Tagged: Rangers
7/4 – Game 2 vs. Rangers
In what might go down as the turning point of the Sox season, Alejandro De Aza and Kevin Youkilis took it upon themselves to grab a win for the White Sox tonight. After getting hit in the leg on a foul ball Alejandro De Aza worked a walk and stole second base, then Kevin Youkilis on an 0-2 count and after fouling off a ton of pitches hit a line drive single into left field for a walk-off victory. Acquiring Youkilis may prove to be one of Kenny Williams’ best moves ever as Youk seems to be exactly what the Sox needed to complete the lineup.
Alex Rios extended his hitting streak to nine games going 2-4 with a pair of doubles – boosting his batting average up to .317.
Tomorrow the Sox will send Jose Quintana to the mound in the third game of this three-game series. First pitch is scheduled for 1:10, lets sweep this thing!
Go Sox!!
5/25 – Game 3 @ Rangers
Adam Dunn is really starting to bug me. I’m still tolerating him because he’s adjusting to both being a full-time designated hitter and American League pitching… but really, Adam? He struck out with runners on first and third in a situation that could’ve given us a shot at winning this ballgame. Not only did he strike out but he struck out pinch hitting. Ozzie put him in there for one reason: to drive in a run. Last time I checked, unless the ball is dropped, you can’t drive in a run on a strikeout.
He’s up to sixty strikeouts in one hundred fifty-one at-bats. He’s batting .192. Not quite $56 million numbers thus far into his Sox career.
We got the good Pitcher of Mystery today but unfortunately our offense couldn’t muster up enough… well, offense to get him a win. Paul Konerko drove in the lone run for the Sox in the top of the seventh inning, scoring Alexei Ramirez on a RBI single. Floyd is remaining consistently inconsistent. Look at his numbers over his past six starts going back to his start against the Yankees
4/26 @ NYY | 8 IP | 4 H | 2 R | 2 ER | 1 BB | 10 SO | 3-1 win
5/1 vs. BAL | 6 IP | 7 H | 6 R | 6 ER | 2 BB | 5 SO | 6-4 loss
5/7 @ SEA | 8 IP | 3 H | 0 R | 0 ER | 2 BB | 6 SO | 6-0 win
5/14 @ OAK | 4.1 IP | 9 H | 5 R | 5 ER | 2 BB | 4 SO | 6-2 loss
5/19 vs. CLE | 7 IP | 5 H | 1 R | 1 ER | 1 BB | 3 SO | 8-2 win
5/25 @ TEX | 7 IP | 3 H | 2 R | 1 ER | 1 BB | 1 SO | 2-1 loss
5/24 – Game 2 @ Rangers
Man, I have to be honest, I fell asleep during this game. The rain/tornado delay was a couple minutes shy of three hours long and the game didn’t end until about 1:30 am. I was awake for most of the delay show but I finally gave up and just let myself fall asleep.
That being said, how about this Carlos Quentin kid!? First time this season (I think) in the third slot in the batting order and the guy hits three home runs. Adam Dunn even threw in a home run to offset his home runs-to-strikeouts ratio. And Dunn even bumped his batting average up near .200. Wayta go, bud.
The bullpen was pretty shaky and since my leaderboard is based on individual performance and not performance as a collective bullpen, not everyone gets points. Will Ohman pitched a good inning after the delay so he’ll get two points; Tony Pena allowed two runs so I’m afraid he won’t get any; Chris Sale allowed one run so no points for him; Jesse Crain was his usual self so he gets two points; Matt Thornton = same situation as Sale; finally, Santos struck out two batters en route to a save – two points for Sergio. Santos and Crain are fighting it out for the top spot in the standings.
Tomorrow’s game (well, actually, today’s game as I’m blogging this on Wednesday) will be a 1:05 start (which I didn’t know until I got in the car and found out they were in the eighth inning already… ugh…). It’ll be Gavin Floyd (5-3, 3.88) against C.J. Wilson (4-3, 3.42).
Go Sox!!
5/23 – Game 1 @ Rangers
Alexi Ogando only need two hours and thirteen minutes to shut out the White Sox tonight. It was a rather upsetting loss but Ogando has been really good this season so as upsetting as it was it was not surprising.
Josh Hamilton and Nelson Cruz both hit home runs in their first game of the 2011 season. Ed Farmer pointed out that this Rangers team is an entirely different ballclub with Cruz and Hamilton in the lineup and tonight’s game really proved him right. The Bash Brothers run this offense.
They’re the guys who hang out on the playground and all of the other kids follow them around and do whatever they do, but when they’re gone the kids are like “…what do we do?” Then they come back and everything is normal again. Every team has one of those guys but the Rangers are fortunate enough to have two of them. They just came off the DL three days early…
John Danks didn’t pitch terribly but it wasn’t his best effort either. I’d like to blame it on the offense for not scoring runs and supporting him, which they didn’t, but Danks just wasn’t his normal self tonight. He’s still winless but with seven losses now… *sigh*
No bullpen points to give out tonight because we had no need for the bullpen. Danks took the full brunt of this one.
