No Relief as White Sox Lose to Yankees 9-5 (Game 19, '08)

I wondered aloud why Thornton was not brought in in the top of the seventh to face Abreu when I knew in my gut before it even happened Abreu was not going to be put away by the ever-erratic Dotel.  Sure, he struck out Derek Jeter, but facing the power-hitting lefty Abreu was another matter altogether.  I didn't like him being left in to face him, telling my friend, "This is the ballgame right here."  I felt like Steve Stone with his super prediction powers as I heard the crack of the bat and watched the ball sail over the left field wall, while hearing the crowd erupt as if I were sitting in Yankee Stadium.  I wondered how many of the 25,000 in attendance were Yankee fans.  I couldn't believe on a gorgeous night, with no wind, perfect weather, a first place ballclub and the Yankees in town the place was almost half empty.  I couldn't believe it, and when talking with a Yankee fan at one point, was a bit ashamed of the pitiful draw.  As for Thornton, he proceeded to give up a three-run bomb to the left-handed Damon on the top half of the eighth so...I suppose when the bullpen is bad, it's just plain bad - lefty, righty, whatever have you.  Gerardi too had some problems with his pen tonight, but the Sox could not capitalize.  It was a battle of which bullpen was going to be worse. 

The White Sox didn't help themselves offensively in their bottom half of the inning with the only RBI coming from Joe Crede drawing a walk with the bases loaded.  I felt they worked the starter Wang over with deep counts, and had his pitch count up to some 60 pitches in the first two innings.  I liked their approach.  But after the bullpen imploded with the Grand slam to Abreu, I felt the Sox hitters' approach changed.  Carlos Quentin, who is usually fantastic with the bases loaded did exactly what I expected he would do - swung at the first pitch from a new reliever in the dirt and in the left handed batter's box.  He proceeded to strike out, and then Uribe being Uribe, swung at the first pitch he saw to end the threat.  When Ozzie was asked by a reporter in the postgame whether he would have liked Uribe to have taken a pitch or two, Ozzie defended Uribe saying he could change the game with one swing.  Sure he could.  And he did - with one swing he popped out to end the inning. 

I think the Sox have a reasonable chance to take the next two games and win the series, but it's going to take exactly that to get the bad taste of tonight out of my mouth.  This was a bullpen meltdown, and an offense that changed when the pitching changed.  Instead of picking up the pen, they went down with them.  Hopefully that will change tomorrow. 

Where's Scotty?

While I thought the sculpture commemorating the White Sox 2005 World Series Championship was beautifully done with stone and images of World Series memories, I noticed a startling omission - no Scott Podsednik's Game 2 World Series walk-off home run, perhaps the most famous home run in the history of the franchise.  Geoff Blum's home run was included, as was Konerko's and Crede's - but not Scottys?  I asked some people about this, and received no answer.  I think it was just an oversight - one I hope might be corrected...perhaps an addition to the already beautiful sculpture could be done.  It was even more beautiful at night, with the light shining on it, bringing out the ghost-like transparent pictures in the marble even more than in the daylight...