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Another comeback for the White Sox, but this time the story didn't have a happy ending as the Devil Rays broke through off Brandon McCarthy to win in extra innings. After the game, Ozzie Guillen, McCarthy, and Jermaine Dye all talked about the game and the pennant race.
Last night's game had the potential to be one the Sox would have been kicking themselves over if it had gotten away. They repeatedly left two men on base and trailed 4-1 throughout the middle innings.
I said at the time that it was a painful game from the standpoint that it seemed like we were all waiting all night for something good to happen and waiting for somebody to take that big swing that would turn things around.
Fortunately, the Tampa Bay defense gave us a run on an easy ground ball to 2nd. The Devil Rays do many things well, but they really have some problems defensively. Anyway, that cut the lead to 4-2, and Tadahito Iguchi did what we had all been waiting for all night - he got that big swing and tied the game. After that, you can't say enough about Jermaine Dye - not only with a single, but following with his 2nd stolen base of the night to get into scoring position for Jim Thome to deliver the winning run.
At this time of year, that was a game we had to have. Now let's hope it can lift us to better things and maybe a little bit of a run. We've been waiting for that, too.
DJ
If you wonder whether players pay attention to other games around the American League while their game is going on, the answer is a resounding yes. All game long guys will be looking at the scoreboard - which they do all season, not just now. Honestly, most guys know their stats, they know who is doing what in the league, and they get motivated by what they see, especially now. Anybody who says they don't - uh, no, don't believe'em.
There is also a keen realization of the schedule - who we are playing right now and the other matchups around the league. You can't be looking at the record of your opponent and adjust your intensity accordingly. The times you see what looks to be a cozy homestand and count on winning six in a row, before you know it, it's 3-3. It's a cliche, but so true right now, that it's important to focus on every single night.
It's also important to know what's coming up. Right now the Sox are on a homestand against sub-.500 clubs for six games and they aren't playing well on the road. We have to turn it up a notch and beat these teams not only because we have the ability to do it, but also because of what's ahead. Going to Boston is not going to be easy, plus we have Anaheim and Oakland coming up so we can't afford to let games on this homestand slide away. No, they are not guaranteed wins and that's why the effort and intensity have to be turned way up.
DJ
The World Champion Chicago White Sox hosted their annual Field of Greens golf outing at Harborside on Monday. Despite the unrelenting rain, the crowd at the outing had a great time. We took a few snapshots of the events before the skies opened up at the course.
*Tampa Bay, which hasn't won a series in Chicago since April 1998, is still looking for its first road win in the month of August and has lost 21 of the last 22 road games.
*Since June 30, Jon Garland has been as good as any pitcher in baseball, going 9-1 with a 2.71 ERA.
*Former Sox player Greg Norton is one of the few Devil Rays having a good August, hitting .377 for the month.
*In his first 10 games after the All-Star break, Jermaine Dye didn't homer or get an RBI, but since then he has hit .344 and leads the AL in that span with 14 homers, 38 RBIs, and a .736 slugging %.
* The D-Rays were swept three straight by the Orioles in Baltimore over the weekend---Tampa Bayhas now lost four straight overall.
* The Devil Rays took two of three earlier this season from the White Sox. However, they have lost four straight and six of the last seven at U.S. Cellular Field.
* The Sox lost two of three over the weekend to the Twins and are just 5-8 since August 15.
* Jermaine Dye is increasing his MVP status of late---Dye is batting .387 (12-for-31) with five home runs and 11 RBI during his current 8-game hit streak.
* The D-Rays called up former No. 1 draft pick Delmon Young to the big club yesterday. This will be Dmitri Young’s little brother’s first taste of big-league pitching.
* Carl Crawford is hitting .429 (21-for-49) and has eight multi-hit games over his last 13 contests.
* Freddy Garcia is 0-2 with a 5.87 ERA in his last five starts vs. the Devil Rays.
* Jim Thome missed his fourth straight game on Sunday with a strained left hamstring and remains day to day.
The Sox were able to get the last game from the Twins on Sunday, behind a strong performance from lefthander Mark Buehrle. After the game, Ozzie Guillen and Buehrle talked about the game and the race ahead.
