144

If someone had told you before the start of yesterday's doubleheader with the Mariners that the White Sox would win one game 2-1 and lose the other 9-1, you would have guessed that John Danks pitched another beauty and the aging, rehabbing Latin pitcher experiment, this time featuring Bartolo Colon, had failed once again. You'd have been wrong. It was Colon who sparkled on the mound, holding Seattle to four hits and a run in seven strong innings. Danks, who had been pitching brilliantly, was the one who crashed and burned, giving up five runs on eight hits and a walk in only four innings on the mound. Matt Thornton and Bobby Jenks helped Colon out with an inning each of hitless, scoreless relief, Thornton getting the hold and Jenks the save (his fourth) in Game 1. D.J. Carrasco, who also had been pitching well before yesterday, crumbled in relief of Danks -- 2.2 innings pitched, two runs, six hits, one walk -- and Lance "Boogaloo Down" Broadway fared no better -- 2.1 innings, two runs, five hits.

The Sox bats matched the weather -- extremely cold. The Good Guys managed only two hits in winning the first game. Their six hits in the second game were a little better, but worse in terms of run production. Paul Konerko drove in both runs in the win on a double down the line, and the only run in the nightcap on one of his two singles for the game. With Chris Getz out, the Sox continued to struggle at the leadoff spot in the order. Jerry Owens took the collar in the opener, lowering his batting average to .091. Think about that. Doubling his average would still leave him well below the Mendoza Line. Brian Anderson, in his first career leadoff appearance, also took the collar. That's too important a slot in the order to waste, although no one other than Konerko was hitting yesterday. Oh, and it couldn't have been the weather. Seattle managed 19 hits in Game 2 after doubling the Sox's total in Game 1.

All in all, a split doesn't seem so bad. It leaves the Sox tied with KC in second, one game behind the Tigers. The Magic Number is down to 144 and we play the Mariners again while the rest of the division faces the A.L. East. Go Sox!