115

Is this fun or what? The White Sox, led by Jermaine Dye's hitting and Javier Vazquez's pitching, came from behind last night to win the second game of their three-game series with the Indians, 7-2, before a near-sellout crowd (38,518) at the Cell. Dye smashed a three-run shot to left when the Sox were down by two. Give first-base umpire, Paul Schreiber, an assist on the play. Schreiber called Carlos Quentin safe at first on what, according to The Tribune, replays show should have been the back end of a double play. The Sox put up five in the inning and added two more later on as Dye homered again (his eighth) ,and Jim Thome followed immediately with his second in two nights and ninth of the season.

Javier Vazquez was the beneficiary of this timely hitting, picking up the victory. Javy added seven strikeouts to his league-leading total, as he pitched seven innings while giving up only two runs, four hits, and one walk. Boon Logan, Scott Linebrink, and Matt Thornton chipped in with two innings of shutout relief. The five-run margin allowed closer Bobby Jenks to take the night off for a change.

The win was the seventh in a row for the Sox and the fourth in a row over Cleveland, which finds itself in third place, 3.5 games behind the Good Guys. With second-place Minnesota losing and falling back to 2.5 games out of first, the Magic Number has dropped to 115.

Tonight is "Welcome Back Carlton Fisk Night," complete with an on-field ceremony honoring Pudge. Sox management wasn't always so welcoming, however. Remember when they released Fisk just after he broke the all-time games-caught record and then would not allow him into the clubhouse to celebrate with his former teammates after they clinched the A.L. West title? But Pudge got back at the team by choosing to have his Hall of Fame plaque show him in a Boston cap, even though he spent more time with the White Sox. Since Fisk has agreed to become an ambassador for the team, they've apparently buried the hatchet. Maybe he can get his plaque changed from the Sawx to the Sox. Go Sox!