Strong Effort from Buehrle Helps Sox Avoid Sweep
The Minnesota Twins appeared way out of the race in early June, but since have dug in and now trail the Tigers by only 4 games in the AL Central and lead the Sox by 1 1/2 games in the race for the American League wild card. Before Saturday's game, manager Ozzie Guillen discussed his admiration for their style of baseball.
White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper has been a busy man this season. With high hopes for a repeat title and the bar set very high by last year's success, Cooper has to answer questions every day about his starting pitching and the problems his staff has struggled with this season. Before Saturday's game, he talked with Dan Roan about Javier Vazquez and the rest of the Sox staff.
Don't forget that the White Sox wives are holding a special food drive on Sunday at U.S. Cellular Field to aid the Chicago Food Depository. Special collection boxes will be set up at various gates as fans get the chance to pitch in and help.
It's interesting to watch a guy like Paul Konerko continue to produce, even while he's in a bit of a power drought.
Hitting home runs is like hitting a golf ball a long way - it's a state of mind. When you don't have that state of mind, yet you can get in a ballgame against major league pitching and you can still get your hits by going to right and right-center as a right-handed hitter, that's outstanding. The power swing will come back to you, but in the meantime, you continue to be productive.
That's what we've seen from Konerko in this stretch and that's the mark of a good hitter.
Hawk
We've heard a lot this year about our starting pitchers being tired and possibly overextended. I'm at a loss as to why that has come up as a subject, because our pitchers are out there doing what normal pitching staffs do - they go out there every fifth day and throw their innings. Yes, they were extended in the postseason, but how many times have guys gone and pitched in winter ball, then come right to spring training and never had a problem? I don't see what the excuse is that people are trying to use.
I shake my head in disbelief as to why someone would think that's why our pitching staff is off. It's normal baseball. If you look at why they've had their struggles, I think if you pull out the video you will see a lot of bad pitches left up and out over the heart of the plate. That's is a better reason if you're looking to explain some of the problems our starters have had.
DJ
*It's not hard to see that the Twins ascent has been linked to great starting pitching. Since June 1, Brad Radke (2.59) and Johann Santana (2.72) rankd 3rd and 4th in AL ERA. Francisco Liriano, who is on the shelf for the Twins right now, is 2nd (2.23).
*Defense is another strength for the Twins. They are currently on a 20-game winning streak in games where they have committed fewer errors than their opponent.
*If the season ended today, Justin Morneau would set Twins record for slugging % at .590.
*The Sox hit the long ball yesterday as they have all year. No other team has as many 2+HR games as the Sox with 57.
You have to give the Tigers their due. They are playing with some kind of intensity in this series so far and by doing so, they have the crowd right in the palm of their hand, which is a big advantage as we all know.
The Sox have to find a way to get something going and turn it up a notch themselves. As always, a good performance from Freddy Garcia would go a long way. The Tigers made 3 errors last night, but got away with them.
There are 37 games remaining and we have some work to do, but I still firmly believe it can get done.
Hawk
Football coaches aren't the only ones working on a game plan at this time of the year. You see it in baseball all the time, and especially with the Detroit hitters against Jose Contreras last night.
At the plate, the Tigers seemed determined to a man to take the ball up the middle or go to the opposite field with it and not be trying to yank or pull anything. You could really see it with Pudge Rodriguez going that way for two hits on the night.
We'll see what the plan is against Mark Buehrle tonight. He was much better the last time out against the Royals, but hitters have been really jumping on his first offering for the last month or so.
DJ
*The Sox won the first 5 games of the season series from the Tigers, but the two teams have gone 4-4 since.
*Although the Tigers are 4-9 against the Sox, they are 33-10 vs. the rest of the AL Central. The Sox are 21-20 against the rest of their division.
*Since 2002, only Randy Johnson has more wins (77) among lefthanders than Mark Buehrle (75). Kenny Rogers is 6th in that time span (70).
*Alex Cintron (.400) and Jermaine Dye (.396) have punished Tiger pitching all season.
*Craig Monroe and Scott Podsednik lead baseball in scoring once they get on base. Monroe scores at a .496 clip (68/137) and Podsednik is right behind at .484 (77/159).
There's bound to be a playoff atmosphere and intensity in Detroit these next few days and no team is more ready for it than the White Sox.
