2006 State of the Sox

June 7: White Sox 4, Tigers 3

His name is Alex Cintron, but you can call him the Tiger Tamer.

One night after hitting a game-winning three-run homer against Detroit, he comes up with the big hit again – an RBI single off Jamie Walker that provided the winning run for another 4-3 victory. 

And for good measure, he ended the game with a 6-3 double play off the bat off Magglio Ordonez.  

Cintron served as one of many heroes as the Sox cut the Tiger lead to half a game while extending their winning streak to seven straight against Detroit, including 5-0 this year.  One of them could have as easily been a goat.

Joe Crede nearly ruined Jose Contreras’ bid for his sixth win of the season, and 14th consecutive winning decision, when he committed a double error that knotted up the ballgame in the seventh.  With two on and two outs, Ordonez hit a hard bouncing ball that the normally sure-handed third baseman couldn’t handle cleanly on the short-hop, as it rolled away in front of him.  

He picked up the ball, and it looked like he was going to eat it – but instead he chose to make an awkward throw that was behind Ordonez as he stepped on the bag, and lead runner Curtis Granderson came around to score the tying run.  Crede shook it off and handled a Marcus Thames laser shot to end the inning.  

Then Crede truly made up for the brain fart when leading off the bottom of the inning off Justin Verlander, muscling a single to right.  Walker came in, and Rob Mackowiak laid down a good bunt (finally!) to advance Crede to second.  Cintron then roped a 1-1 pitch into left that Alexis Gomez didn’t pick up cleanly.  Had Gomez, who entered the game when Craig Monroe sprained his ankle earlier in the game, made the play, he might’ve had Crede at the plate.  Instead, Joe scored standing up to give the Sox the lead.

Once again, the bullpen held the lead!  That’s two nights in a row!  Agustin Montero came in and retired the first two batters he faced before allowing an 0-2 single to Vance Wilson – something you just shouldn’t do.  Fortunately Cotts came in and struck out Granderson with a 3-2 fastball to end the threat.  Bobby Jenks nailed down the ninth for his 17th save.

It was a well-deserved victory for Contreras, his first in over a month.  El Conde pitched seven innings, allowing two earned runs while looking his healthiest since coming back from the DL three starts ago.  He was working the zone high and low, and though his command was off, he wasn’t throwing a lot of hittable pitches.  Granderson’s solo shot in the third inning was on a solid, low outside fastball and he hit opposite field.  

Contreras appeared to tire towards the end of the game, as Ordonez’s and Thames’ shots to third were hard hit, and he was leaving pitches out over the plate.  He was over 110 pitches at that time, but I wouldn’t want to remove Contreras for Montero either.  

Another great thing about this game, aside from two scoreless innings from the bullpen and actual execution – every time the Tigers scored, the Sox answered back.  Scott Podsednik answered Granderson’s third-inning solo shot with an RBI triple, Jermaine Dye responded to Thames’ sac fly with a solo shot, his second of the series, and then there was Cintron’s single.  Jim Thome’s solo homer (No. 21), was the only unprovoked score.  

Record: 36-22 | Box score | Play-by-play