Saturday night's victory over the Detroit Tigers was the 100th career victory for skipper Ozzie Guillen. I guess the 4th time is the charm, cuz the other three attempts to reach 100 were pretty pitiful. Onto the bullet points...
- I could really list some putrid stats on the offensive side from the past 5 or 6 games, but instead, how about something a little more positive. The Sox have had a lead in every game this season, all 24 of them. That's the longest streak to start a season in White Sox history, and the longest by any team since 1955. The Brooklyn Dodgers did it for the first 25 games of the 1955 season, going 22-3 on their way to a World Series title.
- The 17th victory in April matches a franchise record for the most victories in April. The last team to post that many wins in April was the 2000 Sox, who went on to win the AL Central crown.
- How about that catch by Aaron Rowand to save two runs in the first? He took a bad route to the ball, but recovered to make a great Willie Mays style basket catch. Had he missed that play, the 3 run lead the Tigers would have had, would have been virtually impossible to overcome with the way the offense had been going.
Rowand also made a nice defensive play on a ball that Scott Podsednik just missed. Podsednik ranged all the way into short left center to make a diving attempt, and Rowand was right there to back him up. Craig Monroe tried to turn his single into a double when he saw Pods dive for the ball, but Aaron got it in to second baseman Tadihito Iguchi so fast that he had to race back to first, only to be out by a few steps on Iguchi's throw. - The offense laid dormant until the seventh inning. The Sox had been getting men on base, but could do absolutely nothing once they got there. Once again, the bottom of the lineup got the offense kick started.
Here's how the 7th went:- Rowand hits himself in the chest with a pitch. If you didn't see the game you're probably wondering how that was possible. Thankfully, CBS-sportsline provides the visual evidence.
- AJ Pierzynski singled back up the middle to put runners on the corners.
- Joe Crede put the first pitch through the hole on the left side to bring home Rowand; AJ holds at second
- Willie Harris lays down a perfect sacrifice bunt -- It's gotta be a perfect sacrifice when AJ is one the paths. Man, he is slow. -- Runners at second and third.
Some people are under the impression that I'm against all bunting, mostly because I've yelled "bunting sucks" in the first inning of various game threads. This is the perfect illustration of when I like the bunt.- Willie is a good bunter
- With AJ and Crede on the paths, any hard hit ball is an automatic double play
- It put both the tying and winning run in scoring position. -- I like that. It's not like you were playing just for one run.
- Podsednik was hitting behind him -- I said just the other day that Pods needed to turn on the ball more. It's something he's shown that he's capable of doing. And...
- Podsednik turns on a ball, grounding out to second base. AJ scores. Crede to third.
- Iguchi singles back up the middle. Sox take their first lead, 4-3.
- It's fairly obvious who the closer is now. After Hermanson went 2.1 scoreless innings of relief Friday, only to have Shingo take the loss, Ozzie went with Hermanson for the final three outs of a 1-run game Saturday.
