Black Sox Blog

A good battle between to divisional leading teams ended in good fashion, except for the Tampa Bay Rays and not the White Sox.  Tied up in the bottom of the ninth, Cliff Floyd got his only hit of the night and it was a big one.  Scott Linebrink served  him up one that he hit out of the park and trotted around the bases with his teammates waiting for him at home plate.  With one swing of the bat, the good game that Jose Contreras pitched went out of the window.  Contreras lasted seven innings gave up five hits and one earned run.  The Sox only run came from a solo home run by Alexei Ramirez in the fifth inning.  The Sox only had eight hits compared with ten strike outs and could not seem to get any offensive rhythm going throughout the game.  They had great pitching, they were just missing the complement of timely hitting.  Javier Vazquez takes the mound in the third game against the Rays as the two continue the battle at the top.

In the first of a four game series against the AL East leading Tampa Bay Rays, the White Sox slowed down one of the hottest teams in the league with a 5-1 win at Tropicana Field.  John Danks started the game for the Sox and pitched a gem.  Danks lasted six innings and gave up six hits, one earned run, and an astounding eight strike outs against a lethal Rays line up.  Along with great pitching, the Sox hitters helped out the team with a home run from Paul Konerko and Joe Crede.  Seven of the Sox hitters tallied a hit including four with two hits for the game.  The Sox have been on a terror of late extending their lead to two game over the second place Minnesota Twins in the AL Cental.  What is the key to the Sox success?  The bullpen has not allowed an earned run in twenty seven innings over the past nine games.  With great pitching and hot bats, the Sox and Jose Contreras take on the Rays in game two and look to keep on rolling through the top teams in the league.

Cleveland Indian hitters jumped off to a quick start on Mark Buehrle when Franklin Gutierrez hit a grand slam in the first inning to put the Indians up 5-0.  Despite a two run third inning for the Sox, they could never get that spark to get back in the game.  The Indians ended up winning 8-2 and ended a five game losing streak against the Sox.  Buehrle got hammered by the Cleveland line up, he lasted five innings and gave up eight hits and seven runs.  White Sox hitting was mediocre on the day but really just didn’t get it done in the clutch.  Toby Hall, Pablo Ozuna, and Orlando Cabrera all had two hits to lead the Sox.  As a team, the Sox had ten hits compared to only two strike outs which is usually a good sign for the Sox.  However, Buehrle could not find his rhythm and it seemed to translate throughout the game for the entire team.  Tomorrow is the last game of the series and Gavin Floyd will take the mound and try to get the Sox back on track and a top the AL Central.

Two heavyweight pitchers battled to avoid making that one mistake that would cost their team the game.  Jose Contreras matched up against ace John Lackey and they each put on a big time show.  Lackey pitched eight innings giving up six hits and three earned runs.  Contreras also went eight innings and gave up three hits, two earned runs, and ten strike outs.  However, Carlos Quentin out shined both pitchers by hitting two home runs including a walk off in the bottom of the ninth to win the game.  Quentin had a two run shot in the third inning, then with a 1-1 count in the bottom of the ninth, Quentin hit a solo shot to win the game 3-2 for the Sox and avoid the sweep by the Angels.  Quentin was definitely the player of the game going three for three in a game that saw the Sox only manage to get a total of six hits.  Compared against the Angels who only had three hits and eleven strike outs.  Contreras really pitched one of his best games against a powerful line up and his teammates came through in the clutch to give the Sox the win.  The Sox travel to Cleveland on Monday for a three game series, Javier Vazquez gets the start in game one.

Behind a stellar pitching performance by Jered Weaver, the LA Angels beat the White Sox for the second day in a row by a score of 2-0.  The Sox line-up could not seem to figure out the pitching of the Angels and only managed three hits on the day.  In a big game between divisional leaders, three hits compared with seven strike outs is not going to give any team a good chance to win.  John Danks started the game and pitched pretty well but just did not have enough help from his offense.  Danks lasted for five innings and gave up five hits, two earned runs, two walks, and four strike outs.  Catcher A.J. Pierzynski and Ozzie Guillen were both ejected in the ninth inning for arguing balls and strikes with the home plate umpire.  Guillen was trying to fire up his team so they could get a spark and score a couple runs to steal the game, but his efforts came up short.  Paul Konerko missed his second straight game with an injured right hand.  Jose Contreras takes the mound in the last game of the series to try and avoid the sweep.

