WINNER WINNER

[whitesoxbrian]

Richard- 2 consecutive solid starts.

[letsgoarow]

CHICKEN f***ING DINNER

[Kalapse]

Richard looked good

Bullpen was awesome

Alexei is just amazing

Crede was awful at the plate but good in the field, should be interesting to see what he does over the next week or so

Thome with the game winner in the 6th

 

 

If the Twins lose we're a full game up in the division

[SoxFan562004]

Good win, took advantage of some mistakes.

 

I love AJ, but I think Swish should be batting in the 2 spot

[whitesoxfan101]

BIG BIG BIG props to Clayton Richard, making me look dumb and I love it. He pitched outstanding tonight, the numbers don't do it justice because even the runs he gave up were in part due to lack of defensive range in CF and at 3rd base. Offense did just enough and took advantage of mistakes, bullpen outstanding, defense was sound when they got to the ball, but Richard was the stopper tonight in a game we really needed to get. Very important win.

Edited August 26, 2008 by whitesoxfan101

[Harry Chappas]

Pitching carried them but this offense has to gain some consistency. They should have destroyed that pitcher today and saved the bullpen

 

Is the entire bullpen unavailable tomorrow?

[whitesoxfan101]

Good win, took advantage of some mistakes.

 

I love AJ, but I think Swish should be batting in the 2 spot

How about Lexi leadoff and OC back in the 2nd spot he's batted at most of his career? We have some lineup options right now. We probably wouldn't do what I said though, need somebody that can hit lefty in there to split things up, so your idea is more realistic.

Edited August 26, 2008 by whitesoxfan101

[aprec32]

Very big win.......I didn't have a good feeling all night. I'm still pissed about the Game 1 loss.

[Kalapse]

How about Lexi leadoff and OC back in the 2nd spot he's batted at most of his career? We have some lineup options right now.

The only problem with that is Alexei's .425 AVG and 1.080 OPS with RISP being wasted in the leadoff spot.

[WhiteSoxfan1986]

I like OC one, Swisher second. We just need more people on base in front of CQ.

[whitesoxfan101]

The only problem with that is Alexei's .425 AVG and 1.080 OPS with RISP being wasted in the leadoff spot.

 

Yeah that's true, but the on base percentage of our #1 and #2 guys right now is even worse than Lexi's. The best solution is probably get Swish into the #2 spot over A.J. since he can get on base at a higher rate and make use of A.J.'s high batting average and occasional pop down in the order. Then again, maybe we should leave it as is, the offense isn't exactly bad. I'm glad I'm not the manager. Probably is better to keep Lexi down in the order in a spot where more men are on base too.

[Jake]

I like that Swish gets on base, but I hate the fact that he can't hit the damn ball. I would gladly have him trade some on base percentage for some batting average.

[oralsoxpodcast]

We didn't win that game tonight...the O's lost it. We should have murdered their pitching. On the bright side Crede's defense looked pretty damn solid. I still think his back is effecting his batting though...gets under everything.

 

Go M's

[Sonik22]

I like Clayton Richard

[Wanne]

We didn't win that game tonight...

 

Go M's

 

We didn't?!?...hey...I'll take it any way I can get it. Some good things out there tonight...some not great. Joe made some great plays...but is it just me...he just looks like he's in constant pain with limited motion. Clayton looked great. Take away his second start...I'd say he's been filling in quite nicely. He really did deserve better his first outing IMO...some very poor D behind him his first outing.

 

 

[oralsoxpodcast]

We didn't?!?...hey...I'll take it any way I can get it. Some good things out there tonight...some not great. Joe made some great plays...but is it just me...he just looks like he's in constant pain with limited motion. Clayton looked great. Take away his second start...I'd say he's been filling in quite nicely. He really did deserve better his first outing IMO...some very poor D behind him his first outing.

 

you're right, Clay (his mama called him Clay, I'll call him Clay) pitched well. I just meant that without Carlos being denied a timeout, we very well could have lost that game. We're better than the O's and should beat up on them. Let's hope this isn't a sign of how we're going to play for the rest of these road games.

[greg775]

We didn't win that game tonight...the O's lost it. We should have murdered their pitching. On the bright side Crede's defense looked pretty damn solid

 

I prefer to look at it as we won. Crede's defense helped us win. Not just that the O's lost. The Twins, by the way, piss me off. They are up in the 8th and only had five hits entering the eighth. Way to suck at home, Seattle. Oh I forgot Liriano is god.

[elrockinMT]

Clayton Richard did agood job.

 

Joe Crede had two web gems featured on ESPN BBTN. Comment was: When Joe Crede is healthy he is the best thirdbaseman in the AL. The hitting will come around

[scenario]

Thank you Seattle!!!

 

Adrian Beltre hit a walkoff homerun in the 11th to beat the Twins.

[bmags]

THANK YOU BELTRE

[stretchstretch]

THANK YOU BELTRE

 

 

these are the games where MN being on the road counts, home games like this they seem to never lose, not just a loss, but a loss with Liriano pitching which is like two losses as far as we're concerned......

