and 18 record in April.
In April we were 4 and 8 at home. That stat needs to improve if we're going to win this division. In May we were 6 and 5. So it is improving.
We were 10 and 8 on the road in May as opposed to 6-10 in April.
In May our we scored 129 runs and only allowed 109. As opposed to April, where we scored 109 runs and gave up an astounding 149 runs. What does this mean? Well the pitching gave up 30 less runs which is huge. The offense also scored an additional 20 runs. Thats a pretty nice swing on both ends.
A few stand out players from the month of May:
- Offensively Paul Konerko, Alexi Ramirez, and Carlos Quentin had a great month, Paulie continued to lead the team in RBI's, Carlos Quentin would lead the team in doubles and Alexi Ramriez turned it on late in the month, with a ton of clutch hits and RBIs.
-Phil Humber gets my shout out for the pitching staff, closing out the Month with a 3.06 ERA overall and a 4 and 3 overall record (which is impressive especially when you look at the lack of offensive support the pitching staff received earlier in the year). He has shut down teams like the Yankees and Red Sox AT their ballparks and has arguably been our most reliable starter. Which is why Ozzie continues to stick with the 6 man rotation (which seems to be working for us) because Phil Humber has more than earned his spot in this rotation. Phil, this buds for you
-Out of the bullpen, this one goes out to Sergio Santos, closing out the month as our closer, with a stellar 1.40 ERA in 25.2 innings pitch, he has 8 saves and a 2 and 1 record. That is just unreal. He has been the most reliable reliever that we have, stepping up and filling in our whole at the closer's role. Sergio, this buds for you.
In conclusion Sox fans, we continue to climb... look at the stats and watch the team, you can see the improvement all around. We just need to continue to play to our potential and get better and this team will be something special. A month from now, for my next month wrap-up I'll be talking about a first place Sox team who charged hard in June. Lets get em' this month boys. Go Sox.
With a 2-1 Count of all things, Brent gets a fastball out over the plate and does not miss it. Notice that there was also 2 outs. This ball got out of here in a hurry and I remember sitting there at the game (after I came down off the high supplied by this Brent Morel shot) that this could be the moment that gets this team going and not to pat myself on the back, I believe that I was right.
Look at his swing, head down, bat and arms extended. Perfect. Since this play the Sox have been playing a lot better, they've had a tough game here and there but you can see the offense and the pitching bearing down. They were 9 and 6 after this home run, not great, but thats also including this tough road trip we've had to deal with lately. But anyone who has watched this team lately can tell they've been playing better.
I have a few stats here for the Month of May, especially compared to the awful start we got off to in April.
We closed out May with a 13 and 16 record. That compared to our 10 and 18 record in April.
In April we were 4 and 8 at home. That stat needs to improve if we're going to win this division. In May we were 6 and 5. So it is improving.
We were 10 and 8 on the road in May as opposed to 6-10 in April.
In May our we scored 129 runs and only allowed 109. As opposed to April, where we scored 109 runs and gave up an astounding 149 runs. What does this mean? Well the pitching gave up 30 less runs which is huge. The offense also scored an additional 20 runs. Thats a pretty nice swing on both ends.
A few stand out players from the month of May:
- Offensively Paul Konerko, Alexi Ramirez, and Carlos Quentin had a great month, Paulie continued to lead the team in RBI's, Carlos Quentin would lead the team in doubles and Alexi Ramriez turned it on late in the month, with a ton of clutch hits and RBIs.
-Phil Humber gets my shout out for the pitching staff, closing out the Month with a 3.06 ERA overall and a 4 and 3 overall record (which is impressive especially when you look at the lack of offensive support the pitching staff received earlier in the year). He has shut down teams like the Yankees and Red Sox AT their ballparks and has arguably been our most reliable starter. Which is why Ozzie continues to stick with the 6 man rotation (which seems to be working for us) because Phil Humber has more than earned his spot in this rotation. Phil, this buds for you
-Out of the bullpen, this one goes out to Sergio Santos, closing out the month as our closer, with a stellar 1.40 ERA in 25.2 innings pitch, he has 8 saves and a 2 and 1 record. That is just unreal. He has been the most reliable reliever that we have, stepping up and filling in our whole at the closer's role. Sergio, this buds for you.