Their experience from their postseason run last year, plus the huge number of close games they played throughout makes this a very familiar situation. You can believe that Ozzie will have them ready for the task at hand.
As we've preached all season, getting good starting pitching is absolutely essential. The Sox have done very well against the Tigers all season - it's a case of matchups and those have favored the White Sox throughout the year. Hopefully, they can dig deep and play solid baseball, because the atmosphere will not intimidate them.
Regardless of what happens, there is still plenty of baseball left this year, but this is a great opportunity to add a little tension to a Tiger team that has struggled for the past two weeks.
Hawk
* The White Sox have won nine of the 12 meetings this season, including four of five games decided by one run.
*Chicago is in the midst of a 10-game stretch against Minnesota and Detroit (1-2 thus far). The Sox are a league-best 41-27 vs. teams currently above .500.
*Chicago’s Jermaine Dye needs one homer to set a new personal single-season best (33 this season and in 2001). Dye is batting .459 in his last 10 games vs. the Tigers.
*Chicago starter Jose Contreras is 5-1 with a 1.96 ERA in his last six starts vs. Detroit.
*Detroit has lost three in a row and nine of its last 12 games overall.
* The Tigers’ Craig Monroe is batting .458 (11-24) with two doubles, a triple, a home run and five RBIs in his last six contests.
*Detroit rookie Justin Verlander has lost his last two starts, but is 6-0 with a 2.38 ERA in his last eight home starts.
How do they stack up?
A look at the Central's key numbers.
Home Record
Twins 43-19
Tigers 38-20
White Sox 41-23
Vs. AL Central
Tigers 36-19
White Sox 29-22
Twins 27-26
Batting Average
Twins .287
White Sox .285
Tigers .278
Runs
White Sox 684
Tigers 619
Twins 611
ERA
Tigers 3.68
Twins 4.19
White Sox 4.59
We've been seeing some big strides from Brian Anderson this last month - it's worth noting that his performance has really been under the microscope because he is the rare rookie who comes in and is starting right away. Most players ease their way into the big leagues and are able to learn in a much less visible way than what Brian has gone through this year.
He's starting games for the defending World Champions. That's a pretty big stage. Right from the get-go, he had continual support from Ozzie Guillen and Kenny Williams. There was one point where Ozzie called him out a bit and said there was beginning to be a question in center. That put extra pressure on him, but that's the nature of the beast. Sometimes you have to be told to step it up and Brian took it to heart and has really played better.
DJ
We were treated to another show from a great White Sox offense last night. One guy that doesn't get enough credit is hitting coach Greg Walker.
He's not a guy who has to be front and center and not surprisingly, he seems to feel pretty comfortable right now with where his hitters are. He doesn't have to stand at the cage and watch every single swing in batting practice - most of the one on one work is done before the players ever hit the field. He talks to the guys individually about what needs to be done and then spends his time on the field dealing with the few hands-on specifics that need to be addressed.
It's not always that way. There are always extremes, but especially with hitting coaches. I've had guys that just won't get out of your ear and are yapping all the time, giving you tons of stuff you will never be able to use. I've seen the other side - I had a hitting coach one time who wouldn't even talk to me and believe me, I wasn't good enough to be left totally alone.
Greg is right in the middle. He knows how much time each guy needs and how much to give them. It's a big reason the Sox offense has been on such a roll this season.
DJ
*Chicago has won 15 of the last 17 meetings at U.S. Cellular Field, as well as eight of the last 10 meetings overall.
*Kansas City has no home runs and just six extra-base hits during the last four games (all losses at Cleveland).
*Kansas City starter Mark Redman is 7-2 in his last 13 starts, and is 1-0 with a 2.66 ERA in three career starts at U.S. Cellular Field.
*Chicago has won four in a row and is now two games ahead of Boston in the A.L. Wild Card race.
*Chicago’s Jim Thome is batting .418, with nine home runs and 23 RBIs in his last 17 games vs. the Royals.
* White Sox starter Jon Garland is 7-1 at home vs. the Royals in his career, including 4-0 with a 1.70 ERA in his last five home starts vs. K.C.
