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 season, on a Joe Nathan curve ball that was caught in the opposing batter’s box. It turned a 2-1 count into a 1-2 count on A.J. Pierzynski in the ninth inning, and he struck out on a high fastball. After which, he tried to get ejected. Didn’t work.
2. Mark Buehrle’s back to being a first-half pitcher.
3. The Sox committed three errors.
4. With the bases loaded and a 3-2 count and the Twins clinging to a one-run lead, Nick Punto hit a line to center that Alex Rios pulled up on. It would’ve been an incredible catch had he left his feet, simply amazing — but he didn’t even give it a chance. The final margin? Two runs.
Record: 73-80 | Box score | Play-by-play
