2007 State of the Sox

July 24: White Sox 8, Tigers 7

I'm not going to speak for White Sox fans on the whole, but when people ask me why on Earth I still watch this team, I'm going to point to this game.

Through five innings, the Sox had nothing.  They trailed 7-1, were outhit 11-2, and Detroit hitters pounded mistakes and did enough with good pitches to chase Gavin Floyd after 4 2/3 innings.  Coming off a game in which they had one hit off Tiger relievers, there wasn't much hope.

They cut it to 7-3 after Tadahito Iguchi homered and Rob Mackowiak flared a single off Macay McBride (who I thought was black before tonight), but the thought of a comeback didn't kick in until Jim Thome crushed a three-run homer to cut it to a one-run game.

The Sox finally achieved the unthinkable and took the lead in the eighth when Rob Mackowiak smoked a ball that Sean Casey couldn't handle for a double.

Now, here's where the unthinkable events start:

1) Josh Fields started his at-bat swinging at a ball and missing badly on a bunt attempt, leading me to believe he'd strand Mack at second.  However, he hung in there and chopped a ball to short high enough to get Mack to third.

2) Scott Podsednik, hitless in his first six at-bats since coming off the disabled list, lined a single through center to score Mack. 

3) Then he stole second.

4) Then Juan Uribe drew a walk even though he swung at a ball.

5) Then Carlos Guillen botched a would-be double play ball off the bat of A.J. Pierzynski, scoring Pods and moving Uribe to third.

6-1 billion million) All the while, Boone Logan, Ehren Wassermann, Ryan Bukvich and Matt Thornton didn't allow a single run to score despite looking typically shaky.

Jerry Owens ushered in a return to normalcy when he short-armed a suicide squeeze attempt, hanging Uribe out to dry.  When Thornton started off the ninth by allowing a single to Sean Casey, it seemed all too familiar.

Jenks would once again shut the door, picking up saves in both halves of the doubleheader.  Mike Hessman popped out on a high fastball, and then after pinch-running Brandon Inge stole second, he was caught off second when Mike Rabelo lined out to Iguchi, ending the game and capping off the remarkable comeback.

Gavin Floyd was spared two losses in two starts.  He'll be an interesting project for Don Cooper.  He has the pitches -- the fastball has some movement and his curveball made a few Tigers flinch.  However, it seemed like Tigers hitters had a head start on his attempts at jamming them with a fastball.  I don't often buy the pitch-tipping excuse, but there might be something iffy with Floyd's delivery.

Of course, that doesn't excuse the slider he hung to Hessman, which nearly landed on the concourse when it finally came down.

The other half of the starting battery, Toby Hall, had a rough night as well.  He was knocked out with a mild concussion after Carlos Guillen hit him with his follow through, but even if he could remember the events preceding it, he wouldn't want to.  First, he ripped a foul ball to the left side and hit a fan.  Then he couldn't throw out a runner because he had trouble getting his feet out from under him after popping out of the crouch.  When he did single, he was doubled off inexplicably on a soft Jerry Owens liner to short.

Record: 45-55 | Box score | Play-by-play