caulfield12

QUOTE (fathom @ Sep 12, 2012 -> 08:24 PM) Flavum, supposed to rain tomorrow? We need a postponed Game 162 against the Tigers with the White Sox being down by one going into the last game...Sale versus Verlander/Scherzer in Chicago. Win Game 163 vs. Detroit and then storm through the playoffs.

QUOTE (fathom @ Sep 12, 2012 -> 08:18 PM) You just realized this We've let at least four games get away against both the Royals and Tigers. The Friday and Sunday games were absolutely excruciating. In the end, that's what will be remembered the most if we don't end up winning the division and fade down the stretch while DET plays 10 games over from here on out. Of course, following their normal trend line, they take the lead or fall back as soon as they're in first or tied...often getting swept. Or they're swept before they play us and then magically turn it on again.

Clearly, DET has MORE talent, just with Jackson, Cabrera, Fielder, Verlander and Scherzer alone. We have Sale, Rios is putting up a season comparable or better than Jackson, but Dunn/Konerko haven't come close to besting Cabrera/Fielder. Peavy has been very good, but he's not pitching like their two aces. The main advantage we have is AJ's huge offensive output over Avila's slumping year AND the fact that Victor Martinez, one of the most clutch hitters in baseball, has been out all year. Dunn has had some huge clutch homers, but he's not the kind of hitter that can consistently get singles and doubles in RBI/RISP situations.

QUOTE (southsideirish71 @ Sep 12, 2012 -> 08:13 PM) A decent consistent offense and we are talking about what day we are clinching. That and of course not completely getting owned by 50 % of your division. We are 3 homers away from YOUK...having the only offense with 6 guys hitting 20+ homers. I think we are the only one still with 5 (Dunn, Konerko, Rios, AJ, Viciedo). One shudders to think what will happen without AJ, Youk and Viciedo if his confidence is shaken by getting benched down the stretch run.

QUOTE (mr_genius @ Sep 12, 2012 -> 08:11 PM) i like the new girl better She's younger and fresher looking, I suppose, but Kustok was/is much better. And Kustok is eminently more knowledgeable, which is supposed to count for something.

Well, this situation was 100% predictable, as soon as the first Youkilis bunt attempt was fouled last night. You have to play to win. Now the White Sox are on the defensive again and playing tight. Ventura should have referenced our numbers with runners in scoring position and just played for the huge inning, but it's all crying over spilled milk now. And facing perhaps the best pitcher in the majors the last 2 months.

Exactly NOT the inning we wanted, so far. Scherzer will be able to go 7 now, in all likelihood.

The main difference in this game is the fact that 1) the Tigers have the best hitter in the AL who's super clutch, and their hitting with RISP and especially with 2 outs. Whereas all season long, especially in the 2nd half of the season, we've given up a disproportionate number of runs with two outs. I wouldn't be surprised if we led the AL in that category since the All-Star break. It has been uncanny. Hasn't mattered if it was a starter or reliever.

Santiago seems a lot more confident in ANY situation, except for closing. Whether as a starter or middle reliever.

Apparently we're back to Liriano starting against the Twins... Even if we are tied, you'd almost rather go with Santiago at this point against Minnesota, rather than Liriano. Except Francisco has the advantge of knowing all the weaknesses of his former teammates. But they know all of his trends and tendencies as well, and this would be the 2nd time he's faced them.

There might not be a BETTER 1-2-3 in the majors for the playoffs than Scherzer, Verlander and Fister. Everyone should be afraid to face them, should they actually make it.

Well, this is a familiar scenario against the Tigers this year. Crooked numbers put up vs. our pitchers when they've been cruising along. At least Scherzer is already over 100 pitches at this point...but it's not like their bullpen is garbage.

YAY!!! Should have let him swing away LAST night. 6/54 on the season for YOUK against Detroit now.

Alejandro at least attempting to bunt on the 1st pitch. At least Johnson and DeAza extended their at-bats to up the pitch count.

57 pitches through 4. That's close to "economical" for Gavin, compared to his usual pace.

Starting to look like Game 163...albeit 2 pitchers with MUCH better stuff than Danks and Blackburn.

Haven't seen 95 MPH out of Floyd in quite some time.

Got Cabrera to expand his strike zone and swing at a ball there.

Luckily I have a class and won't need to sit through 6 more innings of Sox bad at-bats. Because the most interesting time of this game will be the last 2-3 innings, as usual. 46 pitches for Scherzer, 41 for Floyd. Johnson and Hudson completely blown away by Scherzer's stuff. That's what happens when you come off the bench and try to hit a guy like that...almost impossible to keep up your timing with just regular BP. We saw what happened when Tyler got more repetitions, his swing tightened up just enough to start experiencing some success.

Where was this Gavin Floyd all season long? He's pitching at a noticeably faster pace than usual. Just getting the ball and throwing it back to the catcher. And his curveball has been impressive in nullifying the bats of a mostly FB hitting team.

AJ helping Scherzer out there.... Ugh. We might get no-hit from here on out tonight at this rate, even with two of our notorious slider speed hitters on the bench in Viciedo and Beckham.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Sep 12, 2012 -> 06:36 PM) There it is. Hawk mentioning Paulie's health again. He's about 40 percent I bet. I wonder if he's playing with a cracked bone. It's that floating bone chip or fragment in his wrist. He's had injections to try to clear it up, but it must be rubbing against a bone or "impinging" on something in his hand...

Not sure exactly what Konerko was looking for there. He changed the arm angle up just a touch and came across the body more, but Konerko's just in a funk in general.

So far, so good. Of course, the games started out like that for Porcello and Peavy the first two nights.

Well, that was UN-WISE. Going on his own or following marching orders from the dugout?