[greg775]

Great loss. Can you imagine how pumped we'd be if we had won 2 games against the O's??? That woulda been AWESOME. Oh well. I guess we coulda won Game One then tanked in Game Two as well. Frustrating, though. Twins are 2-3 on this road trip. Sweet. Keep losin!!!!!

[witesoxfan]

these are the games where MN being on the road counts, home games like this they seem to never lose, not just a loss, but a loss with Liriano pitching which is like two losses as far as we're concerned......

 

Liriano better find some better stuff; he'll walk through these lineups with absolutely no power, but teams that actually hit power pitchers - ala the Sox - could destroy him. Since coming back, he's faced the M's twice, the A's, the Royals, and the Indians. The M's, A's, and Royals are the 3 worst offenses in the AL and the Indians are a middle of the pack offensive squad. He just doesn't look as good as he did in 2006 and I didn't see anything in his stuff that screamed "ace." If anything, it looks like he's being helped by his reputation, his delivery, and gutsiness or guile or craftiness...he's not the same pitcher he was, and even though he has a 1.21 ERA since coming up, I see that going way, way up. He's still a good pitcher but I just don't see his spot in the rotation being the automatic victory that it has been since forever.

 

In their lineup tonight, the M's had Betancourt, Balentien, Johjima, Burke, and Cairo; all 5 players have OPS's under .650. In all honesty, there might be guys on this board who could get some of those guys out, so Liriano should be able to do that as well.

Edited August 26, 2008 by witesoxfan

[caulfield12]

Liriano better find some better stuff; he'll walk through these lineups with absolutely no power, but teams that actually hit power pitchers - ala the Sox - could destroy him. Since coming back, he's faced the M's twice, the A's, the Royals, and the Indians. The M's, A's, and Royals are the 3 worst offenses in the AL and the Indians are a middle of the pack offensive squad. He just doesn't look as good as he did in 2006 and I didn't see anything in his stuff that screamed "ace." If anything, it looks like he's being helped by his reputation, his delivery, and gutsiness or guile or craftiness...he's not the same pitcher he was, and even though he has a 1.21 ERA since coming up, I see that going way, way up. He's still a good pitcher but I just don't see his spot in the rotation being the automatic victory that it has been since forever.

 

In their lineup tonight, the M's had Betancourt, Balentien, Johjima, Burke, and Cairo; all 5 players have OPS's under .650. In all honesty, there might be guys on this board who could get some of those guys out, so Liriano should be able to do that as well.

 

 

It was interesting to see Steady Eddie come back and pitch a perfect 8th. Amazing, the M's have handed two blown saves to Nathan at Safeco in the span of 3 weeks. How many times have we come back to beat Joe since he's been the closer? Once? Twice? I remember one game I think we tied it off him but lost it again somehow? Would have been amusing if they had been successful in getting Hawkins, too.

 

As far as Liriano goes, the Indians' offense right now would be a good test for him again. Unfortunately, the Twins schedule from here on out is as bereft of home games as it is quality opponents. I do have hope for this reason, sometimes youngsters coming up in September for doormats can make huge impacts on the race, because they have a lot of motivation to play as well as possible against the best teams in the league...to prove something to their managers for 2009.

 

We've managed to get 3 wins in a row from the fifth starter's spot. I don't think anyone would have predicted that when Jose went down against BOS.

 

The Mariners really made me nervous...Lopez messed up two bunt attempts (he was the one that broke through against Nathan to give MIN the lead previously) and then fouled off about 5 pitches and hit a ball where it should have been a disaster (pulled to left side instead of pushing to 2nd) but Beltre did the ole Bartlett trick and screened Punto from the ball in the hole. Then Clement hit into a DP, but scored the tying run. Worst of all, then HOF announcer Dave Niehaus said "RA Dickey will come in for Putz next inning and I about lost my breakfast (it was morning in Thailand time)!!!" But he got out of the subsequent inning 1-2-3.

 

Two things, Crain's definitely not going to pitch for at least one game (of course, we might have to use Thornton or Dotel as closer tomorrow...or even Carrasco)...and any day when Clayton Richard and Liriano both start and we don't lose ground, that's a net positive, although a QUentin HR to end the first game would have been sweet. Probably would have gone out in Comiskey. Oh, well.

 

Now the only thing we have to worry about is who is going to close tomorrow, if we get into that position. And the Twins have now lost 3 in a row and maybe a few doubts (after losing 3 of their last 4 in Seattle) are starting to creep into their heads. (Of course, I said that after the M's won the first two out there 3 weeks ago and MIN responded with a fury).

Edited August 26, 2008 by caulfield12

[ptatc]

you're right, Clay (his mama called him Clay, I'll call him Clay) pitched well. I just meant that without Carlos being denied a timeout, we very well could have lost that game. We're better than the O's and should beat up on them. Let's hope this isn't a sign of how we're going to play for the rest of these road games.

 

Nice Coming to America reference. Very funny movie.