Behind clutch hits by the Sox line-up, Chicago completed a three game sweep of divisional foe Cleveland by a score of 3-1.  This win makes it eight in a row for the Sox, which is their longest win streak since 2006.  All tied up in the eighth, Carlos Quentin hit a tie breaking single to put the Sox ahead for good.  Toby Hall had another great game for the Sox going three for three and bumping his average up to .351 on the season.  Mark Buehrle started the game for the Sox and had one of his best performances of the season even though he did not get a decision.  Buehrle lasted for seven innings and gave up two hits and only one earned run.  Scott Linebrink got the win and Bobby Jenks finished things up for his twelfth save of the season.  Stellar pitching and big hits at the right time are a recipe for success for the Sox.  The Sox take on the AL West leading LA Angels on Friday in an important series for both teams.  Gavin Floyd gets the start in game one against the 7-1 Joe Saunders.

The White Sox have been on a roll as of late with their latest win coming over the Cleveland Indians by a score of 7-2, making that seven wins in a row and now the team is five games over five hundred and are still on top of the AL Central and are making space between themselves and the rest of the division.  Jermaine Dye homered twice in the Sox win on Wednesday, he hit a three-run homer in the sixth inning and then added a solo shot in the seventh.  Joe Crede and Jim Thome added two hits each for the Sox including a solo shot by Thome in the seventh inning right after Jermaine Dye hit his solo shot.  Javier Vazquez started the game for the Sox and pitched well in seven innings.  Vazquez gave up four hits, two earned runs, and a dominating seven strike outs compared to only one base on balls.  When the Sox line-up heats up they can play with anybody in the majors, combined with some stellar pitching the South Side Sluggers have a good chance to do some damage throughout the season.  The Sox go for the sweep over the Indians tonight with Mark Buehrle taking the mound.

Having won five in a row on a west coast road trip, the Sox now stand alone on top of the AL Central with a 23-20 record and a one and one-half game lead over the Cleveland Indians and the Minnesota Twins.  In their last game against the Giants, the Sox offense came alive and scored thirteen runs in the final five innings to give themselves the 13-8 win and the sweep of the series.  Now heading home to face off with the Indians in Chicago for a three game series that could have a major influence on the standings in the AL Central.  In game one on Tuesday, Jose Contreras goes up against the reigning AL Cy Young Winner C.C. Sabathia.  If the Sox manage to keep their offense rolling, they should have no problem putting some runs up against the Tribe pitching staff and give their own pitching staff some insurance runs and a chance to win the games and the series.

The struggling Mark Buehrle faced off against the winless and ex-Cy Young winner Barry Zito and the San Francisco Giants and pitched a good game leading the White Sox to a 3-1 win and their fourth straight.  Buehrle lasted six and two-thirds innings and gave up seven hits and one earned run.  The Sox offense provided just enough insurance for Buehrle scoring one run in each of the first two innings and then adding another run in the sixth to push their lead to two runs.  Jermaine Dye led the team with three hits in five at bats and a spectacular diving catch in the outfield.  Toby Hall also added three hits and Mark Buehrle tallied his first hit in five years.  After Buehrle left the game, Octavio Dotel and Scott Linebrink came in for the set up and Bobby Jenks came in to pitch in the ninth and earned his tenth save in twelve attempts.  The Sox finish up their series with the Giants on Sunday with John Danks starting the game and trying to earn his fourth win of the season.

