Showdown For The Crown

Waiting Is The Hardest Part

The White Sox just lost their game from April 28 today by a score of 4-3 to the Orioles. I have no problem with the score. Every team loses games. It's part of the season.

What I do have a problem with is how the events unfolded to make this unique game happen.

The original game was played in Chicago. The resumption of the game was played in Baltimore. What? Why on Earth would the end of a game started in Chicago be played in Baltimore? Well, the Orioles were not coming back for a series against the White Sox. So, instead of flying in special for the continuation of the game, they decided to play the rest in Baltimore when the White Sox came there.

OK, I can see that. But wait, there's a catch.

The Orioles were back in Chicago to play the Cubs on June 24. They were coming in from playing the Brewers in Milwaukee on June 22. That means that they had a day off on June 23.

The White Sox played the Cubs at Wrigley Field on June 22. They were scheduled to be in Los Angeles on June 24 to play the Dodgers in a night game. The White Sox had a day off on June 23.

This means that the White Sox and Orioles were both in town at the same time, with a shared day off. The game should have been scheduled to resume in the afternoon of June 23, 2008.

The clear advantage would be the home crowd and the home field. As I watched the resumed game, it was clear that an Orioles crowd was watching this White Sox "home game". Cheers of "LUUUUUKE!" permeated through the crowd meant for Luke Scott on the Orioles. It couldn't have been for Luke Appling, since he's been deceased for 17 years. I watched as bunt attempts were faltered by a Baltimore field substituting for a Chicago home field. This is a huge disadvantage to the "home team".

If this ever happens again in the schedule, to any team, I would hope that MLB would force them to suck it up and sacrifice part of each team's day off to finish their job.

I'm sure many of you are thinking that this is coming out because the White Sox lost the game. A tiny percentage is, but I would have written the same opinions about the resumption of play in Baltimore, even if they won the game.

There is something broken here and it is MLB, for allowing this particular game to be played in Baltimore.

August 22 - 24, 2008: Rays @ White Sox

August 22 - 24, 2008 - Chicago, Illinois

August 22: Rays 9 - White Sox 4
August 23: Rays 5 - White Sox 3
August 24: Rays 5 - White Sox 6

The catcher is a flopper.

Every game in this series should have been won by the White Sox. There simply is no excuse for stranding as many runners as the Sox did throughout the series. Capitalizing on opportunities is something the Sox definitely need to work on. Forget the home run as the be all end all. It does not work for every situation. Sure, if you get a can't miss pitch, by all means, get all over it. But what the team needs more is the single or the gapper when there are men in scoring position and less than two outs.

The good:
Nick Swisher hit home runs in four straight games.

A. J. Pierzynski stole game 3 by getting an interference call in his favor.

The bad:
Javier Vazquez's perfect game turned into a perfect mess in game 2.

Matt Thornton's blown save in game 2.

The ugly:
The sheer amount of opportunities wasted in this series by the Sox.

The bad Octavio Dotel is showing up. The one that gets nobody out.

As soon as Javier Vazquez was given a no decision, he exited the dugout into the clubhouse, not to be seen again on Saturday. I don't blame him. He pitched one hell of a ballgame that day, only to watch it being erased before his very eyes.

Love or hate A.J., you have to admire someone who knows the rule book inside and out. He is truly the Forrest Gump of baseball. He keeps finding himself in impossible situations facing impossible odds and comes out smelling like a rose.

August 18 - 20, 2008: Mariners @ White Sox

August 18 - 20, 2008 - Chicago, Illinois

August 18: Mariners 5 - White Sox 13
August 19: Mariners 0 - White Sox 5
August 20: Mariners 3 - White Sox 15

Clobberin' time!

Did you ever run into a team that was very down on their luck? The Mariners certainly qualify for that position. While they can still win, the Mariners are in a transitional phase right now. They are still dangerous as long as they continue to put Ichiro Suzuki in the lineup everyday.

Ichiro had no problem getting on base. It was the other Mariner players that seemed to have fits throughout the series. Even King Felix was no match for the mighty White Sox bats.

