Gavin Floyd and the Sox take another bite out of the big apple

Tuesday night was a big win for the White Sox. They're trying to bounce back from that terrible losing streak, looking to beat the Yankees for the second night in a row. Gavin Floyd was stupendous as he completely shut the Yankees down, allowing 2 runs and 4 hits over 8 innings. The Sox scored one run on a Gordon Beckham single in the 5th and didn't score again until Paul Konerko stepped to the plate in the 8th, turning a 97 mph fastball around and parking it in the left field bleachers with a man on. It still amazes me that pitchers continue to try to sneak fastballs past Paulie. He's one of the best fast ball hitters in the game. The bullpen (Santos) was a little shaky in the 9th, Brent Lillibridge picked up Santos with 2 amazing catches to end the game and give Santos the 4 out save (as he had come in with 2 outs in the 8th).

This was a big win for our Sox, the Yankees are a solid team and going into New York and playing in Yankee stadium is never easy to do, especially when you're struggling. The Sox came in, battled all game and got a huge home run out of their captain in the 8th. Gavin Floyd was absolutely stellar. He showed a lot of poise and maturity, keeping the team in the game for 8 innings like that. The Sox are showing signs of heart, they are scrapping so hard right now trying to put wins together and get into a groove.

Brent lillibridge got in for a pinch run in the 8th inning.... and thank God he did, because he took extra bases away from both A-Rod and Cano and no doubt saved the game in the 9th. With a running catch as he smashed against the wall in right on a long drive by A-Rod only to follow it with a game ending diving grab taking heroics away from Cano on the next at bat!

As the offense is starting to come around, this team continues to improve.  The pitching staff has really been stepping it up (they know the offense has been struggling). All it comes down to now is waiting for the offense to totally break out, because when they do, we will be rolling people.

We're in New York again tomorrow first pitch is at 6:05 and thats over on WCIU. GO SOX

Humber shuts down bombers

Well Sox fans, we did it. We scored enough runs to win, the starting pitching was flawless and the bullpen was lights out. Everything clicked arguably for the first time this season for the White Sox. Phil Humber was on fire in the house that Ruth built on Monday night. Holding the Yankees hitless until the 7th inning. The kid came out and performed like a veteran. Pitching in the 5th spot in a rotation for a team who has been STRUGGLING, in Yankee stadium, on ESPN, and Phil Humber looked like Cy Young. Talk about stepping up for your club, Humber knows his team has really been struggling and when a team is struggling as hard as we have been, it becomes mental. Humber went out and refused to let his team lose, he knew the offense has been struggling to score, so what does he do? Refuse to let the Yankees score a single run. He kept his team in the game and was tremendous for 7 innings.

Phil Humber? More like Phil "Humbler".... Cause.... Cause he "humbled" the Yankees offense....

The offense show signs of life for the first time in days, putting guys on base multiple times, and actually knocking in a couple of those guys. It was the first time they had scored since the 7th inning on Friday night, crazy. Konerko and Dunn each had an RBI as the middle of the lineup did what they're paid to do.... drive in runs.

The bullpen was stellar as Santos recorded the 4 out save. I'll be honest, I did not have the highest of expectations for tonight's game. We've been struggling, its Yankee stadium, Phil Humber was on the mound. But you know what, sometimes when you least expect it, the season hits a turning point. We can only hope Monday night was our turning point. It was an unexpected win for a team desperate to put a "W" on the schedule. Its hard fought wins like the one tonight that can pull a slumping time right out of said slump.

We can only wait and see what the Sox do tomorrow. Hopefully the offense will wake up and start putting up runs, because the pitching has been good enough to win almost every game this season. The bullpen IS settling in, which is great to see. Once this offense gets going, this team is going to be very dangerous.

On a side note, how about those ESPN announcers? My God are they horrendous. I kept the volume on for a half inning. ESPN does nothing but employ East Coast biased blowhards who don't know shit about baseball. Aaron Boone? What is he going to analyze? How not to be successful at the plate? Yea, hey Aaron, next time I'm wondering how to wiff at a batting practice fastball IN A HOME RUN DERBY (2003), I'll call you, until then, get off the roids so it doesn't sound like theres a 12 year old schoolgirl doing a crappy job at analyzing my baseball game on TV.

Tim Kurkjin? My God, talk about a blowhard..... why not just put Bobby Valentine and Skip Balis in the booth with Boone and Kurkjin? They can all talk about the most absurd and unrealistic topics during the game while only being able to truly agree that the MLB only consists of the Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers and Phillies. I literally only had the volume on for less than half an inning and I couldn't stand it. All they talked about was how awful the Sox are (because you know theres ONLY 140 games left, so we can make that assumption, I mean the seasons practically over already)  And Derek Jeter/Aroid. What a joke....

My cousin Tim and I were talking the other day, Why doesn't ESPN make another Network? They'll have their regular ESPN like they have now, where all they'll focus on are East Coast teams, Tiger Woods, the Miami Heat/Lebron James and Jim Tressel. And then they can have another one called "ESPN Everyone Else" where they actually focus on the other 97% of the sports world and teams that just get neglected by the "World Wide Leader in Sports."

