Getting back on the good foot,
here's some video of the White Sox's first-round pick, Gordon Beckham, hitting a
solo two-run homer in the eighth-inning that rejuvenated the Georgia offense and helped them take the first game of the best-of-three College World Series.
Rally-killing homer, my ass.
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Three West Coast-related thoughts:No. 1: Here's hoping the Extra Innings Gods are kind and allow me to hear one White Sox game as called by Vin Scully. I'm guessing the last White Sox-Dodgers game he announced was
Game 6 of the 1959 World Series, when he was only nine years into his broadcasting career.
No. 2: Francisco Rodriguez recorded his 31st save tonight in the Angels' 77th game of the season. He's on pace for 65, which means he's threatening one of only two records of importance held by White Sox.
Eric Gagne came the closest to reaching Bobby Thigpen's mark of 57 saves when he finished the 2003 season with 55, but he recorded his 31st save in the Dodgers' 89th game. John Smoltz, who also racked up 55 saves the year before, needed 88 games to reach 31.
As far as I can tell, Mariano Rivera was the next-closest to Rodriguez's mark, as he recorded 31 saves in 83 games. Thigpen himself needed 87, which shows how hot and cold closers can run. But the Angels have the combination of a pedestrian offense and a well-managed pitching staff that could render Thigpen's mark obsolete.
No. 3: Good news: The Dodgers' offense ranks 26th in baseball with a .710 OPS, and 24th in runs. Bad news: They have the ninth-best ERA, including the fourth-best bullpen ERA, with Scott Proctor the only weak link among the relievers.
If the pitching can at least get back on track, it'll be a successful road trip. That... and actually, you know, winning a game.
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Ozzie Guillen is
a Dewayne Wise fan:
"I told him in Tampa that he could have gone to another team," manager Ozzie Guillen recalled after Wise, who was out of options, was designated for assignment so infielder Juan Uribe could be activated from the 15-day disabled list.
"I told [Wise], 'The best shot for you to be back in the big leagues is
with us.' I don't lie to our players. I said: 'Listen, I think you can
be back soon. We can use you. I'm not your agent. You can do what you
want, but you've got a good shot in Chicago.' "
And if things aren't bad enough for Jerry Owens,
even Joe Cowley is rubbing it in:
Anyone out there still crying about the Sox calling up DeWayne Wise over Jerry Owens? Wise's first homer since Oct. 3, 2004.
Not like anybody in the media ever clamored for Owens or anything.
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Minor league roundup:- Charlotte 8, Norfolk 1
- Clayton Richard allowed one run on five hits over six innings. He neither walked nor struck out anybody.
- Javier Castillo doubled, tripled and drove in three runs; Noah Hall also had two hits and three RBI.
- Danny Richar, Dave Cook and Fernando Cortez each had two hits; Jason Bourgeois homered.
- West Virginia 8, Kannapolis 2
- Lucas Harrell struggled, giving up four runs on four hits and three walks over 2 2/3 innings.
- Mark Fleisher hit a pair of doubles, driving in one; Dale Mollenhauer also had two hits.
- Kingsport 1, Bristol 0
- Gregory Infante took the loss, allowing one unearned run over six innings. He struck out six.
- John Doyle pitched three shutout innings, striking out four.
- Justin Greene hit his third triple in six games.
- Great Falls 9, Helena 6
- Mike Grace, Lyndon Estill and Jesus Avila all went deep.
- Kenneth Williams Jr. was caught stealing for the first time.
- Birmingham OFF
- Winston-Salem OFF