The good:
Over the three game series, the Sox outscored the Mariners 33-8.

Ken Griffey Jr. finally hit his first home run for the Sox in game 3.

The bad:
Mark Buehrle gave up 11 hits in game 1.

Jermaine Dye ground into two double plays in game 2.

The ugly:
Two throwing errors by Clayton Richard in game 2.

DeWayne Wise injured himself during a running catch in the outfield.

The Mariners were simply no match for the White Sox in this series. Most things seemed to go the White Sox way all series long. The only thing that really didn't was DeWayne Wise's injury. That could be devastating if it turns out to be a nagging injury.

For a star athlete, Clayton Richard really should be able to field the ball and throw to first base without throwing the ball away.

August 15 - 17, 2008: White Sox @ Athletics

August 15 - 17, 2008 - Oakland, California

August 15: White Sox 4 - Athletics 6
August 16: White Sox 2 - White Sox 1
August 17: White Sox 13 - Athletics 1

Road trip!

The schedule has been odd this year. For example, this three day road trip to the west coast. Why would anybody in their right mind schedule this? Oh that's right, it was done on a computer. That explains it.

The Sox have traditionally done very poorly on the west coast. Thankfully, the Athletics are an "up and coming" team. This usually would give the Sox fits, but the majority of Athletics players have been in the White Sox system at one point. This ensures that the Sox should have some idea on how to approach these guys.

The good:
Toby Hall was swinging a hot bat in game 2.

The Sox piled on the runs in game 3.

The bad:
John Danks got into some really bad jams in game 2, but managed to get out of them.

Swisher had a fielding error in game 2.

The ugly:
Octavio Dotel blew a save opportunity in game 1.

Alexei Ramirez was picked off first base in game 1.

It was a refreshing change coming leaving the west coast with a winning road trip. Let's hope this is contagious. With the Twins hot on the heels of the Sox, no lead is safe.

August 12 - 14, 2008: Royals @ White Sox

August 12 - 14, 2008 - Chicago, Illinois

August 12: Royals 0 - White Sox 9
August 13: Royals 0 - White Sox 4
August 14: Royals 2 - White Sox 9

Back to back to back to back jacks!

Nothing says revenge more than the series sweep. That is, unless you mix in the great pitching with great hitting and throw in a few records to boot. One record tied a Major League record and made a club record. That was the four straight home runs. The other set a Major League record. That was Carlos Quentin getting hit in six straight games. That's gotta hurt!

The good:
Thome, Konerko, Ramirez and Uribe hit four straight home runs in game 3.

Javier Vazquez went 8 strong innings in game 1.

The bad:
Lance Broadway gave up the only two runs of the series in game 3.

Swisher and Thome each went 0 for 3 in game 2.

The ugly:
Carlos Quentin was hit in his sixth straight game in game 3.

The Sox committed two errors in game 3.

The Sox offense just exploded during this series. The nice thing is that the pitching was phenomenal as well. There really weren't many things going on with this series that I would categorize as bad. I think the Sox are relying way too much on the home run and that will bite them in the behind, if they keep waiting for the homer.

A Couple Of Records

The White Sox may finally be reaching their potential. Today, they achieved a club record and a Major League record.

The Club Record:

Back...

to back...
to back...
to back home runs...
by Jim Thome, Paul Konerko, Alexei Ramirez and Juan Uribe!

This would be the first time in White Sox history that the Sox have homered with four straight batters. Toby Hall prevented it from being five in a row by striking out, in case you were wondering.

This is only the sixth time in Major League history that this feat has occurred, but it is the very first time that it has happened with the 5, 6, 7 & 8 hitters.

And now for something completely different...

The Major League Record:

Carlos Quentin has been hit by a pitch in six straight games!

Ouch! No wonder he had two days off before this record breaking game. Plus, Quentin is only one bases loaded hit by pitch from setting that record too. I guess this record shows that Quentin is not intimidated by inside pitches. I can't really think of a more painful record than this. Can you?

