This game felt like de ja vu all over again as the White Sox' bats struggled to get anything accomplished against the Rays' Kazmir, who has been fantastic for them this year.  When I saw the Sox were facing Kazmir, I honestly didn't give them much of a chance.  Vazquez did his job, only surrenduring 2 earned on 5 hits over 7 innings of work.  Typically, that is good enough.  Not with this offense, and not against Kazmir and his 1.22 ERA on the season.  The Sox lost to a good pitcher, but sometimes you have to beat good pitchers.  The Sox could not do that tonight.  With a win tomorrow, the Sox can have a better than .500 road trip, and a series split.  But to do that, the Sox will have to hit, and Buehrle will have to be the Buehrle of old...the 'good' Buehrle if you will, not the gasoline can we've unfortunately seen lately.
 

Scott Linebrink has been fantastic for the White Sox.  He almost never gives up anything, but gave up the game-winning home run to Cliff Floyd.  The inability to get the bunt down to advance the runner, and continued offensive ineptitude, grounding into countless double plays decided the game before Floyd's home run.  There is only so often this team can expect the pitching to hold off a team that runs like crazy and seems to constantly get on base.  I was actually amazed the Sox pitching was able to hold the Rays down to just two runs overall. Contreras was very good, only giving up one run. I cannot blame the pitching.  If the White Sox cannot score more than one run, they don't deserve to win.  When the Sox would get guys on base with hits, they could not get the key hit to get a run across.  It happened all night long.  They will have a tough task ahead trying to beat Kazmir tomorrow. 

The Rays have shown why they are in first place in the American League East.  They can pitch.  They have speed, running off Sox pitching all night long, and they can play defense.  Still, the White Sox did enough hitting tonight, with a very long home run drive that hit one of the rings by Konerko, who had not homered since April.  Overall, the Sox managed eleven hits in the game.  Carlos Quentin picked up yet another RBI, and Crede homered as well. 

I will take the win of course, but Joe Crede continues to have some defensive miscues for some reason, and they have tended to be throwing errors.  It looks as if he is trying to be very careful with his throws to the point of inadvertantly throwing the ball away or in the dirt.  John Danks got himself in trouble sometimes, but was able to pitch over that trouble.  I give him a lot of credit for giving up just 1 earned run on 6 innings.  Like all the Sox pitchers in general, he will have to get better at holding runners on since the Rays ran at will all night long on Sox pitching.  The bullpen was fantastic again, yeilding nothing.  With a win tomorrow, the White Sox can guarantee themselves a series split. 

 

Today's ballgame looked like it could have gone either way for a while, with many momentum shifts.  Up until the last out, I had no idea who would ultimately be the victor.  A very exciting ballgame.  Gavin Floyd began the day on a difficult note when it took him 23 pitches to record his first out.  That inning seemed to go on forever.  This was a day when Floyd was not at his best, surrenduring four earned on eight hits.  It could have been a lot worse, as Gavin seemed to always have guys on base, and eventually did give up the lead with the 3-run sixth inning.  I was glad to see the Sox come right back, the offense picking up Floyd with a 3-run seventh of their own.  This is what the Sox offense will have to do from time to time - pick up their pitchers when things are going less-than perfect.  The bullpen once again was lights out, also picking up Floyd, who ultimately got the win.  As long as everyone pulls on the same rope, the Sox may have some special things in store for them come September. 

 

After the 5-run first inning, capped off with Buehrle giving up a grand slam to Guitierrez, I thought even then the White Sox could have came back...as long as Buerhle continued to keep the Indians scoreless from that point on.  He did just that for a while, but not for the rest of the game.  This was a team failure, with Konerko failing to make a simple catch on a ball he always catches.  The inning was extended, and the Indians took advantage.  There were five outs in that inning.  I was stunned when Wassermann had a pickoff at first, and in the rundown, Paulie, instead of tagging the runner who looked no more than three feet in front of him, then fired home with a one-hop throw and another run scored.  Alexei Ramirez at one point forgot how many outs there were, getting doubled off second, and in all, the White Sox left nine men on base. 

