Sox Saved From 0-162 Season

Well, I'll be damned if the Sox didn't actually play a pretty good baseball game today.

Of course, one of their assembly line of shitty starting pitchers had to get knocked out in the game in the second inning for it to happen, but hey we will take it.

I got in the car at approximately 1:10, 5 minutes after first pitch, to go to lunch. I flip on the radio, and, half in jest say, "I bet they are fucking losing already." Sure enough, before the phrase even finishes slipping from my lips, Farmy-O tells me it's 1-0 Cleveland after another Grady Sizemore leadoff home run, and Jason Michaels is on 1st base. At that point it's all to clear that today Mark Buehrle is going to be just another donkey on the parade of pinatas that is the Sox' starting rotation.

Then, while sitting at a bar eating my lunch, I flip on my cell phone to see what is going on in the game, and I see "Now Pitching: N. Masset". I'm like, huh? The score is still 1-1, so it didn't seem like MB had pulled a Contreras and given up a half dozen runs and gotten yanked, so I asked the barmaid to turn on Channel 9 to see what had happened.

What I see is a replay of a bolt of divine lightning in the form of a line drive hitting Buehrle in the arm, causing him to exit with a contusion. The next thing I see is Nick Masset actually getting more people out more often then he allows them to get a hit. How can a White Sox pitcher be doing this?? I am dumbfounded.

Masset continued to dumbfound me over 4 2/3 innings, giving up only 1 run, and keeping the Sox in a game where they could not capitalize on 5 walks and a hit batsman from Cleveland pitcher Jeremy Sowers. And then, just like in the 2005 playoffs, the Sox win on a weird play involving AJ Pierzynski (alright not that weird, but how often do you see a walkoff hit batsman?)

Today, Masset pitched superbly, and it should serve as a message sent to the erstwhile starters. The Sox may just be a better team if they no longer have to hold their breath waiting for Contreras, Garland, Buehrle, and Vazquez to get their shit together. It may be time to tell these guys to start getting people out, now, or it's time to step aside for someone who can.

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In My Doghouse

I need Matt Thornton to be a lot better than this. Today makes twice in as many days Thornton has coughed up a lead in the late innings.

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Other AL Central Action

Blue Jays at (1-1) Tigers ppd COLD-
The Tigers are all like "yeah right you think we are going to make Justin Verlander and his tired, tired arm pitch in 25 degree weather?" This game is CALLED, bitch.

Red Sox 4, at (1-2) Royals 1
I wonder who will be the first SportsCenter/Baseball Tonight personality to ejaculate during the Dice-K highlights tonight. I am going to have to carry an umbrella while I'm watching it.