 I just can't stand the national sports media.

Anyway, big win, we NEED to build on this, its all mental at this point, guys are pressing hard, they just need to relax and stroke the ball. We'll be just fine, mark my words, June 1st we will be above .500 and in contention.

Offense Stalls in Motor City

Well Sox fans, Im going to make this one short and sweet. The White Sox offense struggled against a dangerous Verlander in Detroit on Friday night. It rained the entire game as the Tigers hit Mark Buehrle around the yard. The Sox got 3 runs on 3 solo home runs (2 from Quentin and a Prayer off the foul pole from Konerko). Final score was 9-3 Tigers......... Be right back.......

Ok, sorry, just had to run to the bathroom and vomit real quick...

 It just isn't bouncing our way right now folks. Every time we hit the ball hard, its right at someone or just foul. But, when it rains, it pours in baseball, and right now there's a hurricane cell over the South Side of Chicago.

There really isn't much more to say folks, its early, we're slumping, but at least we're getting the slumps and errors out of us early, because we have a very long way to go. Frustration is understandable, but there is no reason for anyone to give up hope. Its times like these in baseball when the best thing to do is weather the storm, 2 weeks from now, we won't even remember this skid. Thats the beauty of this game, a short memory, is the best memory.

I'll leave you with these words from the very wise Hawk Harrelson: Sox fans right now we "gotta sinch it up and hunker down."

The Wait For a Win is Over

There was a collective sigh of relief on the South Side of Chicago Thursday night as the White Sox snapped a 7 game skid, routing the Rays 9-2. The offense showed up in full force which is something that we have not seen in a week. The Sox did exactly what they were expected to do against Niemann (The Rays starting pitcher) who came into the game with an era up over 6.

Plenty of highlights to talk about in this one. Carlos Quentin rocketed a double into right center field, which was nice to see the Q using all fields, he picked up 2 RBIs on the day.

                                  
                                          Ball was Scolded.....

The captain was 3-5 with a few RBIs, Omar Vizquel had the first 2 RBIs of the game, one of which was a double off the right field wall (yet again proving age is just a number at 44 years old)  and Gavin Floyd showed great poise and damage control, pitching out of a few jams and holding the Rays to only 2 runs.

My player of the game, Juan Pierre. Proving that he is the battery to this offense (as I have been saying for weeks). Here was an offense that came into this game slumping big time, looking for any kind of a spark to get them going. Pierre didn't waste anytime supplying said spark. His first at bat (the first at bat of the game) He laid down a nice bunt towards the third base line, forcing Felipe Lopez ( Rays third basemen) to charge in and rush his throw, which he threw down the right field line, Pierre scurried all the way into third base, setting up Omar to do exactly what was needed by putting the ball in play on the ground, to the right side. 1-0 Sox. Pierre then got things started in the 3rd. With yet another bunt single. Setting up Omar for a double off the wall, scoring Pierre from first. As we say in baseball, "Hits are contagious;" as the White Sox took off from there, putting up 4 runs in the 3rd, 1 in the 5th, 2 in the 6th, and 1 in the 8th.

I want to take a minute to talk about something I have picked up on over the course of our very young season that has been extremely frustrating. The White Sox pitching staff and their approach with 2 outs. I don't remember the last time the Sox have given up so many 2 out runs. There have been numerous times this season that our pitching staff, wether it be the bullpen or the starters, have worked hard and retired the first 2 batters in an inning, just to come back and walk the next 2 and give up a double (or something along those lines). Everyone knows you have to work hard for all 3 outs, it has been evident to me that our guys have really been getting lax after they've recorded 2 outs. We have actually lost games because of the 2 out runs we've been giving up. There's no excuse for it, you work hard for all 3 outs and you won't have any problems. But the 2 out walks and the hit parades that have begun with 2 outs have been really grinding my gears. Just something to keep in mind and keep an eye out for next time you're watching the game. Don Cooper really needs to get that issue settled down, because those runs are not only damaging to the score, they're damaging to the teams morale, 2 out runs are just a heart smasher, especially when there's no one on base with 2 down and you give up 2 or 3 runs.

But not to rain on the White Sox first win in over a week. This was the team that I expected to see all year, solid pitching, great bullpen support, and relentless offense. Yesterday's game was the typical slump breaker. You could just see the confidence build in our offense, a little more each time they went around the lineup. Look for a hard fought series as we go into the toilet bowl of the midwest (Detroit) this Easter weekend. We have Verlander tonight, who we usually struggle against, hopefully our offense and its new found confidence can pull one out in the motor city.

Go Sox, God I hate Detroit....


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Slumping

The title says it all people, we're slumping, hard. Our pitching has not been bad lately folks, I'll say this, the pitching has been good enough to win (for the most part).  You can still see a lack of confidence in a few guys, its early, thats normal. But the offense has really been struggling. The White Sox were shutout today as the surging Rays dominated every aspect of the game. There really is not much more to say.

