2008 State of the Sox

May 27: Indians 8, White Sox 2

The Sox were overdue for a piss-poor start.  Unfortunately, the guy who threw it was the guy who could least afford to, in terms of momentum and confidence.

Mark Buehrle gave up a grand slam to Franklin Gutierrez in the first inning, and that was just about the ballgame.  He had a chance to start over when Jamey Carroll scored on a sacrifice fly to empty the bases with two outs and the Indians only leading 1-0.  But two walks and a single later, Gutierrez came to the plate and emptied the bases himself. 

Buehrle made it through five, but he gave up a couple hard-hit doubles to begin the sixth, and that was his night.

Ehren Wassermann did a helluva job in relief.  He should've been credited with an inherited runner stranded, as he had Ryan Garko on third when he induced a grounder to second off the bat of Jamey Carroll.  But Paul Konerko inexplicably dropped Alexei Ramirez's throw to give the Tribe a fourth out, then gave them another when Wassermann fooled Carroll on a "fake to third, throw to first play." 

Wassermann threw to first, Konerko chased Carroll towards second but wasn't going to catch him.  He then wheeled around to throw home, but he short-hopped Toby Hall -- and also threw away from the third-base line -- allowing another run to come home.

Wassermann settled down, throwing three innings and allowing that one unearned run on Konerko's error.

The Sox offense wasn't going anywhere, though -- although once again, the bench wasn't to blame.

Toby Hall went 2-for-3, driving in the Sox's first run of the game with a double and scoring the second when Orlando Cabrera singled him home.  Pablo Ozuna reached scoring position with a double in the first, and his bunt single put a runner in scoring position with fewer than two outs once again.

But the rest of the lineup couldn't get much going -- especially Carlos Quentin, who had his roughest night in a Sox uniform.  He went 0-for-3, stranded five runners and, capping things off, managed to foul a ball off Little Carlos and his Quentins, somehow.  Dewayne Wise picked up his other at-bat.

Alexei Ramirez took over for Cabrera by making the requisite baserunning mistake.  After reaching with a fielder's choice and stealing second with one out, Brian Anderson hit a fly to left that Ben Francisco caught.  Francisco made it more difficult than he had to by starting back before coming in, but he didn't have to leave his feet.  Ramirez was running, though, and was a dead duck for the Sox's second double play of the night.

Record: 28-23 | Box score | Play-by-play