It’s time for the first road game of the season and the first live blog. Our starters are Javier Vazquez for the Sox and Nick Blackburn for the Twins, and we’re coming live from Chicago with Dick Bremer and Bert Blyleven announcing. A little background? Sure. The White Sox are 4-2, the Twins 3-4. Yesterday, both teams were in action, with the Sox defeating the Tigers in Detroit and the Twins losing at home against the Royals. The blog begins in moments…
1st inning
If you want the lineups, check here. I’m too lazy to write them up.
Chuck Gomez starts the game with a bunt single. Not only is he speedy, but he is an excellent bunter. I wept a little bit watching that thing.
Dick and Bert can’t stop talking about Denard Span and his plate patience. It’s a bad sign when thats a surprise for a player coming up in the organization.
Gomez steals and gets bumped over to third on a Span ground out. Gomez is really fast.
Joe Mauer bleeds a single into right, scoring Gomez. It’s only the second time they have scored the first run of the game all season. I’m sure it has nothing to do with the fact that they have played their first 7 at home, and therefore batted second.
Justin Morneau draws a walk from the shaky looking Vazquez, but Delmon Young grounds into a double play. What a terrible trade. It’s 1-0 after the top of the inning.
Nick Blackburn comes in to pitch for the Twins to Nick Swisher. Some guy yells “Go Nick!” so I’m not sure what to think.
Blackburn pitched a gem in his last outing but couldn’t get a run. This time, however, they did. Don’t get cocky, Blackburn.
Naturally, Swisher leads off with a double.
Orlando Cabrera then gets a single. Jim Thome tied the game up shortly thereafter. How about an out now?
Thome’s bat flew into the crowd and bounced off an old lady. Like, older than Thome.
Konerko strikes out on a check swing. He’s incredulous. I just have to say that Blackburn is rocking some serious sideburns. Perhaps hoping that he gets some of the Joe Mauer luck. And by luck I mean groupies. It’s working, because he got Jermaine Dye to strikeout too. A.J. Pierzynski grounds out and the game is tied at 1 after 1.
2nd Inning
Jason Kubel, who has looked good to start the season, even if his stats don’t verify that, has looked good this season. He gets a single to lead things off though.
Brenden Harris looks like the kind of guy who is always up to something, doesn’t he? In any event, he sacrifices Kubel over.
Mike Lamb smokes a ball foul, then gets an ugly broken bat double that brings in Kubel.
Interesting how things work out sometimes, no? Hopefully, this starts turning things around for him this season.
Adam “Elroy” Everett pops out, then Chuck strikes out. I had to look, but I had a feeling that he didn’t bat so well with runners on, or with 2 outs. I was right. I don’t want to say it, but I think Chuck might not be a real good hitter. Bunter? Yes. Runner? Yes. Hitter? No. 2-1 after 1 and a half.
Blackburn gets himself into trouble, walking the nondescript Carlos Quentin to start the inning, but gets Joe Crede to pop out. I think he leads the Twins in walks now, with 2.
I don’t know what’s scarier, Nick Swisher’s chin or Juan Uribe. Put the two together, and I’ll have nightmares.
Uribe strikes out, and Swisher takes forever to walk, leading Dick and Bert on their first tangent of the game. First about Jose Canseco, then meandering into a talk about facial hair, and how it doesn’t matter, as long as your girlfriend likes it. Wise words, Dick and Bert. Cabrera then lines out to Span in right, leaving the score at 2-1.
3rd Inning
You know who Denard Span reminds me of? Scott Hatteberg. That’s what his minor league stats are reminiscent of. Scott Hatteberg. And he leads off the inning with an opposite field single.
The Twins, I find out, have 12 pitchers with 11 righties. That’s absurd! So, basically, let’s hope that Liriano comes back up pretty soon.
After a whole lot of commentary about how bad the dirt by first is for traction and acceleration, Span steals second as Mauer strikes out. Morneau then hits a monster fly ball to center and Span shifts to third.
I believe the Twins are the first team in history to have a Denard AND a Delmon on the same roster.
Young strikes out to end the inning. He and Mauer each seemed to just miss on pretty fat pitches. If Vazquez keeps throwing like this, we could be looking at a big inning soon.
Telly Hughes tells us that Delmon isn’t a big fan of Chicago, all the while Thome strikes out in the background. That realy had nothing of substance, but I just wanted to say “Telly Hughes”.
Konerko takes a pitch, for strike two. OK. Ozzie Guillen then yells something from the dugout to get himself tossed and comes back and launches what I’m sure are unkind words at the umpire, Phil Cuzzi. Konerko then strikes out swinging.
I’m disappointed, actually, in that ejection. Guillen was pretty low key in screaming and spitting on Cuzzi.
Growing a goatee was the best decision of AJ Pierzynski’s life. He gets a single to follow Dye’s single from the previous at bat. Nondescript Carlos Quentin is retired, however, leaving the score 2-1.
4th Inning
OK, this is the inning where the Twins score a ton of runs.
Kubel grounds out almost immediately, but Shenanigans Harris hits a double in the corner. I smell runs!
There! There was a run! Mikey Lamb golfs a ball to the right field corner! Nice!
OK, so just one run. Everett and Chuck are retired quickly. But it’s 3-1.
While I was looking for an adorable lamb picture, Joe frickin Crede smoked a double to the left field gap. Last time I get distracted by cuteness.
