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.
He finished 3-for-4 with three RBI, a walk and three runs scored. And he wasn’t alone.
Chris Getz had a four-hit game — including two flared singles — and A.J. Pierzynski went 3-for-4 with a double as well. Alexei Ramirez had two hits and three RBI himself. The Sox batted around twice against Boston, scoring five runs in the third and five more in the fourth.
All while Freddy Garcia held the Red Sox down. Unlike Byrd, his assortment of junk worked.
Kotsay helped kill any momentum the Red Sox could build in the fourth. Victor Martinez followed up a leadoff single with one of his own down the line. Kotsay hustled after it, and made a perfect throw in second for Ramirez to apply the tag. The Red Sox scored their only run off Garcia after Kevin Youkilis singled, but their rally had decidedly less bite.
The big cushion allowed Daniel Hudson to make his big-league debut, which began inauspiciously after he hit Josh Reddick on the foot with an 0-2 pitch. He settled down and retired the next six he faced, including a backwards K of Brian Anderson in his return to the Cell.
Record: 67-69 | Box score | Play-by-play
