Sox 4, Orioles 3; Morel Leads Sox to 5th Straight Win

Brent Morel provided enough offense to put the White Sox ahead and enough defense to keep them there to give the Sox their 5th straight win. This is the longest winning streak the Sox have had the entire season.  It didn't take long for the Sox to jump on Jo-Jo Reyes, who was making his Orioles debut.  

Carlos Quentin started off the 2nd inning with a homer to give the Sox a 1-0 lead.  After two outs, Brent Lillibridge drew a walk.  Gordon Beckham singled to continue the inning, and Morel came through with a nice two out single to put the Sox up 2-0.  

In the third, Alexei Ramirez led off with a walk and stole second base.  A.J. Pierzynski brought him in with a 2 out double down the right field line to run the score to 3-0.  

With two outs in the fourth, Morel absolutely crushed one way back into the stands in left to put the Sox ahead 4-0.  The Sox scored 3 of their 4 runs with two outs, which is something we haven't seen much of this season.

Chris Jakubauskas entered the game in the 5th and slowed all of the momentum after that as the Sox didn't threaten the rest of the game.  

Gavin Floyd had to make sure those 4 runs held up, and he was dealing through four innings.  In the 5th though, the Orioles started finding some holes.  Matt Wieters led off with a single that hit off of Floyd's glove.  Felix Pie blooped a single to left and Robert Andino hit a high chopper over the head of the drawn in Morel to load the bases with nobody out.  J.J. Hardy hit a slow roller to 2nd that Beckham flipped to Ramirez for the force out as Wieters scored.  Nick Markakis then hit a rocket into right field to score Pie and cut the lead in half.  Adam Jones followed with a soft ground ball to Alexei Ramirez, but Ramirez bobbled it allowing Hardy to score.  With one out, the Orioles tried to steal and Markakis was thrown out at third to give them 2 outs.  Vladimir Guerrero grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox clinging to a 4-3 lead. 

Pie led off the 7th with a rope double down the right field line.  After Andino bunted him to third, J.J. Hardy stepped to the plate with the infield drawn in.  Hardy grounded one in the hole, but Morel dove, gloved it and fired to first holding Pie at third.  With Markakis stepping up, Ozzie Guillen called on Will Ohman who proceeded to strike out Markakis, keeping the game at 4-3.

Jason Frasor came in and gave up a dreaded lead off walk to Adam Jones.  After he struck out Guerrero, Chris Sale was brought in.  Sale proceeded to make Chris Davis and Mark Reynolds look silly, leaving Jones at first. 

Sale started the 9th off by sitting down Wieters, and got pinch hitter Josh Bell to ground softly to Ramirez.  Guillen then called on Sergio Santos to face Andino, and Santos continued what he started yesterday by striking out Andino on a breaking pitch to give the Sox the victory.

* Chris Sale dominated every hitter he faced tonight, as did Ohman and Santos.  

* Floyd pitched well.  He gave up 4 hits in the 5th, but only Markakis hit it hard. 

* Brent Lillibridge looks ridiculous with a first base glove on.  That thing is so big it looks like it doubles the length of his arm.

* Morel's home run was a bomb.  I didn't think he had that kind of power in him.

* The Sox received some help from the 3rd base umpire tonight, as Markakis was safe on his stolen base attempt in the 5th.  Buck Showalter came out and was given the boot after arguing the play.

WP: Floyd (10-10)

LP: Reyes (5-9)

S: Santos (24)

HR: Quentin (24), Morel (2)

* Tomorrow the Sox are looking for 6 in a row, and the .500 mark as Philip Humber faces Tommy Hunter at 6PM.

Record: 57-58| Box