State of the Sox 2009
White Sox game recaps for the 2009 seasonArchive for September, 2009
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bad baserunning big-league debut blown lead blown save blowout loss blowout win bullpen implosion career high comeback complete game crazy event defensive issues errorless game extra innings failed execution good baserunning good defense good managing grand slam great at-bat great start jd triple jeff cox lack of clutch late-inning heroics major-league first multi-homer near shutout no jenks nothing from the offense pinch hit poor managing position pitching questionable umpiring quick game rare event rookie pitcher shutout loss shutout win surprise win thrown out at the plate vulture walk-off walk-off loss worst pitch of the seasonSeptember 30: Indians 5, White Sox 1 (Game 1)
Fausto Carmona entered this game 3-12 with a 6.81 ERA, and it certainly looked like he was in for a rough day when Scott Podsednik and Gordon Beckham led off with singles. Carmona then retired the next three hitters and cruised through seven innings, leaving Carlos Torres to look the part of a AAAA pitcher [...]
September 28: White Sox 6, Indians 1
From the lackluster lineups to the lack of an upper deck, this game had all the makings of a Triple-A affair. John Danks dominated accordingly, throwing his first major-league complete game while posting the best game score of his career. The previous high: You guessed it, Game 163. His least-favorite inning was the only thing [...]
September 27: White Sox 8, Tigers 4
Note: K8T wrote this recap: It took six innings, but the Sox finally showed up. A three-run sixth inning and a four-run eighth inning solidified a solid offensive showing including Carlos Quentin’s 3-run dinger, and gave Daniel Hudson his first big-league win. Hudson gave up a home run to Curtis Granderson on the second pitch [...]
September 26: Tigers 12, White Sox 5
Briefly: *The Sox led this one 5-0 through four, thanks in large part to a solo homer by Alex Rios, and a three-run shot by Carlos Quentin. *The Tigers finally got to Freddy Garcia for one run in the fifth, two in the sixth, and two more in the seventh. Tony Pena came in and [...]
September 25: White Sox 2, Tigers 0
Briefly: *Jake Peavy survived a flurry of weak singles to throw seven scoreless innings, getting two double-play balls. He was late covering on a 3-6-1 double play, but made up for it by turning a 1-6-3 later on. *Jermaine Dye made a great play on one of the only hard-hit balls of the night, crashing [...]
September 23: Twins 8, White Sox 6
Good news: 1. Jermaine Dye hit a pair of homers, his first in September, and his first multi-homer game since August of 2008. 2. Tyler Flowers ripped a double off the right field wall, his first major-league extra-base hit. He then scored. Bad news: 1. Bill Welke might’ve made the worst strike call of the [...]
September 22: Twins 8, White Sox 6
Here’s a loss you can’t pin on the offense. John Danks put the Sox in an early hole in just two batters, walking Carlos Gomez to start the game, then giving up a homer to Orlando Cabrera for an early 2-0 deficit. A double, single and sac fly gave the Twins another run before the [...]
September 21: Twins 7, White Sox 0
Orlando Cabrera hit a flare to short right, down the line. A diving Jermaine Dye didn’t get there. Nor did he stop it. It rolled away slowly behind him for a JD triple. He then scored on an A.J. Pierzynski passed ball — on a fastball over the plate. One batter after Daniel Hudson prevented [...]
September 20: Royals 2, White Sox 1
If Jermaine Dye ever had an occasion to break out of his slump with style, it was with the bases loaded against Joakim Soria in the eighth inning. Soria loaded the bases with a walk to Alexei Ramirez, bringing Dye and his 4-for-35 slump to the plate. It ended with a medium-range flyout to right. [...]
September 19: White Sox 13, Royals 3
In the bottom of the sixth, Gordon Beckham watched a pitch out of the zone as Jayson Nix tried to steal second. John Buck rose and fired to second in time to get Nix. On his follow-through, he got Beckham as well. Buck’s fist came through and punched Beckham right in the nuts, causing Beckham [...]
September 18: Royals 11, White Sox 0
Mark Buehrle had never walked three consecutive batters before. That’s how the Royals’ first run crossed the plate, and that’s all the offense they needed as the Sox lineup — with no Jermaine Dye, Alex Rios or Carlos Quentin — managed only three singles. And only one of them left the infield. Luke Hochevar was [...]
September 17: Mariners 4, White Sox 3 (14 innings)
Bobby Jenks had never given up two homers in an outing before, so, for the second consecutive game, now you’ve seen something you’ve never seen before. Of course, this wasn’t the “hey, neat,” kind of novelty. It was another punch in the nuts in a season chock full of them. Jenks squatted over a great [...]
