Sox Sweep Royals Out of Town With 9-2 Win Over KC (Game 121, ’08)

I was initially puzzled when the Sox sent Lance Broadway back down after pitching about as well as one could expect to fill in for Jose Contreras.  It seemed a strange ‘reward’ for his work, but I know they will need another pitcher in their bullpen.  They still will have a hole in the starting rotation though, and I’m not sure what their plans are to plug that hole.  I think maybe the Sox will simply try to ‘survive’ until rosters expand in September, when they can probably have Broadway and other pitchers back up for the stretch run. 

The four consecutive homers in the sixth reminded me of the four in a row the Sox hit in ’05 off Randy Johnson.  The Sox don’t have nearly the lead in the division they had then, but I’ll take being in first place by any margin on August 14th.  Although Oakland is essentially out of the race, the White Sox will have to play some good ball to win the series on the road.  They have never played well in Oakland for some reason.  Perhaps the return of Nick Swisher opposite his old team will help them…I don’t know.  I’m pleased the White Sox are hanging in there, and their offense and pitching seem to have come around at the right time.  To have just 2 runs scored off the Sox pitching staff over three games after being handled in KC the week before is really something.  The Sox responded to the nonsense of last week’s fight with a beating of the Royals in the only way that ultimately counts in baseball – on the field.