Tonight marked two firsts for the White Sox -- Jose Contreras, Boone Logan and Cliff Politte combined for the first shutout of the season, and it was also the first victory that didn't require Sox fans to hold their breath at the end. That's three in a row and seven of the last eight for the tied-for-first place Pale Hose.
The whole game felt like a Spring Training affair, not only because they blew out the Omaha Royals in a laid-back fashion, but everybody got the chance to play save Rob Mackowiak and Chris Widger. Even Ross Gload got on base! Throw in Comcast's irritating decision to only show the behind-the-plate view towards the end of the evening and it felt like a night game at Tucson Electric Park.
Once again, the offense jumped all over Royals pitching in the first inning. The only difference was that
Joe Mays was pitching instead of Jeremy Affeldt. Tadahito Iguchi started off the first with a single, Jim Thome walked, and Paul Konerko hit a three-run homer to give the Sox all Contreras would need. Paulie finished the day 2-for-4, giving him six straight multi-hit games if you don't count the rain-shortened affair against Toronto. And if you do count it, then you can call it seven straight games in which Paulie's reached base twice, because he had a single and a walk Sunday.
But they weren't done -- thanks to that fantastic Royals defense (worst in the league last year), Jermaine Dye reached, and following a fielder's choice, Joe Crede went deep for his second homer of the year to push the lead to 5-0.
Unlike
the last time the Sox gave themselves a big early lead against the Royals, Jose Contreras made it stick. It was never in doubt. The only jam he faced was in the fourth inning, when he stranded Mark Grudzielanek at third after a double and a wild pitch. He retired the first 10 hitters he faced, then finished by retiring 10 of the last 11 before handing the game to Logan. He finished with seven innings, one hit, one walk, and six strikeouts for a starting performance that will be hard to top.
Here's how hot Contreras is right now -- John Buck was caught stealing after walking with one out in the sixth. Basestealers are 0-for-1 against Contreras in his first three starts after going 28-for-30 in 32 starts last year. El Conde has won his last nine regular-season decisions, and lowered his ERA to 1.29.
Everybody played well enough -- even Brian Anderson, who broke an 0-for-16 streak with a single in his first at-bat. Sure, he struck out in his other three plate appearances, but it's
something. He also earned the No. 3 Web Gem on Baseball Tonight with a nice diving catch on a would-be blooper. Although Jermaine Dye and A.J. Pierzynski went hitless
to go below .300 on the season, they both reached base once; Dye on the error and A.J. with his second walk of the season.
Logan and Politte worked perfect innings to close out the game, but it's difficult to gauge whether or not anything improved. The Royals' offense looked like they were packing it in for the night, swinging as soon as they could. Teahan flailed weakly on a Logan breaking ball that was in the center of the right-handed batter's box to end his inning, and Politte only needed four pitches to close out the game.
But it's not a day to overscrutinize, because the Sox gave us no reason to for the first time all year.
Record: 8-5 |
Box score |
AP recap