2008 State of the Sox

April 22: Yankees 9, White Sox 5

Octavio Dotel looked to be the savior of the game when he struck out Derek Jeter with the bases loaded and one out in the seventh.  He then took the loss three pitches later, when a grooved 2-0 fastball to Bobby Abreu ended up in the left field seats for a grand slam.

I'd have an easier time getting upset at Ozzie Guillen if it weren't April, and it were against a division opponent.  But Dotel had just struck out Derek Jeter twice in one at-bat (he didn't get a call on an inside fastball), and didn't give him anything to hit in the entire at-bat, so, sure, let's see if he can knock out Abreu.

I subscribe to the theory that the more pitchers you bring into a ballgame, the better chance you have of finding a guy who doesn't have it that day.  Dotel definitely looked like he had it.  Then he didn't.

When you figure tonight and Opening Day, Dotel would have to build up some serious cred before he sees a lefty in that kind of situation again -- right now, I'm thinking only if it were extra innings and the only guy left in the pen is Nick Magic.

Fortunately for Dotel, he wasn't the only goat in this game.  And Matt Thornton, who was available during the Abreu at-bat and came in to relieve Dotel before the inning was over, gave up a three-run homer to left-handed Johnny Damon to prove that he may not have gotten the job done, either.

It wasn't all on the pitching -- the Sox shouldn't have had a one-run lead entering the seventh inning.  After Paul Konerko "doubled" (he actually singled, but he and Thome were able to run on Damon's nothing arm) to put runners on second and third, Jermaine Dye failed to get Thome home by striking out, and A.J. Pierzynski grounded out to end the inning.  It should've been at least 4-2, and with the way Chien-Ming Wang was leaving pitches up in the zone, the Sox should've expected 5-2.

After all, when Juan Uribe ropes a two-run double into the corner on a hanging 0-2 slider, it was clear Wang didn't have his best stuff.

Alas, Contreras was only staked to a one-run lead entering the seventh after six solid innings.  He'd been scored upon the first two innings -- Konerko couldn't handle a hot smash by Damon, who came around to score for the game's first run.  Jason Giambi hit a solo shot the opposite way -- just like Abreu -- in the second.

If anything, Guillen's biggest mistake may have been leaving in Contreras one batter too long.  The Count got Giambi to line out into the shift, but he walked Morgan Ensberg.  I probably would've pulled Contreras there, ensuring a quality start, which is all one should hope for with Contreras.  Instead, Contreras gave up a first-pitch single to Melky Cabrera to put runners on first and second, and Boone Logan would end up loading the bases despite doing his job -- getting a soft chopper from Damon.  That set the stage for Dotel.

The Sox did have a chance to tie it up and then some in the bottom of that inning.  Thome watched Billy Traber pull a Damaso Marte and walk the only batter he faced, and Brian Bruney walked Konerko to put runners on first and second.  Dye struck out, but A.J. Pierzynski reached when his hard grounded deflected off Giambi's mitt and Bruney didn't cover first.

In came Joba Chamberlain, who struck out Carlos Quentin by throwing him off his rhythm right away with a first-pitch slider.  He didn't have much of a chance.  Joe Crede had the nerve to not hit a grand slam, although he drew a walk to close the gap to 6-4.  Uribe then got a pitch to hit -- another hanging slider -- but he popped it straight up, and it fell into Jorge Posada's mitt to end the threat.

The Sox left 13 on base, a season high.  Hey, if nothing else, a Pierzynski homer and Quentin walk off Kyle Farnsworth in the ninth made Mariano Rivera get up.

Other notes:

• Nick Swisher struck out in a way I'd never seen before -- the bat broke while he swung, and while his hands were up, the barrel of the bat was down -- and heading towards the White Sox dugout.  The ball ended up in Posada's mitt, and Swisher ended up with a toothpick in his hands.  Take that, Bo Jackson.
• While Dye had a rough day at the plate (six left on base), he made a nice play in right field that won't show up in a box score.  After Robinson Cano doubled to lead off the fourth, Giambi hit a deep fly to right.  Dye set up nicely, catching it with his momentum moving forward, then launched a perfect throw to third that prevented Cano from advancing.  The crowd gave him an awesome ovation, and rightly so -- Cano advanced to third on a groundout and was stranded there when Contreras struck out Melky Cabrera on a 3-2 forkball.
• The 3-2 forkball was preceded by a crucial scoop by Pierzynski on a ball inside to the left-handed Cabrera.  Pierzynski was set up outside, and managed to make a clean pick even though he nearly fell over afterward, saving a run.
  

Record: 11-8 | Box score | Play-by-play