September 16: Mariners 4, White Sox 1
On the first pitch of the game, Ichiro Suzuki laced a double to left-center. Yet it was the second pitch — a strike to Franklin Gutierrez — that carried the bad omen. Floyd did a baby hop off the mound, and would do it on just about every other pitch. He managed to strike out [...]
September 15: White Sox 6, Mariners 3
This game had the hallmarks of a team White Sox fans have seldom seen this year. The offense rallied from an early 3-0 hole, finally supporting a quality start, thanks to some timely hitting. And they held it thanks to some excellent middle relief work. A.J. Pierzynski, who hasn’t done much with runners in scoring [...]
September 13: Angels 3, White Sox 2
This was your garden-variety hard-luck loss. Mark Buehrle pitched well, especially with a small strike zone from Angel Campos that frustrated both sides. He allowed only five hits and two walks, but Torii Hunter’s homer in the seventh made the difference. What didn’t make a difference? Numerous at-em balls hit by the Sox. They out-hit [...]
September 12: White Sox 4, Angels 3 (10 innings)
If the White Sox can’t make wins look easy anymore, then we’re all screwed. They held a 3-0 lead entering the eighth with their best relievers — Matt Thornton and Bobby Jenks — tanned, rested and ready. They finished the game in the 10th, clinging to a one-run lead with Tony Pena, of all people, [...]
September 11: Angels 7, White Sox 1
Joe Saunders shut down the Sox, with the exception of Jayson Nix, who homered for the third time in four at-bats off the Angel lefty. Gavin Floyd didn’t shut down the Angels. Alas. Record: 70-72 | Box score | Play-by-play
September 9: White Sox 4, Athletics 3 (13 innings)
Nobody deserved to win this game. Fortunately, the A’s wanted it less. In a comedy of errors, the Sox had the last laugh, with A.J. Pierzynski’s double ending an awful night of baseball in nearly all respects. Alexei Ramirez started the 13th with a one-out single off Edgar Gonzalez. Pierzynski came up and sent one [...]
September 8: Athletics 11, White Sox 3
Coming off a brilliant start against the Cubs, Carlos Torres looked like a batting practice pitcher against the A’s. That’s no exaggeration. Torres lasted just two-thirds of an inning, allowing five runs on five hits in the worst start of the season. He threw about six gopher balls, and was fortunate – the A’s only [...]
September 7: White Sox 5, Red Sox 1
It took nearly a month and a half, but Mark Buehrle finally picked up his first win since the perfect game. He definitely worked hard enough for it. Only two of his seven innings were of the 1-2-3 variety, and he stranded runners in scoring position in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings. The fifth [...]
September 6: Red Sox 6, White Sox 1
It was just three days ago that Scott Podsednik started off the game by reaching second base with nobody out, then getting doubled up thanks to some dumbassed baserunning. So you’d think that particular event would be so fresh in his memory that he wouldn’t do it again. Apparently not. Podsednik slapped a bunt to [...]
September 5: White Sox 5, Red Sox 1
Tim Wakefield wasn’t as sharp, and the White Sox hitters wisened up. As a result, the Good Guys jumped on the knuckleball early, giving a halfway-perfect Gavin Floyd a nice early cushion en route to their four consecutive victory. Scott Podsednik provided a positive omen when he led off with a single up through the [...]
September 4: White Sox 12, Red Sox 2
A hugely productive day by the starting lineup + a chance to see the call-ups = a terrific September ballgame. Mark Kotsay, who entered the game with 14 hits in 29 at-bats against Paul Byrd, keyed the 20-hit White Sox attack with three hits, including a two-run homer to kick it off in the second. [...]
September 3: White Sox 5, Cubs 0
Sox fans often tell themselves in tough times, “At least we’re not the Cubs.” After today’s victory, Sox players might be telling themselves the same thing. They found one team that could make costlier mistakes than they do. And the Sox started this one out as sloppy as it gets. Scott Podsednik led off with [...]
September 2: White Sox 4, Twins 2
Gordon Beckham and the White Sox were down to their last bullet. Down 2-0 because they couldn’t get to another pitcher of no repute, the Sox faced a taller task of having to get to Nathan … with nobody on and an 0-2 count. Nathan threw his best put-me-away slider, diving down and out of [...]
September 1: Twins 4, White Sox 3
With the potential game-winning run on first and nobody out, Ozzie Guillen turned to his best pitcher to try to push the game into extra innings. That’s right: Guillen called for Tony Pena. Pena alternated between outs and hits, but that wasn’t good enough. A one-out single put runners on the corners, and after Pena [...]
