Thursday, June 30, 2011

87

Turnabout is fair play. Two nights ago, the Rockies third base coach sent the runner home on a bloop single to short center field to score the winning run in a 3-2 Colorado win. Last night, White Sox third base coach, Jeff Cox, had Carlos Quentin tag on a short fly to right field, and Q scored the winning run in a 3-2 Sox win when the throw was off line and got away from the Rockies’ catcher.
Cox justified his decision to send Quentin, who is slow enough that he needs to put his four-way flashers on when he’s running, by saying that the Sox haven’t been scoring many runs lately and sometimes you just have to go for it. Cox must have just watched Risky Business – Sometimes you just gotta say, “What the f---” – but whatever prompted it, it worked.
Mark Buehrle pitched 7.0 innings of two-run ball, but there are three things he’ll probably remember from this game: his first career double, a shot down the right field line; getting picked off second base shortly thereafter; and his first error since September 13, 2009. Three relievers – Matt Thornton, Brian Bruney (he got his first win of the season), and Sergio Santos (he picked up his 16th save) – held the Rocks scoreless in the eighth and ninth innings.
The fielders contributed as well. Gordon Beckham started a key double play with the bases loaded to end a Colorado threat. And Alex Rios made a diving catch of a sinking liner to center in the ninth.
The Sox moved to 4.0 games back of the division-leading Tigers and Indians and improved the team’s record to 39-42. They play the rubber game with Colorado today and then return to Chicago to play the Cubs at Wrigley and the Royals and Twins at the Cell. All three opposing teams are well below .500 – the Cubs and Royals, -15, and the Twins, -11 – so it’s a good opportunity for a winning streak. I know, I know. You can throw away the record books when the Sox play the Cubs, we don’t take advantage of KC like we used to, and we never beat the Twins, but what fun is thinking like that? Go Sox!

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