White Sox 6, Angels 1: Gremlins in the outfield

Coming into this game, the White Sox were the only team hitting below .200 against LHPs in all of baseball. C.J. Wilson was 3-0 lifetime against them, and the White Sox were 3-7 vs lefties so far this season. None of that mattered today.

With two outs in the third, the Sox scratched across a run when they stacked a Paul Konerko walk, an Alex Rios single, and an A.J. Pierzynski base knock scoring the captain. The Sox backstop was caught trying to take the extra base unfortunately, ending the frame.

The real story in this one was the high sky and several miscues by the Angels.

With one out in 4th inning, uber-rookie Mike Trout muffed a fly ball off the bat of Dayan Viciedo. The Angels starter took the error in stride, walking the next two White Sox. With the bases loaded Dunn took a base hit up the middle to score 2 and that was it for C.J. He matched his career high with 6 BBs(he walked Brent Morel twice!) and couldn't get out of the inning. Paul Konerko popped up a reliever David Carpenter offering, but Howard Kendrick lost it in the sun, and it fell in for a run scoring single.

Chris Sale had himself a nice day, striking out 7 hitters in 5 and a third innings to earn his 4th win of the season.

The Angels weren't done goofing off after they fell behind 4-0. In the 5th inning the comedy duo of Trout and Kendrick teamed up this time to let another high fly fall in between them, but this time the Sox didn't make them pay. Maicer Izturis dropped one a little later, but by this time the official score keeper was feeling sorry for his boys so that one went as a hit, and again the Sox didn't punish the mistake.

The defense wasn't all bad. Also in the 5th, Gordon Beckham had to go back into foul territory banging into the railing to make a leaping out, then getting the ball back in to A.J. Pierzynski to keep Vernon Wells stranded at third. The box score will say Hester just flied out to shallow right field but it was a great play.

The story I feared writing today seems to have come true: White Sox pitchers fixed Albert Pujols. Fortunately for us it wasn't enough. The future Hall of Famer hit his second home run in as many days. A laser to center field that left in a hurry. Mark Trumbo followed with a frozen rope of his own that Dayan Viciedo just missed but it was off his glove and over his head for a double. That chased Sale from the game at 103 pitches in the bottom of 5. Trumbo went 4 for 4 in the game.

A.J. added another RBI in the 9th inning, scoring pinch runner Eduardo Escobar(in for PK) upping his season total to 26.

The Sox bullpen was stout this afternoon and up to the job at hand. Nate Jones left Trumbo standing out there on second, working one and two thirds innings striking out a pair. Thornton handled the 8th inning, and Crain finished things up in the ninth. They allowed a single base runner each and not a man more.