August 8-11, 2008: Red Sox @ White Sox

August 8-11, 2008 - Chicago, Illinois

August 8: Red Sox 3 - White Sox 5
August 9: Red Sox 6 - White Sox 2
August 10: Red Sox 5 - White Sox 6
August 11: Red Sox 5 - White Sox 1

Split!

Mark Buehrle was simply awesome in game one. He needed to rebound from a series of so-so outings. He came back in a big way. The most disturbing trend seems to be the Sox relying on the home run more and more. That's fine to use that as a weapon, but it shouldn't be a crutch. The late nineties Sox teams used the home run as their only tool and you can see how well that worked out.

The good:
Mark Buehrle's outstanding performance in game 1.

The Sox continue to be homer happy.

The bad:
Two errors in game 3.

The Sox have an all or nothing approach to offense lately.

The ugly:
Jose Contreras' ruptured Achilles tendon in game 2.

John Danks lost his no-hitter and the game with a few poorly placed pitches in game 4.

The biggest disappointment was seeing Jose Contreras rupture his Achilles tendon in game two. It happened while Jose was covering first base. While DJ Carrasco was an awesome replacement from the bullpen, it's a bit sad to see Jose out for the season with a possible career ending injury. Jose seemed to have his decent stuff in his outing. This comes as a big blow to the Sox staff.

At least the White Sox were able to split the series with Boston.

August 5-7, 2008: Tigers @ White Sox

August 5-7, 2008 - Chicago, Illinois

August 5: Tigers 8 - White Sox 10
August 6: Tigers 1 - White Sox 5
August 7: Tigers 8 - White Sox 3

You've come a long way.

Every team seems pesky against the White Sox right now. Especially the teams that are essentially out of contention. The Tigers fought tough, but could only salvage the last game against the Sox.

The good: A come from behind victory for the Sox in the 14th inning of game 1.

The Sox continue to be homer happy.

The bad:
Gavin Floyd ran into some struggles in game 1.

After a strong start, Ken Griffey Jr. has cooled a bit.

The ugly:
Matt Thornton almost blew the game wide open in the top of the 14th inning in game 1 by giving up two runs.

Sox pitching gave up 8 runs in game 3, most by Javier Vazquez.

The important thing is that the Sox won another series. Things got uneasy in game one when the tie was broken in the fourteenth inning by the Tigers. The Sox answered that by scoring enough to win in the bottom of the inning.

The Sox pitching is starting to show more signs of a long season. I'm sure the bullpen wasn't helped by the fourteen inning affair, but Javier Vazquez needed to follow John Danks great game two performance with one of his own.

It doesn't matter how you win, as long as you win. I wonder if this is what Doug Radar meant by winning ugly?

August 1 - 3, 2008: White Sox @ Royals

August 1 - 3, 2008 - Kansas City, Missouri

August 1: White Sox 4 - Royals 2
August 2: White Sox 7 - Royals 9
August 3: White Sox 3 - Royals 14

Everybody was Kung-Fu fighting.

Things have not been boring on this road trip. Especially in Kansas City. A superstar's ChiSox debut. Two shellackings. One fight. Many hit batsmen and many ejections.

Things started off great in KC. Ken Griffey Jr. joined his new team and immediately started producing. From there, things just got worse. Buehrle got hit. Plays were not made. Fights broke out and the Sox pitching spiraled out of control. The heat can be partially to blame, but the Royals were out there too, so that's not a good excuse. It's just convenient.

The good:
Ken Griffey Jr. had an awesome debut in Game 1.

Brian Anderson showed hustle in center field in Game 3, even after it became hopeless.

The bad:
Clayton Richard gave up five runs in an inning, but seemed to bounce somewhat back after in Game 3.

The Sox lost a 3 run lead in Game 2 and never recovered.

The ugly:
The White Sox pitching broke down in the heat in Games 2 and 3.

The White Sox gave up 19 hits in two straight games to a team out of the playoff hunt.

The heat is no valid excuse for the pitching to get lit up like that. If that were true, the Royals should have had their problems too. The White Sox hit back to back home runs twice in the second game, but still couldn't overcome the deficit. There lies the problem. Most of the Sox hitters are trying to be the home run hero. To effectively score runs, the Sox need to get men on base. The focus must be on getting men on base and executing. That will be the key for the offense down the home stretch. The pitching should bounce back a little, if the starters can go more than five innings. Let's hope so.

