Results tagged ‘ Delmon Young ’

After a Tough Loss, the Sox Try to Make the Best of a Brutal Schedule

Halfway through yesterday’s game, with the Sox leading 6-0, I started to think about what I was going to write about the Sox’s two-game sweep over the Tigers.

Then came the  top of the sixth inning and all I could think about is “Hold the Presses.”

Andy Dirks singles. Miguel Cabrera homers. Prince Fielder doubles. Alex Avila grounds out, Fielder to third. Brennan Boesch is hit by a pitch. Ryan Raburn homers. Jhonny Peralta walks. (Will Ohman replaces Jake Peavy). Pinch-hitter Delmon Young is hit by a pitch, Peralta to second. Austin Jackson homers. Dirks pops out. Cabrera lines out to center.

D-i-s-a-s-t-e-r.

Heading into the ninth trailing 10-6, The Sox did make it interesting. They scored twice and had runners on second and third with Dayan Viciedo representing the winning run at the plate. Tank hit a long drive to right that came within a few feet of sending Sox fans home happy. But it was not to be.

Now comes the fun part. After losing a tough game, the Sox entourage took the long flight to Cali to face the Angels in a two-game series, today and tomorrow. Then it’s back to Chicago to face the Media Darlings at Bartman Field. What were the schedule-makers thinking?

Sox Note of Note:  A.J. Pierzynski was on fire yesterday, going 5 for 5 with three RBIs and two runs scored.

This One Really Hurts

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All you have to do is look at their last two road games against the Twins, including last night’s heartbreak, to know that playing in Minnesota is still a nightmare for the White Sox. It happened at the Metrodome, it’s happening at Target Field and it probably would happen at a Little League field in suburban Wayzata.

You can also make a very good case that those two games represent the worst Sox defeats of the season thus far. And, eerily, both were 7-6 walkoff losses.
Before last night, that Sunday, July 18 disaster was the one that stung the most. The South Siders enjoyed a three-run lead going into the ninth only to see Bobby Jenks cough up four runs, blow the save and prevent the Sox from splitting their first series after the All-Star break.
For me, that loss was not as bad as last night. Down 4-0 in the first, the Sox battled back to tie the game at 4-4, tied it again at 5-5 on an Alexei Ramirez homer in the ninth and went ahead 6-5 in the top of the 10th. Then “Minnesota” happened. All-Star Matt Thornton gave up a leadoff single to Delmon Young and ex-Sox Jim Thome, he of the “should we keep him, should we let him go” controversy in the offseason, drilled a two-run homer to end the game. Try to get a good night’s sleep after that one.
If that scenario weren’t bad enough, the once strong White Sox bullpen is going through a significant meltdown. Jenks, who appears to be healthy enough to pitch tonight if needed, has not been reliable. J.J. Putz blew two saves over the weekend and now, for the third straight game, a Sox reliever can’t get the job done with a late-inning lead. A pen that once had three possible closers (four if you include Sergio Santos) now has no one they can really count on.
With 43 games to go, all is not lost. But two things trouble me: the fact that the Twins don’t seem to lose anymore, even without Justin Morneau, and the Sox are making a habit of losing close games late. Unless things turn around quickly, I’m afraid we’ll have plenty of time on our hands in October.
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The Unpredictable and Strange All-Star Voting: Thornton in, Rios Out, Konerko Still Has a Shot

52076645.jpgIt just shows how much I know. Thinking Paul Konerko was a cinch to make it as a reserve first baseman and Alex Rios had a shot at a backup outfield spot, I was dead wrong.
Instead it’s Matt Thornton as the lone White Sox All-Star rep (well-deserved, of course) and Rios is shut out completely. Paulie still has a shot in the Final Vote balloting, competing with the impressive quartet of former Sox Nick Swisher of the Yankees, Kevin Youkilis of the Red Sox, Delmon Young of the Twins and Michael Young of the Rangers. Although all of his competitors have strong fan backing, Konerko can take heart that the Sox fans have sent two previous Final Vote candidates, Scott Podsednik and A.J. Pierzynski, to the Midsummer Classic thanks to strong marketing efforts.
In the best tradition of Chicago elections, vote early and often for Mr. Konerko. With 20 HR, in the league’s top five with 59 RBI and in the neighborhood of a .300 BA, he belongs.
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