2008 State of the Sox

May 21: White Sox 7, Indians 2

One call went the White Sox's way, and they took care of the rest.

Paul Byrd had kept the Sox hitless through the first 4 2/3 innings, and it took until the fifth for the Sox to form their first threat when Orlando Cabrera led off with an opposite-field single and A.J. Pierzynski walked.

Carlos Quentin hit a bouncer to the left side for an apparent 5-4-3 double play, but first base umpire Paul Schrieber called Quentin safe -- replay showed the ball entered Michael Aubrey's glove just before Quentin's foot landed.  There were runners on the corners with one out instead of a runner on third and two outs, and Jermaine Dye turned a 2-0 deficit into a 3-2 lead four pitches later.

Dye's blast marked the first of five batters to reach base.  Jim Thome and Paul Konerko singled, Joe Crede doubled over David Dellucci's head in left, and Nick Swisher was walked intentionally.  Alexei Ramirez nearly blew the game open for good, but Ben Francisco made a great diving catch to hold him to a sac fly and a 5-2 lead.

Dye and Thome would go back-to-back the following inning.  Dye was perfect on the day, with two homers, a plunking and two walks. 

Javier Vazquez deserved the support from his offense after his defense let him down in the top of the sixth -- Swisher in particular.  Francisco hit a hard liner to center, and Swisher broke in instead of back.  The ball went over his head for a double, and after a Travis Hafner double down the line, the Indians had a 2-0 lead.

Otherwise, outside of an Aubrey solo homer, Vazquez was just about perfect.   His only walk came in the first inning, and sixth inning aside, didn't find himself in any other trouble.  He retired 12 hitters in a row at one point.

Boone Logan made it a little more interesting than it had to be in the eighth when he gave up a leadoff single and walked Asdrubal on five pitches (one pity strike) with a five-run lead.  Ozzie Guillen came out to the mound, had some stern words, and Logan got Grady Sizemore on a check swing fielder's choice.  On the play, Crede once again pulled Ramirez off the bag, but this time the ump rewarded him for a tag out.

Scott Linebrink kept the runners on the corners, getting Francisco to pop out to shallow left and striking out Hafner.

Record: 25-20 | Box score | Play-by-play