Sixty-two degrees my ass.
With temperatures topping out at 47 degrees (I'd only brought shorts), a steady, cold wind at 15 m.p.h. blowing in and Nick Masset making his first major-league start against Carlos Zambrano, it seemed that the chips were stacked against me from the very start.
But this is why they play the games. The offense exploded to crack double-digits in runs for the first time this season, supporting Masset's solid start well enough to help the Sox to salvage the first crosstown series' finale.
The Sox held a 3-2 lead when Carlos Zambrano retired the first two hitters, bringing up Juan Uribe, hitting before Mike MacDougal. MacDougal had retired the only batter he faced with runners on the corners to preserve the one-run lead, after Andy Sisco threw two wild pitches with Derrek Lee once again pinch-hitting to provide another scare.
But a funny thing happened -- Zambrano hit Uribe on the forearm with his first pitch, and that little pebble started a rockslide that resulted in seven runs, the biggest inning the Sox have enjoyed all year.
Jim Thome came to the plate for his first plate appearance since returning from the DL, providing a Willis Reed-like vibe, and in a Thome-like fashion, he walked. Darin Erstad hit an opposite-field flare, driving in Thome and getting the run back.
Tadahito Iguchi walked to load the bases, setting the table for A.J. Pierzynski -- and for the lefty, Lou Piniella called upon Neal Cotts to face him. Fortunately for the Sox, Cotts
reverted to his 2006 form and failed to take advantage of the matchup, and Pierzynski drilled the second pitch into the wind and into the basket in right-center. A healthy mix of boos and cheers erupted as A.J. rounded the bases to give the Sox a 8-2 lead.
Rob Mackowiak would give the Sox the magic 10-spot with a two-run single, capping a seven-run seventh in which all runs were scored with two outs.
It would hold up to give Masset a win in his first major-league start. It looked scary at the start, as Masset walked two batters with one coming around to score on a single to give the Cubs a quick 1-0 lead. Masset quickly settled down after that, facing the minimum the next four innings. Aramis Ramirez was the only Cub to reach, and his single was erased with a Michael Barrett 6-4-3 double play.
David Aardsma struggled for the second straight outing, giving up four runs when he could've finished up the game, but Bobby Jenks eventually closed the door with a nifty 4-6-3 putout.
Record: 21-19 |
Box score |
Play-by-play