Uribe then hits a single, but Crede brain farts and stops at third, even though the ball was hit the opposite way.
Swisher and his creepy beard drives in a run with a fielders choice. Hopefully, Morneau isn’t seeking goatee advice from Swisher while they are hanging out.
Elroy Everett just reminded me why it’s OK that he sucks so bat at the plate. Excellent play at short that he just made look effortless as he ranged to his right and got Cabrera by a mile.
Thome strkes out to make Everett’s play stand, and the Twins still lead 3-2
5th inning
My dad is wondering why I can’t call now. I don’t think he understands the concept of the “live blog”. Or a blog.
Span, Mauer and Morneau are retired quickly. I was beginning to think this game was lasting forever, and it turns out, it is! That’s the first 1-2-3 inning of the game for either squad.
Konerko finally makes contact and rolls one to third. Blackburn is in his head. Blackburn or Cuzzi.
I wonder what Guillen is doing back in the clubhouse right now? Is he just yelling at empty lockers? I guess I can’t imagine him not yelling.
Blackburn has already reeled off over 90 pitches as Dye grounds out. This game is taking foreeeever.
As soon as I say that, Pierzynski grounds out, and Blackburn is probably done for the day, with a 3-2 lead.
6th Inning
It appears Vazquez has decided he would like to go home before 10 tonight, retiring Young and Kubel quickly.
You know, Shenanigans, who I had never heard of before the trade that brought him here, is putting up pretty good numbers. He did last year too. Of course, he strikes out here. Still 3-2 after a short inning.
In to pitch for the Twins is Matt Guerrier, who’s name, I assure you, Gary Thorne cannot pronounce.
Guerrier strikes out Nondescript Carlos Quentin, who seeks to make a name for himself by exchanging pleasantries with Cuzzi. Good way to endear yourself to Ozzie, NCQ.
Joe Crede will clearly swing at anything.
The guys are discussing how unfair some baseball statistics are. They don’t like hold statistic or the quality start. Bert likes using the “win” statistic, however. There are some guys that want to talk to you. (Twins still lead after 6 3-2. Lamb made a nice play on a Swisher liner.)
7th inning
Steve, who has been working, would like to share with us that we’re missing out by not having the Hawk broadcast out games. Missing out on what, I’m not sure.
Lamb didn’t get a double, instead popping out to Uribe in foul territory. I’m perplexed.
Dick won’t stop talking about a +/- type statistic for whether or not a pitcher goes past 7 innings. Or, you could look at innings pitched to games started. Just saying.
They cut to Boone Logan warming up for the Whi- WHAT THE HELL IS THAT ON HIS FACE?!
Elroy and Chuck both strike out. This game is now picking up steam.
Guerrier retires Cabrera quickly, but Jim Thome draws a walk. I am yet to make a reference to The Dugout. Commend me.
Konerko is happy to see Blackburn out and gets a single. Thome gets to third. It’s pretty funny watching JI
JIM THOME run.
Dammit.
Pat Neshek is going to be plugged into the game to face Jermaine Dye. Neshek does not have sideburns.
Dye singles off sideburn free, sidearmed Neshek, tying the game. Blackburn loses the win again. Poor kid.
Pierzynski, the only lefty Neshek has faced, struck out, but the two righties, Dye and Quentin, singled. That doesn’t make any sense! The bases are loaded, the score is tied, and Juan Rincon is up in the Twins pen. Come on Neshek. Get Crede and get out of this.
[Expletive deleted].At least he got Uribe, but it’s 7-3 now.
8th Inning
I just realized that since Steve showed up, the Sox have scored 5 unanswered runs. Stupid White Sox fans. Stupid White Sox.
Dick and Bert are now discussing Scott Linebrink’s huge deal, but here’s the thing. Linebrink will come in and pitch one inning a game every once in a while, and typically only in key spots. Why shouldn’t he get closer money too? Why shouldn’t all middle relievers make that kind of money? If you say they shouldn’t for whatever reason you give, I use that reason for why they shouldn’t give that money to closers either. I’m still bitter about the Joe Nathan signing.
After Span walks, Joe Mauer “squirts” one to pitcher. Linebrink makes a nice play to get him at first. But Span gets to second, and Morneau squirts another ball, this a Texas league single ahead of Delmon.
After taking a couple hard swings and misses, Young comes back up the middle and bounces on
e off of Linebrink for an infield single. Men at first and second, one run in, and its 7-4 for Kubel.
Kubel launches one! But its caught in right by Dye. Shenanigans gets a ground out to short, and the inning is over. 7-4 Sox.
Thanks to Dmitri for pointing out Delmon to us.
I would just say Swisher had an ugly strikeout against the new Twins pitcher Juan Rincon, but nothing compares to that goatee.
Cabrera has looked like crap today. Grounded out again. Thome did nothing. Rincon worked quickly and effectively. What?!
9th inning
Mikey Lamb is leading off, which means he should double, right? Never mind that Bobby Jenks owned your team in the Wor- WHAT THE HELL IS THAT ON BOBBY JENKS’ FACE TOO?!
Well, that wasn’t a double. Barely got to the pitcher. At least it’s Adam Everett next up!
Oh good, we’ll get Matt Tolbert pinch hitting instead.
Tolbert goes the other way for a single, and it affects the space-time continuum so much the game feed is interrupted. AAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!! How will it end?!
Oh. Feeds back. And Chuck grounds into a game ending double play. I should stop doing live blogs.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
