Game 1 (Final Score: 1-2, White Sox win)

In close games the missed opportunities really jump out at you since you feel like they would have made the difference. There’s no guarantee that the two on, one out spot in the bottom of the first would have made the difference. The one that stings is the wasted lead off triple in the bottom of the ninth that WOULD have give the Tigers more time to tack up some more runs on the Sox. Young actually had a pretty good at bat from what I caught of it except for the end of it when he popped up into the troposphere. Monroe and Shelton showed their youth it looks since they both swung at the second pitch they saw and beat it into the ground.

The Tigers struck first in the second, getting a run on Shelton’s single. With one out, Monroe singled and took third on Widger’s throw when he was stealing second. Shelton’s single scored him from third and the rest of the inning went out quietly (1-0).

The Sox tied the game in the fifth and took the lead an inning later. Uribe’s one out triple became the first run on Podsednik’s sac fly (1-1). Robertson escaped the single and walk he gave up to the next two batter when he convinced Konerko to swing at a really tempting pitch. With one out gone in the sixth on a 2-2 count with Dye, Robertson hung an inside fastball that was sent post haste into the outfield for the winning run (2-1).

Game 2 (Final Score: 3-4, White Sox win)

I’m sorry I missed watching more of this game; As it stands, the six innings I watched was less than half the game. Johnson was effective but not as good as he’s been. Sidebar: Could someone please tell me who defined a “quality start” to be what it is? (Back to the usual blather.) He staked the Sox to an early lead with men on second and third after a pair of singles by Everett and Pierzinski and a bad throw in from the outfield. Crede’s one out single plated Everett and Johnson’s wild pitch did the same for Pierzynski (2-0). In the bottom half Shelton smacked a two run homer after Monroe’s one out single (2-2).

Konerko’s third inning job put the Sox up and the game stayed pretty even until the eighth (3-2). Johnson’s second wild pitch went for naught just like both teams’ incidental base runners. The game was tied after a one out triple by Shelton on White’s pinch hit sac fly (3-3). The Tigers loaded the bases on Politte’s ineffective pitching with two singles from Polanco and Guillen and Young’s walk. Rodriguez struck out on three pitches to make the first out and Monroe hit the 1-2 pitch he saw into the ground for two more.

Vizcaino almost let the Tigers take the game in the ninth with two out singles from Inge and Logan before Polanco grounded out to end the threat. German returned the favor in the ninth before escaping the deadly Thomas with a foul out.

The game looked like it was over in the bottom of the eleventh or top of the twelfth but either was not to be. Vizcaino and Takatsu gave up a pair of runners but the Tigers couldn’t convert and Rodney gave up a pair of one out base runners before finally escaping only to be greeted with Thomas’ homer on a 2-0 count in the top of the thirteenth (4-3). The Tigers came storming back, loading the bases on two singles and an intentional walk, but Takatsu mowed down Inge and Polanco for the Sox victory.

Game 3 (Final Score: 6-1, White Sox win)

After last night’s excellent game and the long rain delay today, the Tigers laid this piece of crap on us. Yes, I am bitter. This was a great game through five innings and then it just fell apart and the team is watching .500 and respectability get further away. If the team is below .500 at the end of this year there will continue to be a substantial Tiger premium to sign free agents and some of the best will likely ignore the money entirely. Illitch looks like he’ll spend but I don’t want to have to overpay a pitcher like Jason Johnson to hold up the bottom end of the rotation for three years since that is embarrassing. Yes, there is young help in the minors but we’re one or two freak injuries away from no future.

The Tigers had a potent offense for two innings. Garcia allowed runners on second and third with one out after he threw one away and we watched White and Monroe waste this opportunity. Gomez led off the second with and single and Infante joined him on base after an error by Ozuna. Wilson plated Gomez and Logan used the first out to sacrifice the runners over to second and third (0-1). Inge and Polanco ended the last serious scoring threat and this inning quietly for the Tigers.

Crede of all people scored the first three runs when he belted Maroth’s pitch he saw in the fifth into the stands (1-3). Maroth allowed his second homer of the day when Everett plated two more with his effort in the sixth (5-1). Spurling relieved Maroth in the seventh and Dye finished the scoring with his RBI double (6-1). A lead off double was all the rally the Tigers could sustain in the ninth and the Sox’s sweep passed into the history books.

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