Postgame Thread 4/8

[whitesoxfan101]

Danks was outstanding, outside of 1 pitch to the AL MVP. Sisco and Aardsma continue to make me among others look like a complete moron, and Uribe actually appears to have a clue out there at the plate. Problem is, Dye, Thome, and AJ can't hit right now. And neither can Iguchi, who I'd still like to see hitting 2nd (although Pods is off to a nice start, and Erstad is still looking pretty decent, so I'm not sure how we could do that right now, but he should never have been moved IMO).

 

To be honest, I am not all that worried with our play. The pen is looking good overall here, we've got 2 really good starts in a row, and I have no reason to believe we won't restart the hitting. One reason I am worried, however, is we're heading to Oakland, and Count vs. Harden might be a worse matchup than today, and who knows what is up with Buehrle.

 

BTW, why doesn't every hitter just go up there and sit dead fastball on Johan? I know it's not as easy as it sounds, but we could at least get a run or two that way right?

Edited April 8, 2007 by whitesoxfan101

[WHarris1]

It's not so much the fact that we can't score against Johan it's the way we seem to just f***ing give up every time he takes the mound. If they went up, had good AB's, and just got beat I wouldn't be so pissed. They go up there and just get f***ing embarrassed inning after inning.

Edited April 8, 2007 by WHarris1

[whitesoxfan101]

It's not so much the fact that we can't score against Johan it's the way we seem to just f***ing give up every time he takes the mound. If they went up, had good AB's, and just got beat I wouldn't be so pissed. They go up there and just get f***ing embarrassed inning after inning.

 

Exactly. The first 3 innings we gave good AB's too I thought, so I was doing fine with it. But after the 3 run homer in the top of the 4th, we just quit until he left and Uribe hit the blast to get us within 2.

Edited April 8, 2007 by whitesoxfan101

[WhiteSoxfan1986]

Nice outing by Danks, If he had that same line every game I'd be thrilled. Iguchi worries me right now, especially after his bad spring. I still worry about our 1-2, even after they're out to a good start. Oh, it's nice to see Ozzie actually using Anderson.

 

BTW, why doesn't every hitter just go up there and sit dead fastball on Johan? I know it's not as easy as it sounds, but we could at least get a run or two that way right?

 

Obviously they haven't been listening to Hawk

[Wedge]

Exactly. The first 3 innings we gave good AB's too I thought, so I was doing fine with it. But after the 3 run homer in the top of the 4th, we just quit until he left and Uribe hit the blast to get us within 2.

 

Definitely. It's like the line-up just quits against Santana and Sabbathia. Maybe Ozzie will try something really unconventional next time: the gindz0rs line-up: no boppers, go something ridiculous like:

 

Pods

Erstad (1B)

Iguchi

AJ

Mackowiak (RF)

Crede

Ozuna (DH)

Uribe

Anderson

 

It cannot be any worse than the last 5 or 10 outings we've seen against those two.

[Capn12]

Nice outing by Danks, If he had that same line every game I'd be thrilled. Iguchi worries me right now, especially after his bad spring. I still worry about our 1-2, even after they're out to a good start. Oh, it's nice to see Ozzie actually using Anderson.

Obviously they haven't been listening to Hawk

 

Using him to hold the bucket of sunflower seeds you mean maybe?

[whitesoxfan101]

Obviously they haven't been listening to Hawk

 

It's not even Hawk, it's just common sense to anybody. You really can't hit any of his other pitches, no matter who you are, so your only prayer is sit on the fastball.

[Dick Allen]

Definitely. It's like the line-up just quits against Santana and Sabbathia. Maybe Ozzie will try something really unconventional next time: the gindz0rs line-up: no boppers, go something ridiculous like:

 

Pods

Erstad (1B)

Iguchi

AJ

Mackowiak (RF)

Crede

Ozuna (DH)

Uribe

Anderson

 

It cannot be any worse than the last 5 or 10 outings we've seen against those two.

 

I'm one of Anderson's biggest fans, but Santana would make him look silly. Thome has 3 homers vs. Santana in his career. 2 last season. I'd leave him in. Someone mentioned sitting on his fastball. Thats fine and dandy, the only problem is he has one of the best change-ups of all time, and you still will probably struggle. There's no magic formula to beating him, you really have to get very lucky or catch him on an off day. Left handed hitters seem to have a little more success vs. him. I do agree that the team seems resigned to losing when he takes the mound against them now.