This game was ugly, but I'm hoping they can put this one aside, and win the series against the Indians tomorrow.

Glad to see the White Sox continue their road comforts with another win, this time in Cleveland.  It took some time, 12 innings to be exact, but in the end, the White Sox finally cashed in with runners in scoring position.  Vazquez was not at his best, but only gave up three runs.  The bullpen continues to be lights out, surrenduring no runs again.  I would have to say Carlos Quentin and the bullpen have been the most pleasant surprises on the young season for me. 

This game looked a lot like many of the other Sox games I have watched this year - excellent pitching, little offense, with key contributions by a couple guys.  In this case, as Ozzie said, Carlos Quentin has taken this 'heavy' team and carried it on his back, or rather bat, since he has been the most consistent offensive player on the White Sox in 2008.  In the short term, this looks good because even with little offense, the Sox have continued to win ballgames.  In the long term though, this is not good because this team will need more than Carlos Quentin to win games.  Also, with the offense as is, the pitching will have to continue to be lights out, which is hard to expect.  There are going to be times when the offense will have to pick up the pitching.  They did that once in San Francisco.  They will have to do it more often in the future.  Good for the Sox to at least salvage a game against the Angels, and still 2 1/2 games up in the American League Central.
 

Weaver said he knows 'where their holes are' when referring to the White Sox lineup.  That doesn't seem to be a too carefully guarded secret, as the White Sox have made several pitchers look like future Hall of Famers, including Jared Weaver.  Basically, any pitcher who can locate their offspeed pitches - curveballs or changeups will dominate the White Sox lineup, who appear only able to hit the fastball.  I have said this before, and I will unfortunately have to say it again - the White Sox must be able to hit something other than a fastball or this will be a very long summer, no matter how good the pitching is.  John Danks, who has had pitiful run support for some reason, getting just seven runs over his past six starts, took the high road and spoke of what he had failed to do - get Vlad out.  And while his 2 earned runs over five innings was not stellar, it was once again, good enough to win with a mediocre offense.  Unfortunately, this offense is less than mediocre.  Were it not for the pitching, this team would already be in the tank.  Hopefully they can salvage one tomorrow. 

When I saw the White Sox were going to face Saunders in tonight's game, I knew they would have their work cut out for them.  Indeed they did.  The Sox were shut down offensively all night long, with no runs scored until the bottom of the ninth.  The White Sox are perhaps listening too closely to the 'Wendys' spot that always talks about 'scoring late.'  I've noticed the trend of the White Sox doing much of their scoring from the fifth inning on, as if they need half a game or so to get warmed up offensively.  But tonight the bats were essentially cold the whole game.  Floyd was okay, but I've noticed, even in the San Francisco game he won, he has his share of control problems.  I'm hoping that trend will not continue.  But tonight, even though Floyd was not perfect, he gave his team a chance to win.  They just couldn't cash in offensively tonight.  They'll have to try to begin a new winning streak tomorrow. 

 

 

The Chicago White Sox look more locked in than they have since at least 2006.  Eight wins in a row, and a little help from the Rangers over Minnesota have put the Sox in first place and 3 1/2 games up in the American League Central.  They will have a challenge to extend that lead to 9 with tonight's matchup with the Angels and a tough pitcher in Saunders who is 7-1 on the season. 

Last night's ballgame was just plain good baseball.  The Sox got some clutch 2-out hitting from Jermaine Dye and Carlos Quentin, each with the only RBI on the night.  Mark Buehrle was fantastic, having surrendured just 1 run and 2 hits over seven innings.  The bullpen was lights out as usual with Linebrink and Jenks giving up zero hits or walks. 

