Twin Killing of Sox in Short Two-Game Series as Sox Lose 4-3 (Game 27, '08)

On-base percentage is very valuable to any winning ballclub, especially those who consistently drive those guys in.  Unfortunately for the White Sox, they have wasted their good on-base percentage by going 5-for-45 with runners in scoring position over the past five games.  As any astute baseball fan knows, there are two parts to effective offenses - getting on base and getting them in.  The White Sox have been decent about getting guys on, but not getting them in.  And while the pitching was the concern coming into this season with Danks and Floyd comprising two-fifths of the starting rotation, it has been the lack of clutch hitting I saw all too often last year that continues to plague this team now.  Another decent pitching performance, this time from Nick Masset, giving up 3 earned on 5 hits was good enough under most circumstances for a win, although he only pitched 4 innings in his spot-start. 

It has gotten to the point now to when I see the White Sox get a guy on base or get a hit, I feel as if that kills the rally.  I expect it to be followed up either by a double play, or a popup and a strikeout to end the inning.  It is amazing to me how many times the Yankees scored on the White Sox with two out, and how virtually impossible that has been for the White Sox.  It is also astonishing to me how guys our pitchers put on base via the walk tend to score, while our guys who draw walks never seem to make it home.  Strange, isn't it?  Strange and incredibly frustrating.

When the White Sox signed Orlando Cabrera (.217) and Nick Swisher (.226), I thought the White Sox had taken steps to get the right kind of players this team needed at the top of the lineup - a good on-base percentage guy in Nick Swisher, and a good contact hitter in Orlando Cabrera.  Swisher has still been doing pretty good getting on, even if he has to take a walk, but Cabrera is not getting it done at the plate.  The middle of the order is not hitting, with the only real production coming from Carlos Quentin, who not everyone thought would even make the team, and Joe Crede has been decent.  That's about it.  Not good enough.  Were it not for Carlos Quentin and Joe Crede, I would be falling asleep watching this offense night after night. 

Balance is key to any offense, and as I said, I feel the Sox did a decent job getting at least two different kinds of hitters in the lineup this year in Swisher and Cabrera.  Still, this appears to be an ill-fated offense that will be 'all-or-nothing' as teams with little speed and not enough contact hitters always will be.  It appears the additions of Cabrera and Swisher are not quite enough to help the offense, but with Quentin doing well, and Crede holding his own, while Pierzynski got off to a good start, it is hard to believe this offense would struggle this mightily scoring runs.  The heart of the order has almost stopped beating.  That is much of the problem.  With a day off, and a major change of scenery to another country, let's hope the Sox can get things going starting Friday in Toronto...