[whitesoxfan101]

I understand your point Dick Allen, but if you just sit fastball all game, you at least probably get lucky and get a run or two, and that could have been the difference today. Your not going to hit any of his other pitches, so it's the only prayer really. But I mean, it's not like we're asking for a blow torch being taken to him, we got good enough pitching to win today.

 

Btw, off topic, but I apologize to all those who expected a doom and gloom thread when they saw I started it .

Edited April 8, 2007 by whitesoxfan101

[Capn12]

Gonna repost this in case you missed it:

 

.364, .294, .118, .294, .118, .278, .143, .111, .333

 

Batting averages by position in the order...

 

Yes, thats Pods leading the team in hitting right now.

[SoxAce]

God damn it looks like Danks pitched well. I just got home from work and my friend texted me saying we lost. I wasn't surprised but Danks pitching a quality/solid/great game did but he is a special rookie not like the other jokes we've had pitching in their MLB debuts in the past. A 3 to 1 score is not bad at all. This is one of those losses where I'm not mad one bit even though the offense needs to get it going alittle here even with the little support in the Vazquez start. (as usual)

[WhiteSoxfan1986]

It's not even Hawk, it's just common sense to anybody. You really can't hit any of his other pitches, no matter who you are, so your only prayer is sit on the fastball.

 

Don't get me wrong, I completly agree. If he throws you four changeups, so be it.

 

Btw, Santana is gonna have a HUGE year(yea, I know that's going out on a limb). But Hawk mentioned something that caught my eye, the fact that the Twins had him throw more changeups in spring training this year, because it took him time to get a feel for it in the past. The last few years he has struggled in at the beginning of the year, and he's looking good so far. I could see him winning 25 games, and he should be going for his fourth straight Cy Young(he should have won it over Colon two years ago).

[Reddy]

just got back from the game and Danks was fantastic. I think he's going to be really great for us this year. Fell behind batters a little too much and got his pitch count up too quickly but hey, he's a rookie.

 

I'd agree that our guys gave up after that homer but Johan got tougher as well and started hitting his spots much better. I'll bet theres not a single team out there that wouldnt give up being down 3-0 on the bad end of a one hitter... it happens sometimes.

[bardsroom attendant]

Add me in to the list of people impressed by John Danks today. Most impressive was the way he rebounded from the three run jack by taking care of matters in the next two innings. Nice call to take him out after the sixth right at the 100 pitch mark. What can you say - you had a rookie making his debut against the universally acknowledged best pitcher in the game and we had the winning run at the plate in the bottom of the ninth. Let's go get them in Oakland.

 

Ozzie's postgame was good btw, for those that may not have heard it. He said next time he was going to get his mom to cook for Santana and that then "he won't feel like pitching the next day".

[Gregory Pratt]

I'm one of Anderson's biggest fans, but Santana would make him look silly. Thome has 3 homers vs. Santana in his career. 2 last season. I'd leave him in. Someone mentioned sitting on his fastball. Thats fine and dandy, the only problem is he has one of the best change-ups of all time, and you still will probably struggle. There's no magic formula to beating him, you really have to get very lucky or catch him on an off day. Left handed hitters seem to have a little more success vs. him. I do agree that the team seems resigned to losing when he takes the mound against them now.

 

Shame on you!!

 

/half-green

[Capn12]

Add me in to the list of people impressed by John Danks today. Most impressive was the way he rebounded from the three run jack by taking care of matters in the next two innings. Nice call to take him out after the sixth right at the 100 pitch mark. What can you say - you had a rookie making his debut against the universally acknowledged best pitcher in the game and we had the winning run at the plate in the bottom of the ninth. Let's go get them in Oakland.

 

Ozzie's postgame was good btw, for those that may not have heard it. He said next time he was going to get his mom to cook for Santana and that then "he won't feel like pitching the next day".

 

I'll settle for him putting a lineup out that has a chance against Santana....wait, we may not even have such tbh.

[Balta1701]

Going to ignore the offense for now. Plenty of time to b&*ch about that later.

 

Johnny boy...well done. Major Leage Debut against probably the best pitcher in baseball in the last 7 years. Didn't give us the shutout, but held your ground, gave us a quality start. And after things got bad in the 4th, cinched it up, and then just resumed mowing down people.

 

All last season, I kept hoping someone on this team would show some balls. It didn't happen. Today, John Danks showed some balls, even in the loss.

[Gregory Pratt]

Going to ignore the offense for now. Plenty of time to b&*ch about that later.

 

Johnny boy...well done. Major Leage Debut against probably the best pitcher in baseball in the last 7 years. Didn't give us the shutout, but held your ground, gave us a quality start. And after things got bad in the 4th, cinched it up, and then just resumed mowing down people.

