In some ways, this game was straight out of last year. Fortunately, the Sox provided enough reasons to think this year might follow a different script.
Evidently it isn't Opening Day against the Indians unless they score seven runs off a starter and knock him out in the second inning. They did it to Jose Contreras last year, and they gave Mark Buehrle the same treatment.
After retiring the Indians in order in the first inning, Buehrle fell into his old habit of falling apart after an error -- although since the game was in Cleveland, it was ruled a hit. After a leadoff single, Jhonny Peralta hit a liner that tangled up Orlando Cabrera. He fell on his butt, and two batters later, when Buehrle got a double-play ball that was too slow for an actual double play, he became unglued.
Buehrle simply couldn't finish hitters. He had Franklin Guiterrez down 0-2 before the Indians outfielder homered to give the Tribe a 4-2 lead. Grady Sizemore followed up two batters later with a solo shot on an 0-2 pitch. A walk and two singles later, Buehrle's day was done after only five outs.
Excellent bullpen work by Nick Masset (4 1/3 scoreless!) and Boone Logan (1-2-3) allowed the Sox to play catch-up, which we didn't see last year. Thome hit a second two-run shot off Sabathia, and an A.J. Pierzynski shanked single ate up Casey Blake at third and cut the lead to two.
Paul Konerko tied it up the next inning with a double down the right field line. Another thing we didn't see last year -- runners scoring from first. Orlando Cabrera, the trailing runner on Konerko's double, evened the game at 7 by blowing through a late stop sign by Jeff Cox.
But then the 2007 Sox reared their ugly heads. The umpires may have blown the game twice -- Ryan Garko's foot did look off the bag at the end of the sixth, and Kelly Shoppach definitely missed laying down the tag on Joe Crede in the seventh -- but the Sox can blame theirselves just as easily.
The seventh inning was straight out of last year's playbook. Joe Crede led off with a double, and then these symptoms emerged:
1. Slow runners. Crede only advanced one base on Juan Uribe's double to the wall, as he held up thinking Jason Michaels would catch it.
2. Blown opportunity with a runner on third. Crede was safe at home, but Cabrera had two good fastballs to put in the air and missed them both. He hit a chopper to short, and if Peralta made a routine throw, Crede would've been out easily.
3. Another blown opportunity with a runner on third... Jim Thome followed with a broken-bat chopper to second.
4. ...and dumb running to boot. Cabrera was too aggressive going into second and was called for interference. Hawk Harrelson, of course, was apoplectic, but Ed Farmer had it right after watching one replay. Cabrera grabbed Peralta's knee, and you can't do anything resembling a tackle.
5. A reliever letting the game get away. When Octavio Dotel found the plate, it was low and over the center of it. Game over.
Record: 0-1 |
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