Let’s talk about the Sox game yesterday. Since Detroit and Cleveland won, had the Sox lost yesterday, they would have fallen 7-1/2 behind Detroit and 3-1/2 behind Cleveland. Minnesota would have had hope and would have gained a game on the Sox. Since the Sox lost 6 in a row coming in to the series before winning the opener, a loss yesterday would have been disastrous and not allowed them to have momentum, which obviously helped them today as well as Minnesota being down hurt them. Yesterday was the first time I saw a Sox game in a while, and what do you know, bad calls and gifts. Let’s review:
1. Sox score 2 runs in the fifth, to take a 2-0 lead. Of course the second run scored on a wild throw on a steal attempt. This was called “a gift” by Harrelson–his words.
2. It would be important for Minnesota to come right back, and the leadoff hitter in the bottom of the fifth doubled. However, even though the runner was clearly safe as Harrelson and Stone pointed out, the ump called him out. I know things change, but the next batter singled and the next batter was hit. There was also a wild pickoff throw. Not having a leadoff double prevented the possibility of a nice inning and changed the tone of the game. The Twins did not score that inning. This call gave the Sox the game, instead of basically eliminating them, thus tainting the rest of the season.
3. Sox have a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the 8th, and the Twins have the tying run on third with no outs. Sale, a lefty, is pitching, and he has been pitching very well as well as being very tough on left-handers. The Twins have 2 lefty batters coming up, and hadn’t been hitting or scoring runs in both games with the Sox. Any manager with a brain calls a squeeze to get the tying run in. There was no question that neither lefty would get the job done, and they didn’t. Of course, the Twins don’t score, and leaving a man on third with less than 2 outs almost guarantees the other team will score, which the Sox did.
4. As per my statement above, the Sox score 4 in the 9th to put the game away. Of course, the first run, which set up the inning, scored on another wild throw on a steal attempt–another gift.
So, if the ump doesn’t make a horrible call, the Twins have a great chance of winning and the Sox are in huge trouble. It’s funny how this stuff happens in EVERY game I watch.
Two other comments about Sox-Twins. I saw Pierzynski in the game above fake being hit by a pitch and start walking to first. I’m very happy the ump wasn’t the same guy he duped on the Josh Paul play and the phantom fielder interference. It’s nice to see an ump stand his ground and not panic. Also, I didn’t see the first Twins game where Buehrle gave up no earned runs, but I imagine it was like all of his other games–batters being off balance and ahead of pitches, waiting on fastballs which he never throws for strikes, instead of sitting on breaking balls.