Sox Unable to Close Out Tigers in Finale Behind Shaky Vazquez (Game 104, '08)

As much as I hate to say it, I had a feeling the Sox were in trouble when I saw it was Javier Vazquez who was doing the pitching today.  I suppose it brought back memories of then-Tiger Craig Monroe taking a slider by Vazquez deep a couple years back.  The Tigers would ultimately go on to win that game.  I have no doubt the Sox have heart and want to win.  That is not in question.  What is in question is the strength or lack thereof of the White Sox starting staff.  To be frank, the only guy I trust to be as close to lights out as possible in the starting rotation is Mark Buehrle.  Danks has been good all year, but has shown some cracks in the armour.  I trust none of the righties, one who is on the DL, and the other two unable to consistently command their breaking pitches.  I just don't get a good feeling about the pitching, and while the offense has picked it up, bailing the Sox out in the first two games of this series, slugging to victory doesn't generally win in the postseason.  I like the series win.  It is what the Sox needed to do.  I just don't like dropping the last game, especially to a team following you that could have pretty much been buried with a sweep.  As is, the Tigers are still breathing. 

Javier Vazquez remains the most overrated, overpaid .500 pitcher I've seen.  I'm sick and tired hearing about 'stuff' and all the rest of this unquantifiable mumbo-jumbo.  If 'stuff' is all it took to be a great big-league pitcher, a lot of minor leaguers would be in the big show.  When it comes right down to it, Javier just cannot keep it together mentally over the long haul, which is why he is a career .500 pitcher.  This is a guy everyone says 'should' be better but never is.  Six earned over seven innings is simply not good enough.  Sure, Vazquez ate enough innings to essentially give the bullpen the day off, but the team needs seven strong, not seven mediocre/weak.  If Vazquez wasn't so bad so consistently, I might judge him less harshly.  For now as it stands though, the Sox will be in trouble if he and the rest of the righties don't step up and get the job done. 

There are still two months to go.  Lots of baseball left to be played.  I like our chances with Buehrle going for the Sox tomorrow night against the Twins.  I like this matchup  very much for the Sox.  Still, crazy things tend to happen in that dome, and the Sox will have to play near-flawless baseball to win there.  Errors against a team that makes very few never bodes well.  The Sox will have to avoid playing the sloppy defensive baseball they have played of late if they want to win or split this extremely important series...