It is good to see the defense, the pitching, and the clutch hitting.  Speed is nice, but when you have reasonably fast guys like Carlos Quentin and Brian Anderson who can force the issue by taking the extra base as they did last night to score a couple runs, I think a speedy leadoff guy is not necessarily what has most ailed the White Sox offense during their bad slump earlier.  The Sox need the clutch hits.  They've been getting them lately.  It was also nice to see a game won without the benefit of a home run.  Let's see if they can capture number nine tonight!

 

 

The White Sox are looking very good, having now won seven games in a row - a feat the White Sox never accomplished last year.  For a while, as the Sox struggled to get anything done against the soft-tossing Paul Byrd, I thought they might have reverted back to their anemic offensive ways.  They got things going with a three-run blast by Jermaine Dye to put the Sox ahead 3-2 in the sixth, and capped off the inning by two more runs that inning, and they added another two runs in the seventh.  With the Indians pitching as well as they have coming into this series, it made these past two wins over their division rivals all the more impressive.  As I watched the home run derby, I shook my head saying to myself 'this is a powerful team.'  Jim Thome homered to the opposite field, and looked great going up the middle for a base hit.  He looked different at the plate tonight.  When he pulls off the ball, he struggles.  When he goes with the pitch, he does much better. I was glad to see Jim do that tonight. 

Javier Vazquez was great, as the starters have been for the most part this season.  Javy surrendered only two runs over seven innings.  Scott Linebrink has been practically unhittable, picking up Boone Logan who could not find the strike zone.  Ozzie wanted this ballgame so he pulled him.  I chuckled a bit as the camera caught at least two, maybe three F-bombs from Ozzie to Boone when he came out to visit him on the mound.  As Steve Stone said..."It was short, but not so sweet." I had to laugh. 

Still, all's well that ends well.  As Steve Stone also said, if the White Sox can continue to support this incredible pitching they have been getting, this year has a chance to be something special. 

This was a good ballgame to watch, complete with home runs from Quentin and Thome, who has homered off Sabathia for the third time this season, good baserunning, and outstanding pitching.  This staff from top to bottom has been fantastic overall.  Contreras was excellent.  He looked great tonight, and the White Sox were able to do just enough against Sabathia to give him his sixth loss of the season. 

The main difference I see between the Indians and the White Sox so far this year is in the bullpen.  Both teams have struggled offensively, and both starting staffs have been excellent.  The Indians bullpen has not been great, and it showed again tonight.  I was glad to see the White Sox score a couple of insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth inning.  I credit the pitching of Contreras and the bullpen to holding the Indians to just one run.  The Sox will try for the series win tomorrow...

The White Sox bullpen was not at their best today.  Good thing this was one of the better days for their offense.  With all the scoring and back-and-forth today, this is a game that could have gone either way.  When the White Sox put up yet another crooked number on the board - a four-spot in the top of the ninth, I finally felt fairly secure.  This was another ballgame the White Sox seemed to win with will rather than skill, since there were more defensive miscues, with Alexei Ramirez in the wrong place as a cutoff man to Jermaine Dye, and failing to get back on the bag on a double-play ball to Crede thrown to him.  Everyone was safe and a run scored.  Still, watching this offense support what has otherwise been a very solid starting staff and bullpen, I like the White Sox chances as they face the Indians in Chicago starting Tuesday night.

This was far from a perfect game.  The White Sox stranded 14 runners, not doing nearly as much damage as I thought they could have off Zito.  At least for me, things got a little too interesting, especially in the seventh inning, when the Giants loaded the bases off Buehrle, but Dotel did a great job leaving the runners on base.  Buehrle finally picked up his second win on the season, pitching very well.  Linebrink and Jenks were great as usual, and while I don't like the stranded runners, the pitching staff continues to impress. I will be especially interested in the upcoming Cleveland series at home. Both pitching staffs have been great, while both offenses have had their struggles.  It is hard for me to believe Cleveland's team batting average is less than the Sox, but so far that is the case. 