Ozzie Guillen mixed up the batting order and put Carlos Quentin in the number three spot for the first time this season, and it paid off.  With a 1-1 tie in the top of the eighth inning and the bases loaded, Carlos Quentin stepped up and jacked his first career grand slam to not only break the tie but lead the Sox to the victory over the LA Angels.  Quentin helped to spoil the return of Angels’ star pitcher John Lackey who had been out since March 21 with strained triceps.  Jose Contreras started the game for the Sox and pitched a very solid seven innings.  Contreras gave up only four hits and one earned run throughout the game.  The pitching staff really came through for the Sox and their offense came alive late in the game to put some runs on the board and insure the win for the South Side Sluggers.  Javier Vazquez faces off with Jon Garland, Garland is the ex-White Sox pitcher who was traded for Orlando Cabrera in the off season.  Both teams will be playing extra hard not only because it is the last game of the series but for some bragging rights between ex-teammates.

In the second game of the series against the LA Angels, the Sox only managed to hit safely three times in the entire game and did not manufacture any runs to support John Danks.  Danks came out with a no decision and pitched pretty well but just did not have any insurance from his offense to help get the win for the South Side Sluggers.  Danks lasted six and one-third innings giving up seven hits, no runs, and five strike outs.  Carlos Quentin, A.J. Pierzynski, and Joe Crede were the only Chicago hitters to get a hit against the Angel pitching staff.  While the Angels only managed to score two runs, they stranded a man in scoring position in each of the first five innings.  Not until the eighth inning were they able to get over the hump and break the scoreless tie and eventually win the game.  These two teams square off tomorrow again and the Sox hope to solve some of their offensive struggles and put some runs on the board to help out their pitching staff.

In the first game of a four game series with the LA Angels, the Sox came up short by a score of 10-7 and let the Angels snap a four game losing streak.  Mark Buehrle started the game and continued to struggle to get outs and control the game.  Buehrle lasted five and two-thirds innings and gave up ten hits, eight runs of which six were earned, while he struck out six of the Angel batters.  Buehrle has now given up fourteen earned runs in his last two starts.  Jermaine Dye led the way for the Sox with four hits in five at bats, including a double.  The Sox offense slugged fourteen hits identical to Angels’ offensive production, however, the Angels seemed to get the big hits when they needed them.  Down 10-4 going in to the eighth inning, the Sox tried to spark a rally and scored two runs in the eighth and one in the ninth but came up short when Francisco Rodriguez came in and ended the game earning his fifteenth save of the season. Tomorrow John Danks takes on  Jered Weaver in game two of the series.

With their third straight win, the White Sox pulled into a tie in the AL Central with the Minnesota Twins.  Battling the slumping Seattle Mariners, the Sox earned their second win in Seattle by a score of 8-4.  In the second inning Carlos Quentin and Brian Anderson each homered and combined for five RBI’s as the Sox rallied for six early runs.  Javier Vazquez earned his fourth win of the season by lasting five and two-thirds innings, giving up six hits, four earned runs, and six strike outs.  Getting out to an early 6-0 lead was huge for the Sox and really helped Vazquez to get into the groove and pitch a great game against the Mariners.  Richie Sexson did not play for the Mariners because he was serving the first of a five game suspension for charging the mound against the Texas Rangers on Thursday.  The Sox take on the Mariners in the final game of their three game series and are looking for the series sweep.  Gavin Floyd will take the mound against Miguel Batista.

The Chicago White Sox beat the Minnesota Twins on Thursday 6-2 in a game that helped them take the series with Minnesota two games to one.  Jermain Dye hit a home run in his third straight game to fuel the Sox to the win.  Despite only eight hits in the game, the Sox had key hits in critical situations which seemed to have been lacking lately.  Juan Uribe went one for three with a two run shot in the fifth inning to give the Sox the 3-2 lead and the Sox never looked back.  John Danks started the game and pitched a solid five innings giving up six hits, two earned runs, and five strike outs.  Two big wins against Minnesota really helped Chicago’s fight in the AL Central, they are now one game behind the Twins for first place in the division.  Tomorrow the Sox take on the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field for the start of a three game series.  Jose Contreras will face off against Carlos Silva in the first game.

