caulfield12

Jenks the final game up in Minnie after the break Jenks in Seattle when we took the lead in extra innings The Sunday game in DET we blew but somehow managed to come back and win Two more against DET (Putz) One more against MIN (Thornton) That's a four game swing in the standings against the ALCD alone...in one month, when most teams will take 4-6 months to accomplish the same. The Twins lost 14 games to us, we've lost 8 1/2 back and falling like a lead balloon.

I'm still laughing at Ranger's comment that the Twins' pitching is not comparable to ours. It happened to Floyd, now to Danks, our two best pitchers this season, they both wet the bed in huge games, let's face it and be honest. Now we have to deal with Liriano and Pavano with Putz or Santos as our closer. Not the greatest of odds. Also, now 4-20 against the Twins in 08/09/10 second half play. Yes, that's 1 out of 6 ballgames played, a cool .167 winning percentage.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Aug 17, 2010 -> 11:20 PM) We scored 6 runs tonight. We do score off their pitching. As Ginger posted, we spotted them a 4-0 lead, came back to tie it, came back again to take the lead. No one in our pen can close out a game right now. It's as simple as that. Not much else to say. Yes, and no. Their bullpen came in from the 5th on and shut us down completely until Capps, and they still got the DP against Konerko, which most will feel was the key play of the ballgame. I know we took the lead, but it felt like we had to score there to win that game for some reason. The only surprise to me was not giving it up in the bottom of the 9th, that we actually scored and took the lead momentarily. Rauch has been the only one really struggling down there. Guerrier has pitched great recently (despite the 2-7 record) and Crain even better, perhaps the best he has ever pitched for Minnesota.

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.