With tonight's victory, the White Sox have guaranteed themselves an above-500 West Coast road trip.  I am very happy with the way this team has picked themselves up and did what needed to be done to win ballgames, even if the offense has been less-than stellar.  It is hard to ask the pitching staff to do much more than it already has done.  I would like to see these hitters be the guys we know they can be, and get 'over the hump' with runners in scoring position.  The Sox do well getting guys on.  Now they have to get them in. They will have a chance to do just that again tomorrow as they go for the sweep.   

 

For a good portion of this game, I was frustrated once again watching the White Sox offense do very little against San Francisco pitching.  I was also frustrated watching Gavin Floyd getting himself in trouble with runners almost constantly on base, including hitting Aaron Rowand by a pitch twice.  He just didn't seem to have much control tonight.  Fortunately for Floyd, he bent, but did not ever break, surrendering no runs on 4 hits over 6 innings.  The bullpen was fantastic once again, and Bobby Jenks nailed down his ninth save on the season. 

It was good to see Alexei Ramirez get his first Major League home run of his career - and at a time when it really mattered to the White Sox, winning the ballgame by plating their only two runs.  Ramirez doesn't appear to be a powerful hitter, but all night long, Steve Stone and Ed Farmer spoke of how difficult it is to hit home runs out of that ballpark, and Ramirez was able to do so.  They spoke of how strong Ramirez is and how much better he will be once he adds more weight to his frame.  What has impressed me most about him at the plate is his quick hands. 

The White Sox can guarantee an above-500 road trip with a win tomorrow or the following day.  That would be fantastic, especially since West-Coast trips have not traditionally been kind to the White Sox.  Even though the White Sox split in Anaheim, I'm happy with the fight they showed, and if they tighten up their game, they can still play with any team in baseball because their pitching has been so outstanding. 

That leads me nicely to my next point - Mark Buehrle.  I'm not sure what has happened to this guy so far this year, but I sincerely hope he finds whatever has been missing in his game.  The White Sox need production from him to ultimately be successful.  They also need production from Thome and Konerko, who have really struggled for the most part lately.  Fortunately for the Sox, unlikely heroes like Gavin Floyd, John Danks, Carlos Quentin, and tonight Alexei Ramirez have been carrying this team while veterans have struggled.  I think that for me has been my biggest surprise on this young season so far.  If everyone can get in the act and contribute, I believe this ballclub can do some special things this year. 

 

I have to admit it.  I thought with two outs in the top of the ninth, Jim Thome was going to strike out.  I was so glad to see him hit the ball hard to right field, and after Pierzynski crossed the plate to score the go-ahead run, I could see him point to Thome and shout at him what I'm sure were words of encouragement.  I'm sure this tough stretch for Jim has been hard on him since he was 0 for the series before his big hit. He sure got the hit when it counted, and basically won the ballgame.  I hope for more good things for Jim starting tonight. 

Vazquez had a very nice outing, but was unable to get the win after Joe Crede's fielding error.  What's more important though is the way the team picked him up and picked up Quentin's miscue in left that was essentially responsible for the first two runs of the game.  Quentin almost picked himself up single handedly by missing a home run by about 10 feet.  But that long fly was enough to get Pierzynski to third base, in position to score on Thome's single.  Not a perfect game, but a good, solid victory with a team that picked each other up.  I like to see that.  I hope to see more good things as the Sox play the National League Giants.  Today they met up with their old friend Garland.  Tomorrow they will meet up with their old friend Rowand. 

