77

This is feeling a lot like 2005. Every player on the roster is contributing to the White Sox's success. Last night, John Danks, Adam Russell, Alexei Ramirez, DeWayne Wise, and Orlando Cabrera each played an important part in the 3-2 win over the Indians in 10 innings.

Danks pitched superbly for eight innings. He allowed only one run (on a home run by Kelly Shoppach that tied the game in the sixth), four hits, and one walk. Danks also set a new personal best, with eight strikeouts. In lowering his ERA to 2.50 -- third best in the American League -- Danks pitched well enough to win, but the victory went to Adam Russell, the first of his career. Appearing in only his fourth game ever, Russell replaced Matt Thornton in the 10th inning with Cleveland up by one run, and two men on. The rookie displayed the calm of a seasoned veteran, striking out Franklin Gutierrez on a 94 mph fastball -- I guess "94 mph" makes "fastball" redundant -- to keep the Sox from having to climb out of an even bigger hole.

As for offense, there wasn't much, but that's not Alexei Ramirez's fault. In the second inning, he drove in Jim Thome with a sac fly for the first Sox run, and launched a moon shot that just cleared the fence and landed in the Sox bullpen to tie the game with two out in the 10th inning. Next, Wise, who has spent most of the season in the minors, pinch hit for Brian Anderson. Wise singled to right and stole second base. (Now, there's something you don't see every day for the Sox, a stolen base.) Up stepped Cabrera, who was 0 for 4 on the night. He lined a single to center, and Wise, who has some wheels, beat the throw home with a head-first slide. Sox Win! Sox Win!

Minnesota beat the Tigers, so the Sox's lead remains at 2.5 games, but the Magic Number drops to 77. It's the sixth win in a row for the Good Guys, and the eighth in a row at the Cell, where they're 29-11. One more with the Tribe and then the A's come to town for four games over the big holiday weekend. Speaking of big days, it's son Jeff's 30th birthday today. It seems like only yesterday that he was born, and now he and daughter-in-law Kate are expecting their own son in September. Go Jeff! Go Kate! Go KOJAK (Kid Of Jeff And Kate)! Oh yeah, Go Sox!