– A real good ballgame tonight and a real good TEAM win. Pretty much everyone in the lineup tonight contributed in some way, shape or form. There were big RBI from a lot of guys, and Brent Lillibridge made the best catch a Sox player has made so far this season. It was a fun game all-around, and what makes it even better is that Detroit and Cleveland both lost tonight.
– The Cuban duo looked pretty good, especially Dayan Viciedo. “The TANK” had two RBI in the month of June going into tonight. Well, he put up four in this one, and that homerun he hit to the opposite field looked like he didn’t even square it up. I’m hoping this is the start of another hot streak for him, and we know that when he gets hot, he’s almost unstoppable. As far as Alexei goes, I just hope he keeps racking up hits like he has lately, as tonight was the sixth time in the last seven games that he’s hit safely (and fifth two-hit game in those last seven). If he keeps hitting, the power is going to come. He’s too talented of a hitter for it not to.
– Just when you are ready to totally give up on Orlando Hudson, he comes through in a big way. His two-out double in the sixth gave the Sox all the momentum, and it was all Sox from there. The third baseman in this lineup doesn’t have to be spectacular. It just has to pull its weight and get a timely hit every once
in a while. Whether it be Orlando or someone else doing that, they’ll be fine.
– It wasn’t all good tonight though. While Lillibridge made a spectacular play, he also made a bonehead one by overthrowing the cut-off man, costing the Sox a run. Also, Vicideo made his first bad miscue in left field this season by totally misplaying a ricochet off the wall, also costing the Sox a run. Fortunately, the offense bailed them out tonight. This type of bad defense is something we haven’t seen all season long though, so there is no reason to panic.
– Dylan Axelrod wasn’t by any means a world beater tonight, but I’ll take it for a guy getting his feet wet. He needs to start working more efficiently, as it seems as if in all of his starts, he’s throwing a lot of pitches in not so many innings. I do like his demeanor on the mound, as he seems to be pretty confident and calm for a young pitcher. If he keeps the ball down, he will have some success up here.
– Well, Addison Reed has passed the test. Since blowing the save in Los Angeles, he has not allowed a run. We now know he does that that short term memory that closers need to have. While he and Crain were great tonight, Nate Jones and Will Ohman weren’t. I know I’ve said that Jones needs to be comfortable pitching whenever, and I still believe that, but Robin Ventura needs to take heed to a Stacey King-ism and “K.Y.P.”: Know Your Personnel. Nate Jones is bad when he comes in with inherited runners, so don’t bring him in then unless you have to. As far as Ohman goes, like most people I am done with him. If they really want another lefty, they need to take a look at Leyson Septimo in AAA. He’s been on fire and cannot really be worse than Oh-man.
It’s Jose Quintana, our new “Q,” on the mound tomorrow in the rubber match. Let’s hope he continues to be a stopper, and let’s hope the White Sox can actually score some runs for him this time out.
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This post was written by Luke Stanczyk, Editor of GSB!