[TONY PENA MAKES STEVE ANGRY.]

Has he ever had an outing where he didn't allow a baserunner or an inherited runner to score beside for mop up duty?

 

[Sox vs. Sawks 8-26-09 Gavin 10-8 3.98 vs. Wake 11-3 4.31]

Who didn't see that coming?

That might be the saddest part - and it has been for the past month.

[Sox vs. Sawks 8-26-09 Gavin 10-8 3.98 vs. Wake 11-3 4.31]

I was expecting a split vs BOS. Lets take the next two and head to the Bronx.

[the OFFICIAL this team is really frustrating me thread]

Also, we are 5-7 since Getz has been out of the lineup - and that includes 4 losses to KC, BAL, and OAK, which makes it even worse. We should've been about 8-4 during that stretch.

[the OFFICIAL this team is really frustrating me thread]

The worst part about Linebrink is that it seems like everything happens when he has two outs. He simply cannot close out an inning, and when you put him in high leverage situations, he just goes to the same pitch over and over. Bay saw 3 consecutive forkballs(all rollers) and sat on the third one. I cant imagine that is AJs call, I just cannot see him calling the same pitch 3 times in a row, I may be wrong, but I was really pissed at Linebrink last night.

I don't think it is just Linebrink. Almost all of our pitchers have been brutal with 2 outs, and even worse with RISP and 2 outs. I don't know the stats, but I know it is bad. Also, I know our bullpen has been pretty bad with inherited runners. Those two are recipes for disaster.

[Contreras to pen; Peavy to start Saturday]

The Sox have said they do not want Peavy pitching that Cubs game, where he'd have to hit and run on that ankle.

Without a day off in between, if he starts Saturday, they will have to get creative.

[Contreras to pen; Peavy to start Saturday]

A Saturday start would also set him up to pitch against the Cubs, and would ensure he gets to pitch in both of the Detroit series at the end of season. If the rotation stayed intact, he would pitch against: (NYY, CHC, OAK, SEA, KC, DET, DET). 7 starts.

[GAME THREAD: Sox (63-61) @ Sawx (70-53), 6:10pm CT]

what, u want to bring in the bullpen already?

He is almost at 90 pitches.

[GAME THREAD: Sox (63-61) @ Sawx (70-53), 6:10pm CT]

He should pull his socks higher.

like over his head.

[Are the Sox done?]

Keep in mind we do still have six game left against Detroit. We also only have three games left against MN, which are at the end of this road trip. We control our own fate... whether that is good or bad who knows, but we aren't done.

We will more than likely lose the tie-breaker to DET or MIN. Also, I believe Minnesota has the easiest schedule in the AL the rest of the season, so they are not out of the picture yet.

 

I just hope we play up to our potential, and then everything else will take care of itself.

[Are the Sox done?]

Detroit is barely winning games (even though they still count). They have 6 1-run wins this month out of their 12 wins, and only 2 have been by 3 or more runs. We have 10 wins in August, with only 3 1-run wins, but have 5 wins by 3 or more runs.

[O's @ Sox 8-23 1:05 CSN]

4 out of our last 5 losses have been by one run. I don't know if that is a good sign or bad sign.

 

 

[Dye is seriously slumping]

Dye and PK are both in serious slumps since the ASB. Those are two huge holes in the lineup, especially when they are batting somewhere in 3-4-5.

 

Dye is batting .186, .289 OBP with a .586 OPS since the ASB. PK is about the same at .197 BA, .296 OBP, and .681 OPS since the ASB.

 

With the acquisition of Rios, and with Dye's play of late (offensive and defensive), it is really hard to see him on the Sox next year.

[Are we really one of the 4-5 best teams in MLB?]

Using Beane Count we were the best team in baseball last year, and were something like 12th in 2005. Cleveland was the best in baseball in 2007 and 2006. So I don't know how well that correlates.

 

If we had this team from Opening Day our record would probably be 4-6 games better. With the addition of Peavy into the rotation, we arguably have the best playoff rotation in baseball.

 

I still like our chances going forward, but we definitely need to get on a little run.

 

 

 

[What is your general feeling about the White Sox?]

At the start of the year, most people would not have expected the Sox to be 3 games out on August 19th with having Contreras, Colon, Garcia, Carrasco, Richard, and Torres starting in 48 games and having the likes of Betemit, Owens, Wise, Lillibridge, Miller, Anderson, and Fields altogether getting about 700 AB's.

 

[1 Run losses...]

versus how many 1 run wins? I'm curious on that one.

16-21 in 1-run games.

[1 Run losses...]

The other 37 losses are just as bad if not worse.

[Who would you rather have starting at 2b?]

Getz and Nix both have a .325 OBP with Getz having the edge in BA and Nix having an edge in SLG. Getz is 18-20 in SBs and Nix is 8-8 and Getz has a better fielding pct. So it is sort of pick your poison. Nix seems to fit better when one of the big bats is out of the lineup.

[can we use Carrasco in the 8th?]

Carrasco has more value in long relief, and with Garcia and Conteras both starting, he will be needed there. Also, we don't know how long Peavy will go in his first couple of starts, so we may need 2+ innings from Carrasco in those starts as well.

[8/17 Sox vs Kansas City 7:11pm CDT - CSN]

A 1-2-3 inning by Jenks? Unpossible!

[What is your general feeling about the White Sox?]

Right now we have a mix of underachievers overachieving and overachievers underachieving.

 

If you look at the projections/predictions thread for the start of the season, we are about where we should be at this point.

 

The worst part since the ASB has been playing down to the competition. However, for how bad the last loss was (because you could almost feel it coming), we still took 2 out of 3 in Oakland and went 3-3 on a West Coast trip.

 

We have 6 games vs inferior teams at home over the next week. 64-60 is the worst we should be coming out of those games.

[SOX @ Oakland, 3:05 PM...CSN/WSCR AM 670]

Rios is probably trying to do too much at the plate after coming over. He will eventually settle down.

[SOX @ Oakland, 3:05 PM...CSN/WSCR AM 670]

Counting Peavy, top 4 Sox pitchers with ERA's under 4.00 as Danks drops to 3.87.

[SOX @ Oakland, 3:05 PM...CSN/WSCR AM 670]

Cahill after ASB: 1-4, 6.17 ERA, 1.71 WHIP, .326 BAA

 

Lefties hitting .303 vs him for the season. Nice to see 4 in the lineup today.

[Does Wise have dirt on Ozzie or Kenny?]

Barring injury, it is numerically impossible for Wise to last until September 1st. Next time we need a 5th starter, he'll be gone and Ozzie will have to find a new AA calibur player to love.

 

Wise will be put on the DL to get him into September.