 

 

Carlos Quentin delivered in the three hole tonight, to the tune of 5 RBI, with two hits, one of which was a home run. The results of Ozzie's latest lineup shake up worked nicely. John Lackey pitched well for a long time, but Shields gave up the bomb to Quentin. Jose Contreras was masterful as well, nearly matching Lackey, pitching seven innings and giving up just 1 earned run on 4 hits. On a smaller note, it was good to see the White Sox hit the cutoff man instead of throwing home when the sac fly scored the Angels' tying run in the fifth inning. It might seem like a small thing, but it is these little things that have killed the White Sox in the past. In this case, it saved another potential run to keep the runner at first and preventing them from advancing into scoring position. A very good win for the White Sox tonight. They will try for the series split against their former teammate Jon Garland tomorrow.

It was not a good move defensively for Nick Swisher and Jermaine Dye to throw home to try getting the runner instead of throwing to second base to the cutoff man.  Still, when you only get three hits on the evening, and score no runs, it almost doesn't matter what plays are made or not made in the field.  This is a team that is clearly searching at the plate, and are pressing in the field, not making the best choices, misthrows, and overall sloppy play.  What is bad to see is how every aspect of the White Sox' game besides their pitching is going south.  Octavio Dotel was responsible for one earned run, but he was very good getting out of a jam in the seventh by striking out Vlad.  I thought that was the ballgame right there, that the White Sox would get pumped up and get some runs. Not to be.  Unless this team can hit at a mediocre level, they will be lucky to be a .500 team when it's all said and done.  John Danks did his job, giving up no earned runs over 6 1/3 innings, and I don't put this loss on the bullpen.  It is a shame once again another stellar pitching performance was wasted.  Hopefully tomorrow the White Sox can find something.  They're going to have to - very fast before this quickly slips away from them.
 

I said yesterday there would be a need for the White Sox offense to sometimes pick up the pitching.  They tried tonight, with a fantastic at-bat by Jermaine Dye to keep the ninth inning alive, and making things interesting.  Still, when you give 8 gift runs to the opposition with poor defense, you have to have a banner evening offensively to overcome that.  Buehrle was ineffective once again, and his defense didn't help him either, with two double plays could not be made as Uribe could not cleanly throw the ball. 

While the defense was poor, Buehrle was always unable to overcome any errors.  He could not pitch over them, and earned his fifth loss on the year.  I never thought Mark Buehrle was going to be the weak link in the starting rotation, but that is what has happened.  It was as if on cue if a bad play was made, the next pitch was laid in over the plate and it was hit hard where a Sox fielder wasn't.  I appreciate the fight in the White Sox offense at the end, but this is a game the Sox should have had.  They beat themselves.  They hopefully will not tomorrow. 

I'm not going to bury a guy who has two almost no-hitters on the young season for having a bad outing today.  Gavin Floyd lasted just three and two-thirds innings and surrendered five runs on nine hits.  Masset was good in relief, but the bats, once again, played 'Jeckyl and Hyde,' stranding 13 runners on base.  I was especially upset with the sixth inning when the Sox, down by two with a couple runners on and just one out, failed to bring any runs across. 

I had a feeling the Mariners were on the verge of breaking out offensively after last night's game.  I wish that break out would have come a day later, and the Sox would have gotten the sweep.  A series win is fine, but opportunities were missed once again.  I realize good teams are built on solid pitching, but every once in a while, pitchers need to be bailed out by the offense.  Sox pitchers have been left out to dry several times by the Sox offense.  Today would have been nice payback if the offense could have bailed out an off day for Gavin Floyd.  Not to be.  I believe the most difficult and telling challenge for the White Sox on this West Coast road trip lies ahead in their next four-game series in Anaheim.  The Angels have been schooled by the suprising Rays and will be home looking to right the ship.  It will be a battle to be sure. 

Vazquez was fairly solid tonight until the sixth inning when things got a little scary.  I actually thought it might have gone the way of the Mariners when they started gaining momentum, but the Sox bullpen did wonderfully preserving the lead.  Vazquez was not at his best, but it was good to see the White Sox bullpen pick him up and keep the Mariners at bay. 

