caulfield12

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Aug 17, 2010 -> 11:11 PM) One inning and he's fine. It will be interesting to see how they piece the bullpen together next season. The Sun Times ran something today implying the Sox bullpen was worn down. That can't be good. They are used less than every other bullpen except two. And of course, Minnesota had the best bullpen ERA without Joe Nathan somehow. They lose Nathan, Neshek, Mijares, Reyes, Breslow, Rincon, etc. Doesn't matter. Even Glen Perkins gets us out. No doubt that Thornton and Putz have been overworked. You simply can't trust Pena and Linebrink, and most haven't trusted Jenks all season long. And that one inning for Thornton, he HAS to start it. The thing that Matt hasn't ever been that great at is coming on with multiple inherited runners in the 7th and 8th and getting out of it unscathed. He has a knack for giving up quite a few big hits, and not just the All-Star game. That said, I have 100X more confidence in Thornton than Jenks.

QUOTE (fathom @ Aug 17, 2010 -> 11:04 PM) I refuse to watch ESPN for 24 hours now with the highlights, as well as the Favre stuff. Will someone please alert me if ESPN shows naked footage of a sex tape with Minka Kelly in it? Thanks! Hopefully it will be Minka Kelly, Erin Andrews and Eva Green from Casino Royale...that's about the only thing that could make these Twins disasters palatable. I still was 10X more upset when Jenks blew that game two years ago and we lost three in a row and possession of first place. That was a dagger through the heart, and a bit more unexpected. Now I'm acclimated to finding new and amusing ways of losing to Minnesota. You really have to laugh, because if you sit down and really think about it, you'll want to throw darts with mini-nuke warheads at any remaining Ozzie Guillen posters left that haven't already been torn down.

Who the hell is going to be the closer next year? Santos? I just don't think Thornton's cut out to be the closer...obviously tonight wasn't really his fault, he's been overpitched all season. I just think it would be better to have a closer with at least two consistent pitches, as good as Matt's fastball can be, it's not unhittable, especially when he gets behind in the count. Hello Liriano and Pavano. Great timing to see those two guys.

If they're going to lose like this, they might as well just end everyone's misery and get swept and let us go back to the way things were 2 1/2 months ago when we were trying to give KW some sort of direction or plan for next season. I said it 10,000 times in the preseason, everyone did, take Jim Thome and Orlando Hudson (no Teahen move) off this team and put them on the White Sox and we're ahead of the Twins by 5-7 games and they've probably had to make a costly mid-season trade to replace Morneau as well.

And Thornton's done for at least one game. What else is new? Did anyone actually expect Thornton to get through 3 separate innings? How many runners did we leave in scoring position? When's the last time we had a bases loaded hit against MIN? Last year?

0 for our last 7 with RISP It's almost like the Twins are taunting us. After the first inning, you want to give up...but you just know the White Sox will SOMEHOW stay in the game, only to have some kind of dreadful ending. It's like a train wreck or car accident. You just can't believe every time they find new and creative, yet refreshingly consistent, ways to lose against Minnesota.

Great, 0 for our last 6 with RISP. What else is new? Well, Pierre's been much better at this the last last two months, considering he was the worst in the majors in April/May, I guess it had to improve.

So much for the lead. You knew that would happen when you keep leaving the bases loaded time after time against the Twins. Here's where we see how well Gardenhire can (out)manage (Ozzie) his new bullpen for 4+ innings.

Well, let's hope that's not the high water mark for this game. We've had four chances now to take the lead and haven't been able to come through. Would Kotsay have STILL hit had he gone for 0 for 2 his first two at-bats? Probably!!!

I wish I had any confidence in Andruw Jones to hit a GS against Perkins, but I'm sure Ozzie will stick with Kotsay.

Danks isn't going to be long for this game without being able to throw something offspeed with more crispness. Mauer with warning track power in the new stadium...well, actually, part of it's because of his injuries surely.

Well, they were smart enough to go after Ramirez with a slider after the mound visit. Back to square one with this game. Danks with 66 pitches through 3, Baker at 76 through 4. Definitely not a Buehrle-paced game.

Well, you knew sometime this year AJ was going to run into one against the Twins. Center cut. Should have tried for Kotsay at home.

Kotsay halfway to the cycle. Well, at least he showed up this game. Nice for him...although you almost worry if he gets hot the last 6 weeks they'll end up keeping him around.

I just realized Mark Kotsay has one more homer than Mauer, and Beckham's tied despite his slump this season. Crazy.

Well, Minnesota answered defensively. Now let's take the lead here, Sox.

Of course, we have no shift against Thome but we're shifting to play Mauer like he's Thome. Yet he throws a change-up to Thome and speeds up his bat again.

Wow, Danks already has 51 pitches through 2 1/3rd. That doesn't bode well based on our bullpen performance the last 10 days. Nice play by Konerko, as usual, to save an infielder.

Of course. Now we really have to put up a goose-egg after that defensive miracle.

How does Juan Pierre not make 3rd base?

The only thing missing from this inning is Torii Hunter robbing a Carlos Lee homer over the CF fence to preserve the lead.

Kubel, the one time all season he looks like a Gold Glover...should be a tie game and Vizquel on 3rd.

QUOTE (fathom @ Aug 17, 2010 -> 06:54 PM) Sunday was pretty bad when it was a Stone solocast Wow. Survival for one inning. No, the ultimate nightmare would be Skowron and Bill Melton with innings 4-6 by Magic and Walton.

Thank god. Of course, the way things have been going, a 3 run bomb is coming next. (PLEASE DON'T HAPPEN, CROSSES FINGERS)

Verlander with 103 pitches through 4 1/3rd. I wonder how long before Leyland pitches his arm off? Great, Danks is a one-pitch pitcher against a fastball-hitting team. And of course it's Mauer who's up.