July 25 - 27, 2008: White Sox @ Tigers

July 25 - 27, 2008 - Detroit, Michigan

July 25: White Sox 6 - Tigers 5
July 26: White Sox 7 - Tigers 6
July 27: White Sox 4 - Tigers 6

White Sox on the mend?

There were plenty of good signs in this series. Bobby Jenks came out of the bullpen with purpose. Carlos Quentin and Jermaine Dye continue to hit the ball very well. I'm very surprised that Jermaine Dye can walk after getting hit on July 20th in the knee. He missed one game and it's back to business as usual. That could be the best news for the White Sox down the home stretch.

The good:
Bobby Jenks with saves in Game 1 and Game 2.

Quentin and Dye are on a home run tear!

The bad:
Alexei Ramirez had a throwing error in Game 2.

Paul Konerko continues to struggle with consistency at the plate.

The ugly:
Two errors in Game 1.

The Negro League uniforms made Alexei Ramirez look like Barry Bonds.

The Sox continue to struggle with errors and inconsistency, but they manage to win most series. They really need to improve on the mental mistakes to make it to the postseason this year.

July 21 - 23, 2008: Rangers @ White Sox

July 21 - 23, 2008 - Chicago, Illinois

July 21: Rangers 6 - White Sox 1
July 22: Rangers 2 - White Sox 10
July 23: Rangers 8 - White Sox 10

It's getting better all the time.

The Sox managed to take two of three from the Rangers, which is a miracle in itself. The Rangers remind me of the White Sox right now. They have a lot of offense that goes in streaks, but their pitching is sometimes suspect. The more things change, the more they stay the same. Sometimes I wonder if the Sox are trying to get back to the days of Albert Belle and Frank Thomas.

The good:
Carlos Quentin continues to put up fantastic numbers.

Mark Buehrle seems to be getting into a groove again.

The bad:
Nick Masset in Game 2: three hits, one run in one-third of an inning.

Paul Konerko had one hit in each game of the series, but will it be enough to save his season?

The ugly:
The White Sox had two errors in Game 1.

Four errors by the Sox in Game 3!

I think I finally figured it out. It's not the pitching per say, but the errors causing the extra out that's taxing the pitching. These games were ugly, especially game 3, but at least they held on to win the series.

July 18 - 20, 2008: Royals @ White Sox

July 18 - 20, 2008 - Chicago, Illinois

July 18: Royals 5 - White Sox 9
July 19: Royals 9 - White Sox 1
July 20: Royals 8 - White Sox 7

Just because the Sox were going back to the eighties, doesn't mean they have to play like the eighties.

The Sox came out strong after the break and then reverted to their old selves. They had a chance to turn it around on Harold Baines day on July 20th, but just couldn't muster enough runs. The bullpen has got to be tweaked... a lot. They are reminding me more of 2007 each passing game. The bleeding must stop.

The good:
Jermaine Dye's performance in Game 1.

The mid-eighties uniforms sported on Harold Baines Day in Game 3.

The bad:
Nick Masset's performance in Game 1.

The White Sox only getting two hits in Game 2.

The ugly:
The White Sox pitching in Game 2.

Jermaine Dye getting hit in the knee in Game 3.

I'm not exactly sure what went wrong in this series. The Sox should have won two out of three games. They were simply overmatched in game 2. Game three was given away. Maybe if Mr. Selfish (Orlando Cabrera) could've managed to get on base, the Sox would've won. At least they got one game out of this.

July 8-10, 2008: White Sox @ Royals

July 8 - 10, 2008 - Kansas City, Missouri

July 8: White Sox 8 - Royals 7
July 9: White Sox 7 - Royals 6
July 10: White Sox 1 - Royals 4

Not quite a Royal Flush.

The White Sox seem to be in a funk again. The first two games, the Sox should have lost, but they somehow managed to win both of them. The last game was theirs to win, but they managed to find a way to lose. That's not exactly the type of play you want to see near the All-Star break.

