(4-4) SOX 6, (4-6) ATHLETICS 3
Yesterday afternoon at about 4:30 PM I had a whole writeup in the draft can lamenting how the Sox' lack of offense had cost them a golden opportunity to come out of Oakland with 2 or 3 wins, and how we are in a lot of trouble if we are getting good pitching and still not winning.
Well, almost at the exact same time I was writing that DVD extra, Jermaine Dye was hitting a fly ball to straightaway center that got caught up in a friendly breeze, and just did clear the fence to tie the game at 3 in the eighth inning.
Then, in the ninth, the Sox bashed in Huston Street's dazzling white teeth for 3 runs, Bobby Jenks rebounded from a bad Tuesday night to nail down his 3rd save, and lo and behold, the Sox win a series in Oakland for the first time since the year 2000.
It took a long time for the offense to get going. The late inning explosion was nice, but it could have had something to do with a tired Oakland bullpen. The A's have been relying on at least 3 innings a night and usually 4 out of their pen with non-descripts like Chad Gaudin and Joe Kennedy in their rotation. That definitely caught up with them yesterday.
While winning the series was a nice accomplishment, the game also marked one complete turn thru the rotation with EVERYONE pitching well.
Game Scores
Sat- Vazquez 73 vs. MIN W
Sun- Danks 56 vs. MIN L
Mon- Contreras 60 at OAK W
Tue- Garland 71 at OAK L
Wed- Buehrle 56 at OAK W
We'll see if that holds up during the weekend series in Cleveland. Going back to last Friday, the A's have scored 11 runs total in 6 games. They are having dire problems scoring runs right now, so let's hope the success translates against a team that hasn't been having those problems.
AL CENTRAL ROUNDUP
(5-3) TWINS 5, (4-4) YANKEES 1
Ramon Ortiz, he of the 5.57 ERA last year despite pitching in the National League AND with a home park (RFK) that plays like Yellowstone, holds the Yankees to 1 run on 3 hits over 8 innings (Game Score- 65). Even more annoying to me than Ramon Ortiz pitching like Pedro Martinez the second he puts on a Twins uniform, is the dwarf sticking her face completely inside a glass of water in the Kinetico rolling billboard behind home plate at he Metrodome.
Game Scores- Mussina NYY 49, Ortiz MIN 65
(6-3) ANGELS 4, (3-2) INDIANS 1
Having to play more than once a week is going to mess up the Indians' plan to have CC Sabathia start every game they play. The Indians made 2 errors in this game and allowed a run to score on a wild pitch. I'll take this opportunity to point out that the Tribe ranked 25th in MLB last year in Baseball Prospectus' defensive efficiency stat, which purports to measure team defense. The other teams in the bottom 6? The Oriole, Royale, Devil Ray, Pirate, and a clunker of a Red Sox team. The Indians are the Jerry Manuel-era White Sox.
Game Scores- Saunders LAA 63, Westbrook CLE 52
(5-3) TIGERS 4, (3-6) ORIOLES 1
The Orioles broadcasts have the most undecipherable "who is on base" graphic I have ever seen in my life. I think I could easier tell what the barometric pressure is then if anyone is in scoring position by looking at that thing. It took them 12 2/3 innings to put a run across the plate last night, but the Tigers get a great outing from Justin Verlander, and have now held the Woe-riole to 2 runs in 22 innings. Wilfredo Ledezma picked up the win in relief, and I think if the Tigers are smart, it's only a matter of time before he takes Chad Durbin's spot in the rotation. Meanwhile, Gary Sheffield is hitting .103 for Le Tigre. I can't wait until he metastasizes and poisons that entire team.
Game Scores-Verlander DET 73, Loewen BAL 57
(5-3) BLUE JAYS 7, (3-6) ROYALS 4
Pretty typical performance for the Royale. 5 of the guys in their lineup last night are hitting under.200, so if they don't get pitching, and they didn't last night, they have no chance, no chance in hell.
Game Scores- de la Rosa KC 35, Chacin TOR 48
TODAY'S GAMES
ANGELS (Mosley 1-0, 1.50) at INDIANS (Sowers 0-0, 3.00)
They are in the bottom of the 6th right now as I type, the Indians have just tied it at 1 on yet another Grady Sizemore home run.
ROYALS (Meche 1-1, 4.40, Last Start 39 v. DET) at ORIOLES (Trachsel 0-0, 4.05, Last 55 at NYY)
In Hell, the Royals are always playing the Orioles.
TIGERS (Maroth 1-0. 7.20, Last 41 at KC) at BLUE JAYS (Ohka 0-0, 10.38, Last 29 at TB)
How many teams has Tomo Ohka played for?
(3-5) DEVIL RAYS (Fossum 0-1, 17.18, Last 19 v. TOR) at TWINS (Silva 0-1, 1.80, Last 53 at SOX)
Everyone's going to be rubbing their nipples to the Twins by Sunday Night, and of course will pay no attention to the fact that 7 of their 12 games will have been home games against the Woe-riole and Devil Ray.
SOX ARE OFF TODAY.
****
TOP 10 MLB GAME SCORES YTD 2007
A new #1 last night...by the same guy
1. 4/11 Felix Hernandez SEA at BOS 89
2. 4/2 Felix Hernandez SEA v. OAK 86
3. 4/2 Ben Sheets MIL v. LAD 82
4. 4/8 Johan Santana MIN at SOX 81
5. 4/8 Kip Wells STL at HOU 81
6. 4/4 John Maine NYM at STL 79
7. 4/10 Josh Beckett BOS v. SEA 77
8. 4/10 Tim Hudson ATL v. WSH 77
9. 4/6 Rich Hill CUBS at MIL 77
10. 4/8 Aaron Cook COL at SD 77
Yesterday's Best-
King Felix' 89 at the Red Sox
Yesterday's Worst-
The Rangers' Robinson Tejeda put up a 26 at home against the almighty Devil Ray. Let's hope the Rays bring those sticks with them to Minnesota this weekend.
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