It looks like Brian Anderson wants to stay in the lineup with his 3-run homer and a valient attempt to replicate yesterday's heroic catch in center.  Giving Thome a night off was a good idea I think, and it was good to see Swisher get a couple hits and an RBI after his night off.  He has heart and wants to excel.  The pickoff play with Dotel faking to third, throwing to second, then Uribe firing the ball home to nail Ichiro was electric. I wasn't sure how Dotel was going to get out of that inning, but the way he did it was not at all the way I expected.  Very exciting. 

Overall, I'm glad to see this offense reawakening.  I'm hoping the pitching can continue as they go for the sweep tomorrow.

It was good to see the White Sox get a much needed victory on the road after all the problems they had in Toronto scoring runs.  I believe this trip will be a big test for the White Sox, and will probably tell us much about this team by the time they return home.  Today had pitching, offense, and defense - a solid ballgame for the Sox.  Good to see Paul Konerko looking more comfortable at the plate, going 2-for-4 with 2 RBI, including a nice double that was hit perfectly down the line in right.  Good to see Jermaine Dye continuing his good at-bats tonight, and Jose Contreras pitching very well, with just 1 run on 6 hits over seven innings.  If the Sox can continue to pitch like this, they should be right in the thick of things, so long as they keep their offensive struggles to a minimum.  Excellent way to start the road trip tonight...

It would have been ideal had the White Sox swept the Twins to reclaim their spot in first place in the American League Central, but winning the series against their division rivals is not too bad.  Good to see Jermaine Dye's bat getting hot again.  His plate presence looks different, perhaps 'showing the swagger' as the slogan for '08 says.  He is taking good, authoritative swings on the ball.  John Danks pitched well again, giving up just 2 earned runs on 6 hits in 5 innings.  Dotel's stuff looked electric, and he too appeared to regain the 'swagger' if you will, as he pitched with authority and confidence. 

This long west-coast road trip will be quite a challenge for the White Sox, and we shall see what this team is made of after this trip I think.  I know the White Sox don't do well traditionally on the West Coast, and the 4 games against the Angels I think will be an especially difficult test.  Still, hopefully the White Sox will get comfortable in Seattle, as I read several of them like Safeco Field best of all the ballparks where they play during any given year.  It will be a late one tonight, but hopefully they will start things off with a win. 

The White Sox pitching has been fantastic of late, but not so tonight.  Buehrle surrendered 7 earned runs on 9 hits over 5 and 2/3 innings, and to add insult to injury, Wasserman was unable to prevent Carlos Gomez from hitting for the cycle.  Since the pitching has been so good, I expected there would be nights like this at some point.  Still, the story for me is the complete lack of offense once again.  It seems unless a pitcher is a fastball pitcher, the White Sox have little chance against them.  If the White Sox want to take advantage of what has been some excellent pitching, with some exceptions, including tonight, they will have to be able to hit something other than a fastball.  I am sick of watching this team unable to square up anything but a fastball.  The one-dimensionality of this team offensively is not just their inability to manufacture runs or steal bases, it is in their inability to hit offspeed and slower pitchers, like Livan Hernandez.  If Greg Walker could work on anything with these guys, I would hope it would be that.
 

I didn't even realize Gavin Floyd had a no-hitter going until the eighth inning.  I had forgotten since the Twins had one run across the board, and I was immersed watching the offense finally come to life, supporting Floyd with 7 runs.  What is remakable about Floyd is the fact he has thrown three games this year with 2 hits or less.  That is incredible, and I believe at some point soon, Floyd is going to pitch a no-hitter.  When he can locate his breaking pitches, as he did in the later innings tonight, he seems close to unhittable.  He has a unique delivery that appears a kind of 'short-arm' delivery and it seems hitters have a very hard time picking up the pitch out of his hand.  The breaking stuff and the fastball appear the same from his arm action. 