The good:
Orlando Cabrera's double to score the go ahead run in game one.

Carlos Quentin continued to pad his home run total in game two.

The bad:
The only way to win game two was to have the Royals pitcher balk with the bases loaded.

A decent outing by Mark Buehrle was wasted with no Sox offense.

The ugly:
Jose Contreras' start in game one.

Konerko's missed catch in game three.

The Sox may have won two out of three, but it still makes me feel dirty for having watched it. These games were bad baseball, plain and simple. Maybe it's a good thing that the majority of the Sox players will not be playing in the All-Star game. Missed catches, bad throws, winning on a balk. All these things point to a team limping towards the All-Star break.

July 3 - 6, 2008: Athletics @ White Sox

July 3 - 6, 2008 - Chicago, Illinois

July 3: A's 3 - White Sox 2
July 4: A's 7 - White Sox 1
July 5: A's 1 - White Sox 6
July 6: A's 3 - White Sox 4

The White Sox win streak has been camouflaged.

The fireworks were out in full force on Independence Day. The ones on the field were brought by the Athletics though. The White Sox hid in their camouflage uniforms and their bats couldn't find them.

Gavin Floyd stopped the bleeding with a great performance in game three. John Danks continued that with a near no-hit performance in game 4. The Sox ended up splitting the series by salvaging the last two games in the four game series.

The good:
Gavin Floyd pitched another gem in game 3.

Nick Swisher had a grand slam in game 3.

The bad:
Scott Linebrink almost blew another game in game 4.

Javier Vazquez pitched a complete game but it wasn't enough for the win in game 1.

The ugly:
Mark Buehrle did not have his best stuff in game 2.

Quentin, Swisher and Ramirez each went 0 for 4 in game 1.

The series started heartbreaking, then got rough, but fell into place by the last two games. The Sox should have taken three games in the series, but those are the breaks. At least they didn't lose the series. They didn't win it either, though.

June 30 - July 2, 2008: Indians @ White Sox

June 30 - July 2, 2008 - Chicago, Illinois

June 30: Indians 7 - White Sox 9
July 1: Indians 2 - White Sox 3
July 2: Indians 5 - White Sox 6

An extra special sweep.

Adam Russell must have an angel on his shoulder. After rotting away in the bullpen for what seemed like an eternity, he steps into two consecutive games in the tenth inning and earns the win for both games. It helps that the White Sox decided to wake up the bats in the late innings of those two games.

The good:
Adam Russell earns two wins.

Alexei Ramirez homered in the second game.

The bad:
Nick Masset was lit up for 3 runs in relief in game 1.

Carlos Quentin struggled at the plate.

The ugly:
Two errors in game 2.

Scott Linebrink's blown save in game 3.

A. J. saved the day in the third game with two home runs, including the game winner. These were close games, even though a couple didn't have to be. This makes it seven in a row! The Sox look like they can do no wrong. It would be nice if the winning streak would last forever, but it will end sometime. When one ends, another will start at some point.

June 27 - 29, 2008: Cubs @ White Sox

June 27 - 29, 2008 - Chicago, Illinois

June 27: Cubs 3 - White Sox 10
June 28: Cubs 5 - White Sox 6
June 29: Cubs 1 - White Sox 5

Sweep revenge.

For a number of years, the last Crosstown Classic series was a benchmark for how the teams would do the rest of the year. It always seemed that whoever won that final series would do well the rest of the year. Whoever lost that series would start their downward spiral. I don't really wish the Cubs any ill will, but they might want to watch their step in the upcoming weeks.

The good:
A clean sweep!

Jermaine Dye continues to be on fire.

The bad:
Crede's error in Game 3.

Jenks was a little shaky in Game 3.

The ugly:
Javier Vazquez gave up five runs in 4.1 innings in Game 2.

DeWayne Wise was a rare 0 for 4 in Game 1.

This could vault the Sox into a great July. Maybe this is exactly the series that the Sox needed to lift them out of their on again off again funk. Stranger things have happened.

