Sunday’s game against the Dodgers was tough to swallow. At first, I was trying to be the ultimate optimist going with the mindset that the only real downside to the loss for the Sox was Matt Thornton.
And in a way, that’s the case. Jose Quintana was superb, giving the Sox one of their best starts so far this season. Addison Reed blew his first save, but could’ve escaped the 9th inning much easier had two soft-hit balls not gone for hits.
Sure, the offense didn’t show up, but we had four reserves in the starting lineup, and Chris Capuano is the type of pitcher that gives the Sox fits. So besides Matt Thornton, who got the loss in the 10th inning (his 2nd loss of the series…), there was really not too many things to be upset about.
But as the day went on, the loss seemed to hit harder.
Thornton has emassed a solid era so far in 2012, but has struggled overall with 5 losses. Photo courtesy Mark J. Terrill via AP
The Sox had lost 3 straight series before they dropped the rubber match of the LA series yesterday, so that win would’ve been huge. But taking a step back and looking at things, it’s really not all that bad for Sox fans (yet, at least).
Short-Term Outlook
In the immidiate future, here’s what you’ve got.
You’ve got a first place team with a 1 1/2 game lead over the Indians and a 3 game lead over the Tigers. You can complain about that all you want, but fact of the matter is, you can’t say the Sox current standing is a bad thing.
More importantly, you’ve got a team that is headed into a critical couple of weeks.
Now I’m one that hates labeling a stretch of the schedule as easy or hard, because as Hawk Harrelson says so often, “It doesn’t matter who you play, it matters when you play ’em.” I think that’s Hawk’s most wise saying.
Nonetheless, you can break up the next few weeks in halves, with the first nine games at least looking like they should be a lot easier than the ten that follow them.
The upcoming schedule has the Cubs at home for three, followed by the Brewers for three more, before hitting the road for a series against Minnesota before the tougher stretch, at least on paper, begins. It’s nine games that will be vital, as momentum heading in to the ten game stretch that follows will be of decent importance. The “tough stretch” starts with four games in the Bronx, before the south siders head back home for two 3-game series against Texas and Toronto.
The Yankees’ current hot streak has propelled them to 1st place in the AL East. Photo courtesy USA TODAY
So for right now, I think us Sox fans ‘oughta take a deep breath and appreciate that no matter how these next 19 games pan out, we’ll still be right in the thick of things in the AL Central. And don’t be nervous, either. A somewhat poor stretch would not shoot the team’s chances down and out of reach, even though it would be excrutiatingly frustraiting. But on the other hand, if the team plays the stretch well, it could give the team a pad in their lead and more importantly, with their confidence.
My main point here is that there’s nothing to be too mad at right now, and I don’t think there will be anything too soon, either. Even if this series-losing streak continues, we’re not going to lose the division in June. We’ve got ourselves in the race, and that’s all you have to do in the earlier parts of the season.
I know you’re all frustrated that the hot streak came to a sudden halt and turned in to a string of lackluster play, but as I’ve said before, just take a deep breath and look at the situation in its entirety.
Trust me, I’m mad about yesterday’s extra inning loss too. I have been yanking hairs out of my head since the Mariners series just like all of you have. But let’s just enjoy our first place White Sox and give them the support that they deserve for now.
********************
Posted by Zach Gropper, Founder & Managing Editor of GSB!
GO SOX