The Sox moved to within 5 1/2 games of the Tigers by completing the weekend sweep on Sunday. After the game, Ozzie Guillen and Paul Konerko sounded the theme that nothing is over yet and the Sox need to keep playing well one series at a time.
The Sox took care of Detroit for the second straight day, coming from behind to win 4-3. Mark Buehrle had a strong outing and the Tiger defense was shaky as Chicago moved to within 6 1/2 games of the Central Division lead.
We say it all the time - when Scott Podsednik gets going, so do the Sox. He's hitting .300 with runners in scoring position and really did the job with two key hits in last night's win over the Yankees.
Aside from the obvious RBIs, the team gets a certain energy from Pods when he is on the basepaths doing his thing. Add to it the disruption he can create with the opposition and you can see why we talk about his contributions all the time.
Now let's hope he can be a big problem for the Tigers this weekend.
DJ
*Justin Verlander takes the hill for the Tigers tonight on what amounts to nine days rest. Verlander has made three starts this season on six or more days rest and is 3-0. Opponents are hitting only .133 off him in those games.
* After losing the first five games against the White Sox this season, the Tigers have won three of the last four games versus Chicago.
*Detroit is hitting .321 on the road since the All-Star break, recording 10 or more hits in eight of the 10 road games since the break.
* Since June 17, Justin Verlander is 7-0 with an ERA of 1.93 in eight starts and has only allowed one home run over that span.
* Dmitri Young is currently on a 5-game hitting streak in which he is hitting .474 (9-for-19) during the streak.
* Joe Crede is hitting .438 (14-for-32) with 4 HR and 9 RBI in his last nine games.
* Jose Contreras is 2-1 with an ERA of 2.05 in three starts against the Tigers this season.
* Chicago’s pitchers have an ERA of 4.99 and have allowed 21 home runs in 10 home games since the All-Star break.
What a win for the Sox last night and again, another great performance by that great middle three we have in our lineup.
Paul Konerko did the unthinkable - taking Mariano Rivera deep in the 9th inning, then telling us after the game how much Greg Walker has helped him learn to hit the ball to right-center. A tremendous home run in a tremendously important game for Paulie.
Jermaine Dye came through in the 11th as he has all season, doing a great job of shortening his swing with 2 strikes. Don't forget that Jim Thome drew the big walk that put Iguchi into scoring position in that inning. This "dream team" has continually come through in the clutch all season.
Hawk
Paul Konerko's 9th inning homer off Mariano Rivera pulled the Sox into a tie and Jermaine Dye's single in the 11th gave them the win as Chicago opened a three-game series with New York with a come-from-behind win.
White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen talked before the series opener with the Yankees about the state of his ballclub and the task ahead of them in the next two months as they try to win a playoff spot.
White Sox catcher Sandy Alomar is back for his third tour of duty with the team. Before Tuesday night's game with the Yankees, Sandy sat down with Rich King to talk about Mark Buehrle, the Sox chances, and the battle the rest of the way.
As we look at things right now, I don't think we should worry about the Tigers any more given the major deficit we face. The Sox just have not played anywhere close to the level of baseball they have consistently through this year.
The thing to think about is winning our games, holding onto that wild card spot, and you never know what might happen. Two of the last three World Champions have come as wild cards. Let's get hot, win the wild card if that what it takes, and you never know what might happen to the division along the way. The key is to be in the playoffs and to get there our pitching will be the key.
DJ
It's no surprise that I say that this is a critical 11-game homestand for the Sox and it didn't start off the way they wanted last night.
It's one that is a bit unusual, because even if we play well, we still might be in trouble. But if we play poorly, it's gonna be deep trouble. The division doesn't leave any room for error this year because of the Detroit Tigers. They have played magnificently this season - when you are 20 over and 10 games back in early August, you have a problem that's not all of your making.
Hawk
*The good news for the Sox as they face off with NY and Detroit in these next 6 games is that they have the best record in the American League against +.500 teams at 30-19.
*The bad news is that after starting out 32-12 at home, the Sox are only 2-8 at U.S. Cellular in their last 10 home games.
*The name of the game for Chien-Ming Wang is keep the ball down and let them hit it on the ground. He has the 3rd hightest % of ground balls at 76.9% and has allowed the lowest %of HR per 9 innings at .46.