Sticking with the optimistic theme that I have had during this losing streak. Its early, last season the White Sox had an awful April and by mid-season were right in the pennant race. This team is a better team than last year. Be happy they're getting the kinks out early and during a pennant race in late September. What frustrates me are the games we lost in the 9th inning so far this season, because this slump now and the losses that we are picking up now, are really magnifying those blown games.

But stay positive everyone, baseball is a game of adjustments, inconsistencies, and grooves. Our offense will adjust, our inconsistencies will level out and we will hit a groove.

Thats all I got

Swept by an Angel

Dan Haren was dominant on Sunday in Chicago. He came into the game (3-0) with a .78 ERA. So needless to say, we had our work cut out for us. We saw vintage Mark Buehrle, getting into trouble early, displaying damage control, while scattering 4 runs and 10 hits over the course of 7 innings. The offense struggled against Haren, unable to do anything until the 7th inning. We strung together some hits, put up 2 runs and had 1st and 2nd with 2 outs. Juan Pierre was at the plate and Angels manager Mike Scioscia elected to go to his bullpen for some help from Francisco Rodriguez. Pierre proceeded to swing at the first pitch, (a questionable decision at best) grounding out to short. 

Fast-forward to the bottom of the 9th. Quentin leads off with a double, Rios walked, AJ lays down THE PERFECT sacrifice bunt, bringing Alexi Ramirez to the plate. Now as I've posted before, I am not a fan of Alexi Ramirez as a hitter and he displayed exactly why that is during his at bat in the 9th. Ok, let me just say, if I'm going up there in the 9th with the tying run on 2nd base, I'm ONLY swinging first pitch if 2 things happen: 1. Its a fastball   2. Its in my wheelhouse.  

Alexi let it fly on a change up at his ankles first pitch. Strike one.

 Next pitch, fastball at his shins, lets her fly, strike 2.

 At this point the at bat was over, next pitch, fastball above his eyes, swing and a miss. 

Just about the worst at bat someone could put together in that situation. I mean you have to be selective in that situation, you don't swing first pitch at anything BUT a fastball. You need to put the ball in play, striking out on 3 pitches is the worst thing he could have done, at least take a pitch, make the guy throw a few pitches, battle up there. Just an awful at bat. Then Vizquel walks, and Pierre improves to 0 for 5 on the day with a game ending fly out to left.

Sox fans, we are NOT playing smart baseball right now. We have put together some of the most brain dead at bats in key situations on this home stand, Quentin green lights it on a 3-0 count with the tying run 90 feet away and a pitcher on the mound with control issues ( Friday night). Pierre swings first pitch (right after a pitching change) in the 7th to totally kill our threat (Today, Sunday). That’s not Pierre's game, he needs to take pitches, work the count, make the pitchers work, get his pitch and slap a base hit. Then Ramirez swings at everything in the 9th, putting together another one of his stellar at bats. 

The good news is, the bullpen has been lights out these last few games. The starting pitching has been good enough to win (minus Floyd yesterday). Now the offense is slumping. 

I’m going to continue to beat this dead horse without mercy and say, try not to get to frustrated. Its still early, we're closer to hitting the groove. The Defense FINALLY did not record an error today and like I said before, the bullpen has been settling in, the starting pitching has been consistently good. Now we just need to offense to break out a little bit and it will all flow. 

I'll leave you with this, sometimes gifts come in strange packages. The last time the Sox were swept at home by the Angels.... 2005. We all know how that season ended.

Scuffling Sox continue to skid

Well Sox fans, its official, the Sox are struggling. Not much has seemed to go the Sox way during the second half of this 10 game home stand. And today was no different, Gavin Floyd was on the bump for the Sox and he didn't look to good. After making a bonehead play on a rundown between 3rd and home with Vernon Wells, he threw a wild pitch, which allowed Wells to score. After a Carlos Quentin Bomb in the bottom half of the 5th the Sox were within 2 runs posting a 3-1 score. Floyd came out in the 6th, got the first 2 guys, walked two and gave up a bomb. Needless to say at that point the game was over. 

I have noticed that the pitching staff has been walking an abnormal amount of guys, it seems that they have been struggling to record the 3rd out of the innings this year. Which makes it frustrating when they work hard for the first two outs and let up on the third. That should not happen nearly as much as it has been. The defense continues to struggle, after today they have recorded 15 errors in 14 games, which is sickening. 

It just comes down to fact that the team is struggling all around; nothing is really clicking or bouncing our way. These slumps happen during the season all the time, lets just be glad we're getting it out of the way early. Once the weather warms up and the bullpen guys find their roles and settle in, they'll start winning games. Just hang in there Sox fans, everything will improve. Like I've been saying, we just need to hang in there around the top of the division and come May, when the weather warms up, so will the team. 

Hang in there everyone. Its still really early, we'll start rolling soon. Just keep supporting them and you will be rewarded with wins soon.