Here it is – the final series with the White Sox. From a math perspective, the White Sox are quickly losing any balance in the odds. However improbable the numbers are now, they aren’t impossible so every game counts. PLUS, the rest of baseball is finally starting to join me in looking up the line instead of back – whoever takes the AL East doesn’t really matter to me, but the home field advantages do! So let’s keep winning.
| Minnesota | @ | Chi White Sox |
| Span, CF | Pierre, LF | |
| Hudson, O, 2B | Ramirez, A, SS | |
| Mauer, C | Rios, CF | |
| Cuddyer, 1B | Konerko, 1B | |
| Kubel, RF | Ramirez, M, DH | |
| Young, D, LF | Quentin, RF | |
| Thome, DH | Pierzynski, C | |
| Valencia, 3B | Vizquel, 3B | |
| Hardy, SS | Beckham, 2B | |
| Liriano, P | Danks, P |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
| Minnesota | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 9 | 12 | 1 |
| Chi White Sox | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 2 |
Well THAT was fun!
It may just be me, but that game epitomized the Twins and the White Sox seasons. Both teams got solid starting pitching for a few innings. The Twins scored first, the Sox answered and even pulled ahead. The Twins answer, with the bottom part of the order coming through.
The Sox turned right around and threaten to pass right by again. The Twins bullpen has a hiccup but then slams the door in the Sox collective faces and then the hitters start taking advantage of Sox mistakes to pull away to a 9-3 win.
Joe Mauer was, as usual, right in the thick of things with three hits, including the 1000th of his young career, earning him a nice, moderately priced bottle of wine to celebrate the occasion (after all, we’re expecting a couple thousand more of those things out of him). JJ Hardy had a couple of doubles, earning himself a big ole hunk of double-chocolate cake. JJ wasn’t the only one with an extra base hit tonight, though. Michael Cuddyer, Jason Kubel and Denard Span all added doubles, as well, and Delmon Young launched a home run, as well.
But for the first time this season (I think), the GameChat crew voted a relief pitcher Boyfriend of the Day honors. Jesse Crain entered the game in the 7th inning with nobody out and two men on base with the Twins nursing a 4-3 lead. Not only did he prevent the Sox from scoring, but he struck out Paul Konerko and Manny Ramirez back-to-back to end the inning and preserve the lead before the Twins went on to put up a 5-spot in the top of the 8th to put things away. Crain has just been outstanding for most of the season and tonight’s performance showed just how important he has become to the team… and why he is our BOD! – JC
OMG, how HUGE was Crain’s performance? So glad he had that in him! 🙂