August 14: White Sox 8, Athletics 7 (10 innings)
Considering the amount of miscues and miscommunications, the Sox shouldn’t have won this.
The scoring began with a home run, and ended with a home run 10 innings later. Alexei Ramirez played the hero once again, hitting the go-ahead home run in the 10th inning, ending the 7-7 deadlock.
The late game heroics wouldn’t have been necessary if it weren’t for the lack of communication in the field, and two fateful innings. Twice miscommunications almost lead to collisions, one in the outfield, one in the infield. Both led to runs.
Staked to a 6-0 lead, Jose Contreras surrendered five runs thanks in part to some horrible defense. Alexis Rios dropped a ball in left center after Carlos Quentin crossed right in front of him, and Jayson Nix muffed a slow roller to his left. He was finally pulled for D.J. Carrasco with one out in the fifth, and although he allowed Contreras’ inherited runner to score, he finished with 2 1/3 scoreless innings.
A few things to note: Jermaine Dye had an RBI single in the first and a two-run single in the second. Ramon Castro had a two-run dinger in the second and Gordon Beckham went 3 for 5 with a double. Bobby Jenks earned his 24th save with Octavio Dotel (2-3) earning the win.
In other news, Jayson Nix replaced Chris Getz as the temporary starter at second base while Getz takes a trip to the DL for his latest injury, a strained oblique muscle. With Getz moving down, Brent Lillibridge moved up to take his spot on the roster.