June 24 - 26, 2008: White Sox @ Dodgers

June 24 - 26, 2008: Los Angeles, California

June 24: White Sox 6 - Dodgers 1
June 25: White Sox 0 - Dodgers 5
June 26: White Sox 2 - Dodgers 0

Two out of three ain't bad.

The sweep from the Cubs doesn't seem to have a lasting effect on the White Sox. Although there are weaknesses found in the armor, for the most part, the Sox seem to be back on track.

The highlight of the series is probably one of the most low-key moments. Mark Buehrle recorded his 1,000th strikeout. That was almost unimaginable when he was drafted. I doubt that he will be a threat to the strikeout record, but it's nice to know that he reached a milestone that some pitchers never come close to.

The good:
Mark Buehrle's 1,000th career strikeout in Game 1.

Jermaine Dye is on fire at the plate and on the field.

The bad:
Two errors in Game 3.

Joe Crede's back stiffness kept him out of the first two games.

The ugly:
Only four hits in Game 2.

Three errors in Game 2.

This turned out to be a good series for the Sox. It doesn't look spectacular on paper, but they won the series. Any series win is better than a series loss. Things are looking up for the South Side.

June 20 - 22, 2008: White Sox @ Cubs

June 20 - 22, 2008 - Chicago, Illinois

June 20: White Sox 3 - Cubs 4

June 21: White Sox 7 - Cubs 11

June 22: White Sox 1 - Cubs 7

The unkindest sweep of all.

The Cubs and White Sox squaring off in interleague play is always big, especially in Chicago. It's gotten a little smaller since the White Sox won the World Series in 2005, but it's still big. It's usually city bragging rights.

I have personally witnessed big things from players such as Carlos Lee, Jose Valentin and A.J. Pierzynski, to name a few. The fans really get into the games and the players usually step up and deliver spectacular plays and stunning comebacks. This series was no different. It's just that most of the spectacular plays and comebacks came from the North side.

The good:
John Danks pitched good enough to win in game one.

Home runs by Dye and Wise in game two.

The bad:
Javier Vazquez pitched to lose in game three.

The Sox left 20 on base in game three!

The ugly:
The bullpen gave up three solo home runs to lose in game one.

Jose Contreras gave up nine runs in 3.1 innings in game two.

The Sox had their opportunities in every game and blew it. What's the sense in having two long relievers in the bullpen, which is a luxury, if the Sox aren't going to use them? One of them could have (should have) been brought in to stop the bleeding in game two when Contreras got into trouble in the fourth inning. A pitching change would've been nice before a nine run inning was on the horizon.

Every single game was winnable for the Sox in this series. In game three, the Sox had two more hits than the Cubs and six less runs. This is the same game that the Sox left TWENTY men on base. That's not bad luck, that's dumb luck. If the yo-yo effect is still in play, then the Dodgers are toast.

Suffice to say, the Sox are playing like pyewp!

June 17 - 19, 2008: Pirates @ White Sox

June 17 - 19, 2008 - Chicago, Illinois

June 17: Pirates 5 - White Sox 16

June 18: Pirates 2 - White Sox 8

June 19: Pirates 8 - White Sox 13

What the...??!!

Where did all this offense come from? Where was it during the series with the Rockies? Why did it show up during the series with the Pirates? Will it stay or will it disappear again? I wish I knew an answer to all these questions because it has really been bothering me.

If the White Sox are capable of this kind of offensive explosion, what is preventing them from unleashing it on a regular basis? I sure hope that can be answered soon, as well. It's great writing about the Sox when they have a high scoring series like this, but very frustrating when they don't. It's a yo-yo effect.

The good:
Four home runs and sixteen runs in game one.

Mark Buehrle went eight innings in game two.

The bad:
Nick Masset's throwing error in game one.

Pablo Ozuna was caught stealing in game three.

The ugly:
Alexei Ramirez went 0 for 4 in game two.

Pablo Ozuna's throwing error in game three.

The Sox can beat up on Pittsburgh. Can they beat up on the Cubs at Wrigley? This is certainly good enough momentum going into the crosstown series. Let's hope they don't revert back to the yo-yo effect.