State of the Sox 2009

June 10: Tigers 2, White Sox 1

John Danks returned to form, but Justin Verlander was already there.  So were the Sox bats.

The Detroit ace outdueled the White Sox southpaw with nine strong innings to Danks’ seven, going the distance for the second time this year while sending the White Sox to another disappointing loss.

And the game might’ve turned on another blown call.

With runners on first and third and one out in the sixth, Danks started Brandon Inge with an inside fastball that breezed by Inge’s elbow.  Problem was, Brian Runge said it clipped him, and that loaded the bases.  Danks ended up walking in a run thanks to the packed sacks, and while he struck out Adam Everett (who hit a solo homer) and Dane Sardinha to end the inning, the Tigers had all the runs they needed.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a close loss without the Sox blowing a couple chances.  Or more accurately, Alexei Ramirez.

Brian Anderson stood on third base with one out in the sixth after leading off with a double, and advancing to third on a sacrifice bunt by Scott Podsednik.  Up came Ramirez, who popped up a 1-2 curve, failing to score Anderson.  Jermaine Dye struck out looking to end the inning.

In the eighth, Ramirez had a chance to redeem himself with Chris Getz standing on third and two outs, but he had perhaps the worst at-bat of anybody all year.  Three curveballs, all out of the zone, all miserable swings.

And speaking of miserable swings, Paul Konerko had to leave the game after jamming himself badly enough to bruise his hand on an inside heater.  Josh Fields had to take over, and he ended up swinging through two fastballs to end the game.

A mammoth Jim Thome homer provided the Sox’s only run.

Record: 27-33 | Box score | Play-by-play

June 1: White Sox 6, Athletics 2

Hey, if Jim Thome wants to keep making me look smart, I’m all for it.

The Gentleman Masher broke open a tie game in the eighth inning with a massive homer to left-center off Santiago Casilla, bailing out Alexei Ramirez and extending the White Sox’s winning streak to four games at the same time.

Ramirez nearly spoiled the inning with a baffling bunting sequence.  With Scott Podsednik on first after a leadoff walk, Ramirez showed bunt, then pulled it away on a belt-high, outer-half fastball for strike one.  The second pitch turned out the same as a first — squared around early, pulled it back, another fastball strike.

So with two strikes, Ramirez showed bunt again … and actually put this one in play.  Problem was, he popped it straight up to the pitcher for the first out of the inning.  I don’t get it, either.

The effects of that disaster were nearly exacerbated when Jermaine Dye followed up with a single that probably would’ve scored Podsednik, but Thome made it moot by ripping a 1-2 pitch into the bleachers for a 5-2 lead.  The Sox kept piling on the baserunners, and Jayson Nix eventually drew a bases-loaded walk to eliminate the save situation.

Matt Thornton picked up the win for his inning of work in relief of a pretty sharp Gavin Floyd, but it’s hard to say Thornton vultured it.  He decimated Oakland’s 2-3-4 hitters, striking out the side with just 12 pitches.

Floyd was on his game as well, with the exception of the first inning.  He should’ve had a 1-2-3 inning to begin his night, but Ramirez started off the game as badly as he ended it.

Jack Cust rolled one to the right side, but Ramirez was playing on the second base side as part of a Thome-like shift.  It should’ve been an easy play, ranging slightly to his glove side for a 5-3.  But maybe he thought he was going to collide with Nix, because he didn’t get down enough, and the ball rolled under his mitt for a single.

Matt Holliday then nearly reached the concourse with his seventh homer of the year to give the A’s a quick 2-0 lead.

The Sox would scrape back off Trevor Cahill, although it looked like Cahill would control the game after exiting a first-inning jam relatively unscathed.  Podsednik and Ramirez put the pressure on when Pods walked, and Ramirez executed a perfect hit-and-run.  Dye drove in Podsednik with a sac fly to cut the lead in half, but Thome missed a couple hanging sinkers, and Cahill started locating better.  At one point, he retired nine in a row.

A.J. Pierzynski finally took advantage of an errant pitch in the sixth, turning on a non-sinker and taking it over the Bullpen Sports Bar to tie it up.

Floyd kept the game that way, but not without a major scare that started with a two-out walk to Ryan Sweeney.  Floyd, for some reason, started going with his slide-step even though the 1-for-22 Aaron Cunningham stood at the plate.  He lined a two-seamer that didn’t sink up the middle.  Floyd then walked Jack Hannahan to set the table for Orlando Cabrera.

Cabrera, in his first game in Chicago since leaving the Sox, had gone hitless in his first three at-bats.  Floyd made it four by striking him out, getting him to swing through three changeups in the course of the at-bat.

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