What really bugs me is that we had five hits, all the leadoff hitter, and none of them scored. Only one runner made it to second base. How disappointing is that? Ogando pitched a great game so I take my hat off to him. Well, if I were wearing one. It would be off now… yeah…
Game two of this series is tomorrow night at 7:05. The Project (1-0, 2.40) will take the hill for the Sox and Derek Holland (3-1, 4.37) will toe the rubber for Texas.
Go Sox!!
5/22 – Game 3 vs. Dodgers
Unfortunately I missed the game today because some people from church invited my family over for lunch. I had a good time and forgot about the game until I was in the car on the way home.
From the looks of the box score it seems that Edwin Jackson pitched pretty well. He threw one hundred seven pitches, though, in his short outing. Edwin allowed one run in five and two thirds innings of work, striking out seven and walking two. It’s frustrating when I miss good games like this one (but like I said I had a good time).
Alexei Ramirez had a breakout game, collecting five RBI on four hits including a two-run home run in the first inning. A.J. Pierzynski also went deep in the first – only his second home run of the year – as the Sox bats continue to heat up. Adam Dunn and Paul Konerko also drove in one run each.
Can we give Paulie a standing ovation really quick? *stands up and applauds* He has thirty-six RBI so far and he’s been the most consistent batter on the team this year. He’s definitely earning the money we paid to bring him back. Unlike another first baseman on the roster. Who’s name isn’t Dallas McPherson. Twenty-one runs batted in is nice… four home runs is alright… fifty-seven strikeouts though? He’s leading the Major Leagues. Not the American League… he’s leading everybody. He’s even leading Mark Reynolds.
The bullpen had a decent game. Chris Sale gave up two runs so he’ll only get one point (I’m excited about the win so I’m being a little forgiving today), Jesse Crain picked up his seventh hold of the season after one inning of work, and Matt Thornton somehow picked up a save with a five run lead. The save rule has always confused me. Two points for both Crain and Thornton.
I’m excited all over again for this team. I know the entire Sox fanbase has gotten that way a couple of times this year but I think this is for real now. Two out of three from the Dodgers is excellent. Let’s keep it going.
The winless John Danks (0-6, 4.32) will take on Alexi Ogando (4-0, 2.13) as the Sox head out to Texas to play the Rangers. Get Johnny in the win column, boys!
Go Sox!!
5/17 – Game 2 vs. Rangers
Is it safe to say that Sergio Santos is the best closer in the game right now, or is it too soon? In my mind right now it’s Santos, Leo Nunez, and Mariano Rivera. If your ERA is zero you’re definitely a candidate for Best in the League.
Danks was a bit rocky in his 6.1 innings of work, giving up three runs, two earned, with six walks and two strikeouts. Not his best of the season but it was good enough to get us a win. Unfortunately Danks didn’t earn the win but any win is acceptable right now.
How about that Brent Morel kid, huh? He picked a fantastic time for his first home run of the season – a three-run shot in the fifth inning that tied the game. Then we pushed across another run and Jesse Crain came in to the ballgame. He pitched an inning and some change before Santos came in and shut down the Rangers. Two points for both of them. Since WordPress has these widgets now I’m moving the Bullpen Points Leaderboard to the side of the blog, that way it will always be in the same spot. Plus I think that had something to do with the spacing of my posts… the list format was throwing it off.
The Project (0-0, 0.00) will pitch against Justin Masterson (5-1, 2.73) tomorrow night. I’m hoping two things: one, that Peavy can pitch a little bit better than he did in his first start, and two, that the Indians don’t score nineteen runs.
I apologize if this post isn’t up to my usual standards, I’m still trying to get back into it after the break.
Go Sox!!
5/16 – Game 1 vs. Rangers
Let me just say that WordPress is one of the main reasons I don’t blog on the site I pay money for a domain name for, and now I have to use it for the blog I was really starting to like. Just an aesthetic thing from my standpoint. I won’t stop blogging, I’ll be here all year, I just don’t really enjoy WordPress.
Anyway!
And what a game to come back to, huh? The Rangers shut us out four to nothing. Apparently someone forgot to tell Colby Lewis that it wasn’t the postseason. A.J. Pierzynski, who always seems to be most productive when the Sox are losing, collected two hits in three at-bats against the Texas right-hander. Two out of the five we could pull out of the air. Lewis was really, really good tonight and when a pitcher is on like that you’re not gonna do much.
The bullpen dominated after Edwin Jackson’s shaky start. Tony Pena, Chris Sale, and Will Ohman only allowed one hit as a collective group. We’re turning into one of the most effective and dangerous bullpens in the league but it’s too bad our starting pitching is starting to go south (and I don’t mean to that side of Chicago). Two points for errebuddy.
The Hitless Wonders 