As for the offense, I was most impressed with Jermaine Dye, who struggled mightily going into tonight's game, going 1-for-23.  Tonight, with two outs, he shortened up his swing and took a slider on the outer half up the middle for a base hit, then later homered to right on another outside pitch.  The book is obviously out on Dye.  Pitchers are trying to ace him on the outside corner, and he has until tonight been quite vulnerable to pitches outside.  I was glad to see him beat the pitchers at their own game, and most importantly, glad to see the White Sox finally get a win!

 

The Chicago White Sox are getting fantastic starting pitching.  Unfortunately, they have forgotten how to hit apparantly.  Vazquez, with nine strikeouts and just one earned run over seven and two-thirds pitched is about as well as you can expect your starter to pitch.  He definitely did not deseve to get the loss.  Uribe standing at third on a goundout stood out very big in retrospect.  Still, this team had runners on second and third with no outs and could not capitalize.  Then, after having the bases loaded all on walks in the ninth inning, Ozuna could only hit the ball back to the pitcher for a 1-2-3 double play to end the game.  It is scary to think what might happen to this team if the pitching falters at all.  The only thing keeping the White Sox near the top of this division is poor play by most other teams in the Central.  I'm glad to see Ozzie tried to shake things up by altering the batting lineup a bit.  It didn't work out, but I'm glad to see he tried. This is something the White Sox just have to work through because the only thing a team can do is work through slumps.  For now, it seems we as fans have to just sit and take it until things turn around.

The White Sox had some fight in them today, and I found it at least somewhat encouraging they put up three runs against the very tough Roy Halladay.  Contreras was just a bit less effective, but he was hurt by that missed call by the umpire when Rios ran into Cabrera, and there should have had two outs in that play.  It ultimately could have been the missed call that cost them the game. Still, Contreras could not pitch over it, and the White Sox offense, while better today, is still not performing good enough right now.  Hopefully the White Sox will salvage one game of this woeful road trip tomorrow.

 

 

If I am this tired of watching this team already, I cannot imagine how I will feel around the All Star break if this continues.  No offense again.  A rare costly error by Crede and an okay pitching performance by John Danks was enough to sink the Sox once again.  Still, with the way this team is not hitting, it doesn't seem too difficult to beat the White Sox.  It seems all it takes is to throw this team anything but a fastball and they will get themselves out.  The White Sox, over the past year and a month this year have demonstrated they cannot solve any soft-tossing, offspeed, junkball, breaking ball pitchers.  Justin Verlander is a sitting duck for the White Sox, and they hit him well because he is a fastball pitcher and the White Sox are a fastball hitting team.  For a team to have no speed and the ability only to hit the fastball with any consistency is a formula for disaster, and a very long summer.  Last year it was said this team would 'snap out of it,' but they nevr did.  Instead of just believing they will 'snap out of it' this year, the Sox are going to have to be more proactive to make whatever roster moves or lineup changes necessary to get the job done.  If the players aren't going to change their hitting style because they are what they are, then the White Sox need a different mix of personnel altogether if they want to win...this year or beyond.

It is a shame such nice pitching performances like the one the White Sox got from Mark Buehrle was wasted, as he surendered just 5 hits and no earned runs, the two that scored resulting ultimately from an error by Joe Crede.  But that wasn't the story of this game.  Errors happen.  When a team consistently cannot get hits with runners in scoring position or just hits in general, it doesn't matter how good the pitching is.  So far this season, the White Sox pitching has been much better than expected.  The offense not so.  I really thought with Swisher and Cabrera, the White Sox added enough to make a difference. I'm not sure it ultimately will.  To Cabrera's credit, he got the only two hits in the ballgame.  As for the offense, it's getting to the point where I expect them to strike out, pop up, or ground into a double play when a runner somehow gets on base.  I hope the White Sox themselves are not feeling as I am because if they are, they're in trouble.  They are professionals, but they are human too.  Each day is a new game to get something done, but I feel like what I'm seeing offensively with this team is deja vu all over again...