Gavin Floyd pitched a spectacular game which helped lead his Sox to a 7-1 lead and broke up their six game losing streak.  Floyd had a no hitter going into the ninth inning, with one out Joe Mauer hit a double into the gap ending Floyd’s bid for a no hitter.  All in all, Floyd ended up lasting eight and one-third innings giving up one hit, one run, three walks and four strike outs.  The Sox offense came alive with eleven hits compared to only two strike outs.  Jermain Dye led the way for the South Side Sluggers with two hits, one of which was a home run.  Several other players also contributed a pair of hits in a game that really saw the offense come alive and rally behind their pitcher when they really needed it.  Despite having his no-no broken up when it was so close, Floyd pitched a gem and put his team in a position to win.  Mark Buehrle will take the mound on Wednesday against the Minnesota Twins and Livan Hernandez.

Javier Vazquez faced off against Dustin McGowan and the Toronto Blue Jays in a game that was characterized by great pitching on both sides of the mound.  Vazquez went seven and two-thirds innings, giving up eight hits, one earned run, and nine strike outs.  McGowan lasted seven and one-third innings giving up four hits and six strike outs.  The difference in the game was a solo home run by Matt Stairs in the bottom of the seventh inning to push Toronto atop Chicago 1-0.  Chicago hitters could not get anything going in a game in which they only tallied four hits compared with six strike outs.  The sixth straight loss by the Sox has the team back on their heals fighting and trying to find a way to get back into the win column.  Nobody on the team is batting over .300 and the pitchers have been getting no insurance runs to give themselves a fighting chance.  Fresh off two sweeps in a row, the Sox travel home for a three game series against the Minnesota Twins.  Gavin Floyd gets the start in the first game on Tuesday.

Despite Jose Contreras pitching a complete game against the Toronto Blue Jays, Roy Halladay’s pitching out shined Contreras for the 4-3 win.  Handing Chicago their fifth straight loss, Halladay last seven and one-third innings giving up three hits, one earned run, and seven strike outs with no walks.  Throughout the game Contreras gave up six hits, four earned runs and five strike outs.  The Sox offense only produced four hits on the day in which three of them were doubles.  They scored three runs in the fourth inning however that was the only inning that the Sox managed to do any damage against Roy Halladay.  With only four hits in the game, the Sox team batting average fell to .232 and remains the lowest in the AL.  After the tough loss, Manager Ozzie Guillen ripped the Chicago fans after the game saying that they will never be respected no matter how many World Series they win.  Full of obscenities, Ozzie thinks the fans are too fast to forget the accomplishments of the Sox and the players deserve more respect.  The Sox finish up the series with the Blue Jays on Monday and look to end their losing streak with Javier Vazquez on the mound.

The Toronto Blue Jays handed the White Sox their fourth straight loss and seventh loss in their last tenth game.  The Sox offense has been terrible and it continued to be bad in this game.  Only getting six hits off of Toronto pitching, they also struck out six times.  Jermain Dye and Carlos Quentin each hit a solo home run but it wasn’t nearly enough to beat the Blue Jays.  John Danks had a less than stellar pitching performance, lasting four and two-thirds innings, seven hits, two earned runs, and five strike outs.  Octavio Dotel also had a bad outing relieving for one inning in the sixth and gave up two hits and three runs.  Ozzie Guillen and the Sox are definitely frustrated to be in a slump, offsetting their great start and losing the division lead to the Minnesota Twins who just swept the Detroit Tigers in a three game series.  The series will not get any easier on Sunday as Jose Contreras takes on the incredible Roy Halladay as the two teams battle in the third game of their four game series.

A clutch two out RBI double in the seventh inning by Justin Morneau helped push the Twins past the Sox for the second straight game and a two game series sweep.  Despite a pretty good outing by the Sox pitching staff, the Sox offense could not come through in the clutch to put the necessary runs on the board.  Nick Masset started the game and lasted four innings giving up five hits, three earned runs, three walks, and five strike outs.  Ehren Wasserman gave up the hit in the seventh inning that was the difference between the two teams in the end.  Brian Anderson led the way for the Sox offense with three hits in four at bats.  Jim Thome added two hits and Carlos Quentin added a solo home run.  The South Side Sluggers head to Toronto on Friday for a four game series against the Blue Jays.  The Sox will be without Orlando Cabrera due to issues with his visa.  Manager Ozzie Guillen will try to mix up the line up in order to find a good offensive rhythm that can help put some runs on the board for the Sox.