2008 State of the Sox

April 27: White Sox 6, Orioles 1

It sure is nice to see Paul Konerko beat up on opposing pitching instead of himself for once.  Konerko homered twice during a perfect day, with solo shots leading off the second and sixth innings, and providing all the scoring the Sox would need in the process.

Perhaps more unusual than the sight of Paulie hitting was the sight of the Sox making life hell for Ramon Hernandez by being highly active on the basepaths.  The White Sox were aggressive and smart all day long, and you need to look no further than the sixth inning, when the Sox stretched a lead by two runs by using their legs.

After Konerko's second homer and a single by A.J. Pierzynski that kicked starter Jeremy Guthrie out of the game, Alexei Ramirez executed a perfect sacrifice bunt to bring Brian Anderson, yesterday's hero, to the plate.

Anderson hit a chopper to short, but Pierzynski got a good jump and made Brandon Fahey rush the throw.  It skipped past Hernandez and Pierzynski safe for one run.  Quentin, who was hauling ass around the turn at third, kept the legs pumping and appeared to surprise Hernandez, whose throw to the plate was way off.

The scorers were kind and gave Anderson an infield single on the play, which salvaged an awful day at the plate.  He hit a short fly to right with the bases loaded and one out in the fifth, leaving the game tied at 1.  He stranded six on the day, and with a good throw from Fahey, it would have been eight.

Quentin had a busy day as well -- he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded for the second straight game and the third overall.  He also stole a base in the second off Hernandez, his first of the season -- though if Hernandez made a decent throw, he would've been out by three steps. 

Nick Swisher (who hit four balls hard, but only one hit to show for it) stole third while the shift for Jim Thome was on, and Orlando Cabrera stole third base in the eighth uncontested.

Sox pitching allowed the offense to take its time stretching the lead.  Jose Contreras nibbled early, walking three in the first three innings, but Brian Roberts' second-inning homer was all the offense Baltimore could muster.  He kicked the control problems and retired 12 of the last 15 hitters he faced, allowing only three singles, and one of the infield variety.

Unlike his last start against Baltimore, Ozzie Guillen pulled him at the right time -- with two outs in the seventh, and the tying run not yet at the plate.  Ehren Wassermann complicated matters by walking his first batter of the year on five pitches, but Matt Thornton cleaned up his mess, striking out Nick Markakis to end the threat. 

Thornton struck out three of the four batters he faced, and Octavio Dotel went three up, three down in the ninth, with Cabrera capping the victory with a jump-throw from the hole.

Record: 14-10 | Box score | Play-by-play