Grinder Rule #2006: Heart Attacks Are For Wussies! Game 141 Recap
The Sox Won 5-3, No, They Lost 6-5, No They Won 7-6!
The White Sox Won 7-6!!!
Have you seen this guy?
Well, that's a picture of me in the aftermath of tonight's game.
Yeah, this one was worse than any wussie rollercoaster ride. This was Flatliners on crack.
From Freddy's first pitch to AJ's rocket launch, my heart-rate changed directions more times than a Charlie Haeger knuckleball.
And I loved every minute of it. Not really though. The top of the 9th inning sucked donkey balls. But the bottom of the 9th was the cat's meow.
And now it's, "Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice," and a return to normality.
Why do I look like Beetlejuice's long lost brother? Why do I have freshly balding spots on my head? Why is some biotech company about to get a return on their investment in pacemakers?
Because the White Sox can never win a game the easy way.
Sure you can look at the 4 consecutive singles by JD, Thome, Paulie and AJ and say, "the 3-4-5-6 hitters are breaking outta their slump, right?" Maybe, but they scored 1 -- count 'em, 1 -- run on 4 consecutive hits by the All-Refrigerator Perry Team, you know, the team that don't run so fast. I feel a shortness of breath.
Sure you can look at Fredrica Garcia's line and say, "3 total runs scored and 2 earned in 6.1 innings; he pitched well, right?" Wrong! The unearned run was due to an errant pick-off throw to first, and a theft of 3rd so poorly defensed (read: held on by Fredrica) that even Konerko woulda coasted in safely. The run scored on a not-so-cleanly fielded FC by Paulie. Let me put it this way: 2 BB, 1 Error, 1 SB, 1 FC, 1 Run, 0 Hits, 1 Lead Lost. I feel clammy all of a sudden.
Sure you can look at the boxscore and say, "the Sox had 4 SB's themselves in one inning, right?" Yeah, you can say that, but they lead to 1 run. I'm feeling anxious, doomed.
Sure you may say, "but Bobby Jenks came in a saved it, right?" Wrong! When Bobby left the top of the 9th inning there were no outs, 4 consecutive doubles and 3 runs scores leading to a 6-5 deficit. And now I feel a tightening in the center of my chest. The heart attack has reached critical mass!
So my face is pale, my hair is falling out, my teeth are rotting in an emulsion of crack and sweets used to dull the pain of what is the worst loss of the season, right?
Wrong! Paulie (4-5, rbi) hits a lead-off single, and AJ, oh sweet AJ, provides the emergency life-saving drugs in the form of a walk-off, 2-run blast to right center field. Sigh sigh sigh sigh of relief!
Yes, I remember Joey's walk-off last year against Cleveland and how it saved the season, and the deja vu cannot be denied. But when AJ hit tonight's game-winner, I didn't jump out of my seat in joy; instead I sighed in relief.
The heart attack subsided. The game was won. And I live to cheer another day.
Awards time-------------------------
Bad Ozzie Move of the Game: Letting Jenks continue after the 3rd double. He had nothing and anyone could see it. In hindsight, and with his recent injuries, maybe Jenks should have been given another day off. Hermy looked fine the other day and Mikey MacD was pretty good tonight too. I didn't like Pods starting over BA, but Byrd is a righty so it was expected.
Good Ozzie Move of the Game: Not pinch hitting for AJ in the 7th with a lefty being called on to face him. He didn't produce then, but his bat would still be in the lineup for his walk-off shot in the 9th. Also pulling Freddy when he did was a good choice.
Play of the Game: Captain Obvious says, "Scott Pods' rbi, right?" Wrong! AJ, high and deep to CF and this game is over!
Big Ups of the Game: Paulie, Juan who was leading the PotG voting for 8.5 innings, and Thornton who cleaned up Jenky's mess. Mini-up to Fredrica.
And my White Sox Player of the Game is..........
AJ Pierzynski (6) Oh, sweet, AJ! Keep flipping that bat, baby!
White Sox Record: 81-60....Tiggers lose to Twinkies, so it's 0.5 in the WC and 4.5 in the division.
The White Sox Won 7-6!!!
Have you seen this guy?Well, that's a picture of me in the aftermath of tonight's game.
Yeah, this one was worse than any wussie rollercoaster ride. This was Flatliners on crack.
From Freddy's first pitch to AJ's rocket launch, my heart-rate changed directions more times than a Charlie Haeger knuckleball.
And I loved every minute of it. Not really though. The top of the 9th inning sucked donkey balls. But the bottom of the 9th was the cat's meow.
And now it's, "Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice," and a return to normality.
Why do I look like Beetlejuice's long lost brother? Why do I have freshly balding spots on my head? Why is some biotech company about to get a return on their investment in pacemakers?
Because the White Sox can never win a game the easy way.
Sure you can look at the 4 consecutive singles by JD, Thome, Paulie and AJ and say, "the 3-4-5-6 hitters are breaking outta their slump, right?" Maybe, but they scored 1 -- count 'em, 1 -- run on 4 consecutive hits by the All-Refrigerator Perry Team, you know, the team that don't run so fast. I feel a shortness of breath.
