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So with the White Sox trailing the Twins 2-0 in the top of the ninth with nobody on and Gordon Beckham behind in the count 0-2, it was time for White Sox radio play-by-play guy Ed Farmer to trot out his patented "they're down to their last strike" expression. That's always bothered me, because if Beckham doesn't make an out, there are more strikes to come. But I get Farmio's point: Things look bleak. Especially when the Sox are playing in the Metrodome, where they've lost 11 of their last 13 games and 19 of their last 24. When they're facing uber-closer Joe Nathan, who had a lifetime 1.39 ERA against them. When they've scored only four runs in the prior 26 innings this series and have lost five games in a row.

That's where and when the Sox proved me right and Farmer wrong. Becks worked the count to 3-2 before blasting a Nathan pitch over the left-field wall to cut the lead to 2-1. Next batter Paul Konerko had two more strikes on him before going yard on another 3-2 pitch from Nathan to tie the game. The rattled reliever then walked Jermaine Dye and Carlos Quentin and was replaced by Matt Guerrier. Alexei Ramirez stroked a single to score Dye, and a wild pitch plated Q to give the Sox a 4-2 lead.

Of course, anyone who follows the Sox expected the Twins to come back in the bottom of the ninth, but Bobby Jenks shut them out to pick up his 28th save. D.J. Carrasco got the win (5-1 on the year) and even Scott Linebrink and Randy Williams managed to avoid giving up a run. Hard-luck Mark Buehrle pitched well enough to win -- 6.0 IP, 2 R, 7 H, 1 BB (intentional) -- but instead remained without a W since his perfect game.

The win in the Good Guys' last ever game at the Metrodome brought their record to 89-114 since the House of Horrors opened in 1982 and allowed them to remain 7.0 games behind the Tigers. They're still alive in the A.L. Central race, but barely. Detroit's Magic Number vis-a-vis the Sox is 23. Sure the Sox have six games left against them, but anything less than 5-1 will pretty much be curtains, and even that might not be enough. There's plenty of work to be done before that. Today's game is the make-up against the Cubs at Wrigley and we've got Carlos Torres up from Triple-A Charlotte on the bump. Where's Jake Peavy when you need him? Go Sox!