In conclusion Sox fans, we continue to climb... look at the stats and watch the team, you can see the improvement all around. We just need to continue to play to our potential and get better and this team will be something special. A month from now, for my next month wrap-up I'll be talking about a first place Sox team who charged hard in June. Lets get em' this month boys. Go Sox.
Boston Tea-Off party
The White Sox charged into Fenway Park on Tuesday looking for a much needed win. Thanks to the offense and a strong start by Phil Humber, the White Sox achieved that goal. The White Sox scored early and often. There was so much offense, I'm only going to list a few notable highlights and then I'll list the offensive stat lines.
The White Sox scored 10 runs on 15 hits. Finally, the offense is starting to play like the team we had envisioned at the beginning of this season. The Sox scored 4 runs in the 2nd inning, highlighted by a 2 run single off the bat of Alexi Ramirez (who has been absolutely on fire as of late). The Sox scored 1 in the 3rd inning after back-to-back doubles off the bats of Konerko and AJ. Then they scored again in the 4th on another 1 run single by Alexi. The Sox then put 4 more runs on the board in the 6th highlighted by a RBI double by Carlos Quentin.
Here are the offensive lines I promised you:
Here are the offensive lines I promised you:
Juan Pierre: 1 for 4 with a run scored and 2 RBI
Alexi Ramirez: 4 for 5 with 3 RBI and a run scored (Have a day!)
Carlos Quentin: 1 for 4 with a double and an RBI
*Brent Lillibridge: 1 for 1 with a pinch-hit single
Paul Konerko: 1 for 3 with a double, 2 runs scored, 1 RBI and a walk
AJ Pierzynski: 2 for 4 with a run scored, a double, 1 RBI and a walk
Alex Rios: 0 for 5, the only White Sock without a hit
Adam Dun: 1 for 2 with a run scored, 2 walks
Gordon "The Slayer" Beckham: 3 for 5with 2 runs scored and an RBI
Brent Morel: 1 for 5 with 2 Runs scored
Phil Humber had another impressive start, giving up only 1 run through 7 innings. He pitched 7.2 innings, allowing 3 more earned runs in the 8th, when he was clearly out of gas. Despite his shaky finish, he still pitched a great ball game, shutting down a dangerous Red Sox offense for 7 strong innings. Once Humber ran out of gas towards the end the Sox called upon Will Ohman who looked a little off, giving up a 2 run homerun to David Ortiz (one run charged to Humber, One to Ohman) Ohman escaped the 8th. 9th inning cue Brian Bruney who was just brought up. He looked a little shaky in his first major league outing of the year, giving up 2 more earned runs. The Sox 10-1 lead quickly turned into a 10-7 score, but either way, held up in the end, as Chris Sale came in and got the final out, giving our White Sox another huge win against a tough team.
Thank you offense.
Right now, I would like to take this time to give Alexi Ramirez his due. I know I ride him a lot and I criticize the way he does things at the plate, but he's really been showing me up lately (and I'm loving it). He was 4 for 5 tonight, with a lot of big hits, 3 RBI's and he didn't leave anyone on base. Alexi has had an unbelievable month this May (especially as of late) and a case can be made to give him the player of the month for the American League and all of the Major Leagues. The four hit game today for Alexi raised his overall average to a respectable .290 and his average for May to .313. Alexi, this buds for you.
This game was just a HUGE win for this club. The White Sox have now won their last 7 games in a row at Fenway Park (Shout out to THE Tim Madden for bringing that stat to my attention). The way this road trip started, it did not look good for us going into Boston, but let me just say this, these last 2 wins will not mean nearly as much if we don't get the job done tomorrow. This is because of the position we're in.... constantly working up hill, and needing winning streaks to get back to .500.
Let me tell you why tomorrow is so HUGE for this club:
-It would salvage the road trip (allowing us to split the tough road trip at 5-5)
-It would complete a sweep of the Red Sox
-The momentum would propel us into a 10 game home stand where we could really do some damage
-Most importantly it would bring us closer to .500 and a slipping Indians team
Sweeping a dangerous Red Sox team would really do a lot for the mental state of this team. Lets get this done tomorrow boys, we need it! First pitch is going to be at 12:35 over on Comcast Sportsnet.
Just a heads up to all you Sox fans out there. Look for a special post from me tomorrow; I will be doing a monthly wrap up for this past month of May. See you then!
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