The White Sox followed up one of their most enjoyable games of the year on Monday with one of their saddest tonight.
After starting the game with a strikeout, Erik Johnson executed a pretty good high fastball to Andy Dirks, who put a late swing on it and hit an awkward spinner that ate up Conor Gillaspie. That marked a start of a rough night for both Sox players involved, and most of their teammates, too.
Johnson only lasted 3⅔ innings, over which he gave up six runs -- but only two were earned, and Gillaspie was a big reason why. His throwing error on a Miguel Cabrera swinging bunt led to two runs in the first. His wide throw that Paul Konerko dropped while trying to apply the tag extended the inning long enough for two more runs to score in the third.
And even after Johnson left the game, Gillaspie struggled. He threw the ball away with two outs in the fifth, even though he could've turned to his left and placed the tag on Alex Avila for out No. 3, and Avila ended up scoring.
He committed his third error by failing to make his own hop on a Don Kelly chopper leading off the seventh, but erased it by starting a 5-4-3 double play. Robin Ventura ended his night by pinch-hitting for him in the bottom of the seventh with Leury Garcia.
Johnson didn't pitch particularly well after the errors, but the whole game had a lost feeling from the start. The Sox trailed 6-0 until breaking through for their only run in the bottom of the fourth on a Gillaspie RBI single. And when the Tigers answered with that unearned run in the fifth, the Sox packed it up.
Rick Porcello threw his first career complete game with the greatest of ease, at least over the last five innings. He retired 14 in a row before walking Adam Dunn to start the ninth, but he erased it with a Konerko double play before striking out Avisail Garcia to end the game. Even with that five-pitch walk, Porcello needed just 41 pitches to get through the final five innings. Not that making the game any longer would've made it any better.
Bullet points:
*Miguel Gonzalez made his big-league debut as a defensive replacement, and grounded out to third in his only at-bat on the second pitch.
*White Sox pitchers held Cabrera to an 0-for-5 night. On the other hand, Prince Fielder went 4-for-5, and Avila 4-for-4.
Record: 58-86 | Box score | Play-by-play | Highlights