I may have more later when I'm actually able to see some video, because I'd like to see exactly how Scott Podsednik scored after making a mistake on the basepaths for the third straight game. Thanks to Fox's blackouts, I only had the radio call going.
Here's what I do know:
*Javier Vazquez owns the first quality start of the season, and it was more than quality -- it was excellent. He allowed one only hit in 6 2/3 innings, and though he walked four and hit a batter, it sounded like he made a concerted effort to jam hitters on a frigid day. He even staved off what appeared to be a Five-and-Dive coming an inning late. With runners on first and second and nobody out, Vazquez induced a 5-4-3 double play, and got out of the inning unscathed with some help from Andy Sisco.
*Baserunning-wise, the Twins looked like the Sox, and the Sox looked like the Twins. Michael Cuddyer helped the Sox out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam when he seemed to lose track of how many outs there were on a pop-up to shallow left field. Juan Uribe caught it, threw home, Vazquez cut it off and threw to Joe Crede for a rare 6-1-5 double play. Meanwhile, Darin Erstad and Scott Podsednik each scored from second -- Erstad on Paul Konerko's single, and Pods on a bad pickoff throw that I'm looking forward to seeing.
(Update: I saw the pickoff, and Pods made a Babe Ruth-league mistake -- taking a lead before the pitcher looks in.)
*Uribe picked up the bottom of the order with his first homer of the season and a 2-for-3 day. The four batters preceding him (Jermaine Dye, Joe Crede, A.J. Pierzynski and Tadahito Iguchi) went 0-for-13 with a walk.
*The bullpen's starting to settle down. Andy Sisco picked up Vazquez by striking out Jeff Cirillo after the aforementioned key double play, and he retired the other batter he faced, too. Ozzie Guillen's enormous amount of respect led him to pull Mike MacDougal for the struggling Matt Thornton, who thankfully struck out Little Nicky for the final out of the eighth. Bobby Jenks hammered down the save in the ninth, and the Sox are back to .500.
Record: 2-2 |
Box score |
Play-by-play