161

Wire to wire, baby! Just like in 2005. The White Sox have been in first place every day of the 2009 season. Ok, there've only been two days so far, but you can't go wire to wire without holding down the top spot after days one and two. Monday, they were in first by virtue of the Tigers, Indians, and Twins losing. Tuesday, they stayed in first by winning the home opener over the Royals, 4-2.

Jim Thome was the hero, slugging the 542nd home run of his career and his first of the season in the eighth inning -- a three-run shot that cleared the fence in left-center between the Billy Pierce and Pudge Fisk retired number portraits. Thome drove in Josh Fields, who had bunted his way on, and Chris Getz, who had executed a perfect hit-and-run to move Fields to third. (By the Way, Part I: This marked the third time in Thome's four seasons with the Sox that he homered on Opening Day. For the mathematically challenged of you, Thome is on pace to hit 162 home runs this season; 163 if we have to play another tiebreaker game this year. By the Way, Part II, Steve Stone, Ken Harrelson's new TV partner, did not join Hawk when he said "You can put it on the board ... yes!" The Update did not expect Stone to play along like D.J. had, and Stony didn't disappoint.) Thome also banged out two singles and scored the first run when Josh Fields singled him home in the second.

In addition to Thome, Fields (who nabbed a ball hit down the line, crossed over into foul territory, and threw Mark Teahan out at home in the fifth), and Chris Getz (a hustle double on a ball that deflected off the first basemen's mitt), the Sox heroes were all pitchers. Clayton Richard stepped in to throw two innings of no-hit, scoreless relief after Mark Buehrle struggled (six hits, three walks, two hit by pitch, and two earned runs in five innings and 97 pitches of work). Octavio Dotel did the same thing in the eighth inning, earning the win on the strength of Thome's home run. Dotel struck out three batters, but one wound up on first after the ball went through A.J.'s legs. And Big Bobby Jenks notched his first save of the season, throwing fastball after fastball in the 95-96 MPH range.

On the other side of the ledger, Buehrle's stats were nothing to write home about. Dewayne Wise struck out three times and botched a bunt attempt in the eighth inning -- twice. Jermaine Dye got thrown out at the plate, attempting to score on the Fields's single that drove in Thome, and A.J. Pierzynski was tossed out trying to stretch a single into a double.

But "A win's a win." And each one reduces the Magic Number, which is now down to 161. (That big 161 at the top of the post was the tipoff.) The lead is one game over the rest of the Central Division. Gavin Floyd takes the mound for the next game against KC. Go Sox!

And to all of you heading to a Seder tonight instead of the Sox game, here's a link to the Passover songs we published in the past: http://soxupdate.blogspot.com/2007_03_01_archive.html. We've also decided that a Seder needs a theme song, so we ripped off the melody from The Flintstones and came up with one:

Pesach … we love Pesach.
It’s the holiday we love the best.
Telling … tales of Moses,
It’s no wonder that we are impressed.
Let’s go … ev’rybody take your seat –
Time to … mix some bitter with the sweet.
When we’re … at the Seder,
We know that:
Our hosts will feed us,
And they will lead us.
Our Seder is the best.
Bum buh bum bum,
Bum bum buh bum bum.
Bum bum,
Bum bum.
Our-Se-der-is-the- best!