The White Sox have been anything but consistent this year, but one thing they've done consistently is make closers sweat.
Mariano Rivera's blown save
against the Sox tonight was the second time he's struggled to seal the deal.
Earlier in the year, the Sox cut a 6-3 deficit to 6-5 off the Yankee legend, and A.J. Pierzynski made him throw nine pitches in the final at-bat, when A.J. flew out to right with a runner on third to end the game.
Here's a more interesting stat though: The other three All-Star closers besides Bobby Jenks -- Rivera, B.J. Ryan and Johnathan Papelbon -- are 83-for-93 in save situations, but 30 percent of those blown saves have come against the White Sox. Ryan's first blown save came against the Sox
on May 27, Papelbon blew his first save against an AL team
closing out the first half in Chicago, and after Paul Konerko's homer tonight, Rivera isn't invincible, either.
And you can expand the list from there:
- Baltimore: Chris Ray blows a save when Ross Gload hits a ninth-inning grand slam.
- Chicago Cubs: Ryan Dempster blows the save and the season series when A.J. Pierzynski goes deep.
- Oakland: Huston Street gives up a game-tying homer to pinch hitter Rob Mackowiak.
- Houston: Brad Lidge blows the lead when Tadahito Iguchi hits a game-tying grand slam in the ninth.
- Cleveland: Bob Wickman gives up two runs in the ninth, with Iguchi's single the backbreaker.
- Seattle: Eddie Guardado is twice victimized, first by Brian Anderson, then by Pablo Ozuna.
- Cincinnati: Coffee's for closers, but Todd Coffey isn't. A blown double play is the culprit.
- Kansas City: Ambiorix Burgos doesn't blow a save, but he gives up three runs in the 10th for a loss.
The only problem with this record is that they haven't gotten to Todd Jones or Joe Nathan yet, though they'll have plenty of chances in the coming weeks. The Sox did have a game-winning rally off Fernando Rodney
on June 6, but I'm not sure if that counts.