*Freddy Garcia hasn't won since late June, but will have a better chance if he continues to keep Derek Jeter down. Jeter has only 5 hits in 25 careers ABs vs. Garcia.
Copyright 2006 STATS LLC
It wasn't Mark Buehrle's night again on Monday. The Angels broke open a close game with 3 runs in the 7th and went on to win 6-3. After the game, Ozzie Guillen thought his ace did OK, even as his record fell to 9-10.
Ozzie Guillen Happy With Buehrle After Monday's Loss To Angels
One of the biggest things the Sox have going for them as we head into this crucial stretch of the season is Ozzie.
There are managers out there that have no more business managing a ball club than Mickey Rooney. These guys interview well, but that's about it. They live by the computer printouts and don't let the players have any fun. The White Sox are the antithesis of that. Our guys have fun, we're 21 games over .500 and I think we're just beginning to hit our stride. I think the starting pitching is beginning to come around and I really believe we're in good shape for a number of reasons, but especially because Ozzie does let these guys have fun.
Ozzie doesn't try to manage a game to cover his behind and that's what too many managers do. They manage a game so that when the press comes in after the game is over they can say "I went to player X, then Y, then Z, and they just didn't get it done today." That way it wards off the negative questions. Ozzie is just the opposite of that and he is one of the best things to happen in this game in the last 10-15 years. I've said before, how many managers would have had guys throw 4 straight complete games in the LCS last year? He makes it fun for us and I can't wait to get in the car and go to the ballpark every day.
Hawk
I was a guest on the Score this morning and we were talking about the love of this game and how unique it is against the other sports.
Let me tell you what baseball is. As we all know, the game isn't played against the clock. You can't score when you are on defense and when you are offense, the other team controls the ball.
Baseball is fraught with information and starving for knowledge. It's a game filled with personality and where numbers often lie. I love the fact that you can see things starting to develop and you can see things starting to happen. We are 6-2 on this trip going into today which is very good, but even if we weren't it would be a great trip for me because we saw Buehrle bounce back and then Vazquez yesterday came up big. The Sox are going to build on those and I just love watching stuff like that unfold.
Hawk
The Sox are seeing this year what their current opponents, the Toronto Blue Jays, face every year - life in a division where two other teams are having outstanding years. With the Tigers owning the best record in baseball and the Twins coming off that amazing two months, the Sox now know what it's like for the Jays having to put up with the Red Sox and the Yankees every year.
Add to it the fact that the Cleveland Indians are a very talented team who are having a down year and the on-the-rise Kansas City Royals, and you can see easily why the AL Central is the toughest division in baseball this year. I think we're all going to have to get used to that one.
DJ
The Sox have a tough stretch of 24 straight days now and they kicked it off in good fashion by beating Toronto and Roy Halladay last night.
To say this is a critical time is the understatement of the year, but the Sox control their own destiny because they are playing all the teams they need to put away in order to get to the playoffs again.
Check out that schedule - 3 here in Toronto, home for a Monday makeup with the Angels (there are still tickets for that one), 3 with the Yankees, 3 over the weekend with the Tigers, and 4 more with KC to finish off the homestand. Then 3 at Minnesota, 4 at Detroit, and then home for 3 with the Twins before our next day off on August 28. This is going to be something to watch.
Hawk
*Since 1999, the White Sox have the best road record at the Rogers Centre of any AL team at 20-12.
*Despite the problems recently, White Sox starters have logged more innings than any other starting staff in baseball.
*Both teams score by the home run. The Sox lead baseball with 47.1% of their runs coming via the long ball, while the Jays are 3rd at 41.7%.
*The Sox have given up at least 4 runs in 10 straight games.
Fans look at the schedule and see the Royals at 31 games under .500 and think this is a team that is a pushover, but as we mentioned several times on the air last night, they are close to turning things around.
Since June 20, they are leading the majors in runs scored, walks, doubles, on base %, and double plays turned. With wins and losses, it's a different story. Buddy Bell has these guys playing the game hard and that's how it should be, but if you don't get pitching you are not going to win. That's what they need to get to, but believe me, they are going to be a big factor and cause some problems for the contenders as we come down the stretch.
DJ