 

All last season, I kept hoping someone on this team would show some balls. It didn't happen. Today, John Danks showed some balls, even in the loss.

 

Plenty of guys showed balls last year. Against Santana, against other pitchers, against every team. I remember Gload and Old Man Alomar taking Santana deep and pushing him out of the game, even.

 

That said, I too am happy with Danks' performance. I'm glad to say I witnessed his first game.

[Whitewashed in '05]

It did not look good for Danks the first few innings. He was pretty much a one pitch pitcher and still got it done. Tip my hat to the guy especially after seeing his final line of 6 K's. It's not a bad thing to lose vs. Johan so a very positive start for Danks.

 

It isn't looking good tomorrow... Not only because we don't know what the hell is going to happen with Count, but vs Harden?

 

17.2 innings pitched and 29 K's for Harden in ST? Count better be on top of his game.

[Bubba Philips]

It did not look good for Danks the first few innings. He was pretty much a one pitch pitcher and still got it done. Tip my hat to the guy especially after seeing his final line of 6 K's. It's not a bad thing to lose vs. Johan so a very positive start for Danks.

 

It isn't looking good tomorrow... Not only because we don't know what the hell is going to happen with Count, but vs Harden?

 

17.2 innings pitched and 29 K's for Harden in ST? Count better be on top of his game.

Danks pitched well except for one pitch? Actually he pitched great but it was 3 straight pitches that they saw real well. I was at the game.. I don't know who is responsible for the pitch selection but danks was holding the twins at bay except for those 3 pitches the final one of course Morneau's home run. Each of the hits was solid the first 2 base hits were hit very hard the last morneau go under. What pitches were hit? I'm blaming AJ for calling those beach balls...

[RockRaines]

Danks was a freaking stud, he got by one one pitch for the first few innings, and once his change and curve were hitting the strike zone, he was inducing some horrible swings. You gotta love seeing why KW wanted this kid over BMAC, he got alot of good ground balls and showed great makeup for a young kid. He was fooling some of the best contact hitters in the game.

 

Secondly AAArdsma has really impressed the hell out of me. There is no doubt right now we fleeced the cubs for this kid. His pitches have so much movement on them its ridiculous. The pen is looking good early. The offense will come around with a little more warmth, im not worried.

[Wedge]

Danks was a freaking stud, he got by one one pitch for the first few innings, and once his change and curve were hitting the strike zone, he was inducing some horrible swings. You gotta love seeing why KW wanted this kid over BMAC, he got alot of good ground balls and showed great makeup for a young kid. He was fooling some of the best contact hitters in the game.

 

Secondly AAArdsma has really impressed the hell out of me. There is no doubt right now we fleeced the cubs for this kid. His pitches have so much movement on them its ridiculous. The pen is looking good early. The offense will come around with a little more warmth, im not worried.

 

I feel a ton better about this team than I did a week into last season. It's going to be a dogfight to win the Central (the top 4 teams are all so good that 90 wins might make the playoffs), but we definitely have the pen and boppers to be players. Hopefully our "grindliciousness" (G to the R to the IND-L-I-C-I-O-U-S) that we've seen it bits holds on and the veteran starters turn it on. The question marks/variables/determinants that decide if we make the playoffs or not are the relative success of Contreras, Garland, and Buehrle. I have faith that the rest of the team will hold up its end of the bargain.

[LVSoxFan]

Definitely. It's like the line-up just quits against Santana and Sabbathia. Maybe Ozzie will try something really unconventional next time: the gindz0rs line-up: no boppers, go something ridiculous like:

 

Pods

Erstad (1B)

Iguchi

AJ

Mackowiak (RF)

Crede

Ozuna (DH)

Uribe

Anderson

 

It cannot be any worse than the last 5 or 10 outings we've seen against those two.

 

I like this idea.

[Gregory Pratt]

Mackowiak can't handle Santana. He can barely handle the average lefty. And I hate any anti-Santana lineup that has Pods + AJ in it.

[DBAHO]

Well we've struggled against Santana again, but that's nothing new.

 

It's almost time to stack the lineup with just LHH's, and a righty here or there who can actually hit lefties well and have a good record against Johan. Johan's splits against lefties are worse than against righties, so it's certainly worth considering. Look at the numbers over the past 3 seasons;

 

AVG OBP SLG OPS

vs RH .199 .246 .327 .573

vs LH .233 .273 .393 .666

 

Baltimore had 5 lefties in the lineup against him and went 4 for 12, with 4 doubles and 2 walks. That's better than nothing.