Sure you can look at Fredrica Garcia's line and say, "3 total runs scored and 2 earned in 6.1 innings; he pitched well, right?" Wrong! The unearned run was due to an errant pick-off throw to first, and a theft of 3rd so poorly defensed (read: held on by Fredrica) that even Konerko woulda coasted in safely. The run scored on a not-so-cleanly fielded FC by Paulie. Let me put it this way: 2 BB, 1 Error, 1 SB, 1 FC, 1 Run, 0 Hits, 1 Lead Lost. I feel clammy all of a sudden.
Sure you can look at the boxscore and say, "the Sox had 4 SB's themselves in one inning, right?" Yeah, you can say that, but they lead to 1 run. I'm feeling anxious, doomed.
Sure you may say, "but Bobby Jenks came in a saved it, right?" Wrong! When Bobby left the top of the 9th inning there were no outs, 4 consecutive doubles and 3 runs scores leading to a 6-5 deficit. And now I feel a tightening in the center of my chest. The heart attack has reached critical mass!
So my face is pale, my hair is falling out, my teeth are rotting in an emulsion of crack and sweets used to dull the pain of what is the worst loss of the season, right?
Wrong! Paulie (4-5, rbi) hits a lead-off single, and AJ, oh sweet AJ, provides the emergency life-saving drugs in the form of a walk-off, 2-run blast to right center field. Sigh sigh sigh sigh of relief!
Yes, I remember Joey's walk-off last year against Cleveland and how it saved the season, and the deja vu cannot be denied. But when AJ hit tonight's game-winner, I didn't jump out of my seat in joy; instead I sighed in relief.
The heart attack subsided. The game was won. And I live to cheer another day.
Awards time-------------------------
Bad Ozzie Move of the Game: Letting Jenks continue after the 3rd double. He had nothing and anyone could see it. In hindsight, and with his recent injuries, maybe Jenks should have been given another day off. Hermy looked fine the other day and Mikey MacD was pretty good tonight too. I didn't like Pods starting over BA, but Byrd is a righty so it was expected.
Good Ozzie Move of the Game: Not pinch hitting for AJ in the 7th with a lefty being called on to face him. He didn't produce then, but his bat would still be in the lineup for his walk-off shot in the 9th. Also pulling Freddy when he did was a good choice.
Play of the Game: Captain Obvious says, "Scott Pods' rbi, right?" Wrong! AJ, high and deep to CF and this game is over!
Big Ups of the Game: Paulie, Juan who was leading the PotG voting for 8.5 innings, and Thornton who cleaned up Jenky's mess. Mini-up to Fredrica.
And my White Sox Player of the Game is..........
AJ Pierzynski (6) Oh, sweet, AJ! Keep flipping that bat, baby!
White Sox Record: 81-60....Tiggers lose to Twinkies, so it's 0.5 in the WC and 4.5 in the division.
posted by jamesmnordbergjr at 12:03 AM
9 Comments:
There were signs tonight though.
The stolen bases, the fact that ya, we only got 1 run out of it but we somehow managed to string together 4 consecutive hits!!
I don't think we've done that since June.
I'm praying Juan is getting into one of those tears of his.
Paulie didn't ground into 3 double plays, instead getting singles.
Still, none of it means shit if we come out and play like ass tomorrow.
I'll agree with you though, where as last season when Crede hit his home run I nearly jumped through my roof, when AJ hit his tonight I was just like "Thank you God!" and just exhaled.
Did that make any sense? I'm drunk.
Sure it made sense. I'm just glad no one is dead right now.
BTW...GO Irish!
As for the green font, if you didn't know, last night was Half Way To St. Patty's Day night at The Cell. Thought I'd be festive too.
James, "penultimate" means "second to last" ...
Go Sox!
anonymous...thank you, I did not know that, I will edit accordingly (do I feel foolish)
There've been a lot of mentions to last year's dramatic Crede bomb in comparison to AJ's walk-off last night, but Crede's came closer to the end of the season so it was bigger and more dramatic.
I'd like to compare this game to last year's halfway to St Pat's game. I remember it well because I traveled to Chicago from Maine that weekend for the game. Unlike last night, the Sox lost in extra innings when Vlad Guerrero scored from first on a BUNT. It seemed as if that incredible season was just slipping away and the Sox were incapable of putting an end to their slide (they lost again on Sept 10, 2005 looking like sleepwalkers). When I thought about last year last night, it reminded me that a lot can happen in the last 20 games of a close race. The Sox have 18 games in 20 days before the final series in MN--time enough for two 5(+)-game winning streaks.
Sorry for the long-winded comment.
My PtoC for today is Big Jim Thome.
hey salty...comment as long and as windy as you want. we encourage comments that'll trun into conversation.
On that note, you are exactly right, there is a lot of baseball left to play and the only thing that'll matter is if the Sox win.
Yah, I love the long winded stuff.
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