When Chris Sale starts are as big of a drag as anything else, it might be time to start closing up shop.
Sale got beat up three different ways in the second inning -- first by a comebacker, the next by a collision at first base after covering the bag late, and the third by a Brian Dozier three-run homer that turned a 1-0 lead into a familiar deficit.
One inning later, three soft singles extended Minnesota's lead to 4-1. He also hit a couple batters on top of two walks, and the early stress led to an early exit. He departed after five innings, having allowed four runs on eight hits. He's still winless in June.
Robin Ventura went to the low-leverage relievers, and they acted accordingly. Deunte Heath walked four batters on top of two hits over his two innings, leading to three runs. That put the Sox behind 7-1, and by the time the offense woke up, it was too late.
Kevin Correia only allowed one run over his first six innings -- and it was the first batter of the game, as Alejandro De Aza led off with his ninth homer of the year. Otherwise, it was another sleepy evening until the seventh.
The Sox "chased" Correia with two outs in the seventh after Conor Gillaspie doubled and Dayan Viciedo singled. In the eighth, they finally mounted their first real threat. Tyler Flowers led off with a single, and moved to third on a double by Alexei Ramirez two batters later. They both scored two batters later when Adam Dunn singled through the rare hole on a shiftless right side.
Paul Konerko followed with a single up the middle, and that brought the tying run to the plate in the form of Gillaspie. It took one pitch for Gillaspie to pop out in foul territory behind third base to end the threasfasdlfaslkdas;lkfa;sklhfa;uecas;fldaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
(Sorry, the Blackhawks just won it in overtime.)
Problem was, that inning made it a save situation, so Ron Gardenhire had a reason to bring in his best reliever, Glen Perkins. Perkins shut it down, and the Sox pretty much have no choice but to do the same.
Record: 29-40 | Box score | Play-by-play | Highlights