Going in to the game, we knew pitching at Fenway Park would be another tough test for rookie south paw Jose Quintana, as he was asked to build upon his impressive resume. Two of the first three games of the series had gone to the Red Sox, as they were looking for a series win and the south siders sought a split in Bean Town.
Thursday afternoon, the Tigers had downed the hot Angels by the score of 5-1 to move two games back of the Sox in the AL Central standings. I don’t think it’s smart to worry too much about the specifics of the standings in mid-July because, as we all know, what’s most important is just being right there in the thick of the race. Nonetheless, it’s always nice to hold off your rivals in the standings as long as you can.
Unfortunately the White Sox were weren’t able to stop the Tigers from inching a bit closer, as they now stand 1 1/2 games behind our beloved Pale Hose, after the walk-off loss that was so tough to swallow. Here are my main takeaways.
Photo courtesy Chicago Tribune
1. Jose Quintana’s Brilliance
Our rookie sensation “Q” was brilliant once again. He is the real deal. He did everything we needed him to do tonight, and more. He’s bounced back from adversity and shut down great line ups time and time again. It’s seeming more and more like we will be able to depend on him down the stretch, if you didn’t believe it all ready.
2. Questionable Calls from the Dugout
- Kevin Youkilis was reportedly available to pinch hit tonight. With runners on 2nd and 3rd and two outs in the Chi Sox half of the 9th, Robin Ventura did not pinch hit him, leaving in Eduardo Escobar who weakly grounded out to 2nd base.
- In addition to the fact that it would’ve been great to have him at bat in that situation, Escobar botched a play at 3rd in the bottom half of the 9th that could’ve been turned for a double play. Youkilis has been ‘straight cash homey’ at 3rd base all year. That decision hurt us.
- It’s tough to decide whether or not Ventura made the right call with the bullpen when trying to close out the game in the bottom of the 9th. I personally am not a fan of the decisions he made. If you’re going to strip Q of the ball, then you’ve got to give it to your closer. You’re a first place team; you need to be able to trust your Reed. We all know that Thornton doesn’t shine in the 9th, as today was nothing new. Not only would I not have brought Thornton in for the 9th, I would not have left him in as long as he did. Of course, I’m not a big league manager for a reason, but this one still seems highly debatable.
3. It’s okay…?
Let’s remember that through July 19th we still hold a 1.5 game lead in the AL Central. We all knew the Tigers would get hot and pull close, and that happens to be playing out right now. I think the fact that we’re headed to Detroit to take on the Tigers could serve as a blessing in disguise.
I talked with Luke before the game, and we discussed how this road trip’s success will be decided by how the Sox fare in Detroit. That’s still the case. Hopefully they start it off right tomorrow night behind the resurgent Jake Peavy, as he takes on one of the game’s best, Justin Verlander.
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Posted by Founder and Managing Editor of Grab Some Bench!, Zach Gropper. Go, go White Sox!