Big Win!

(July 8)

Short Take:  Lowe & Canseco lead the way

Ah yes, that's more like it Sox Fans!  After one-half season of stumbling and fumbling, we thought we would never see again our Sox simply grab the opposition by the throat, cut their windpipe, and shake 'em to death.  That was a regular occurrence just one year ago, but the offense hasn't been there in 2001 to duplicate that championship season.

Today was different.  The Sox scored early and often, took advantage of the other team's mistakes, and got solid pitching by a hard-nosed pitcher proving his critics wrong.  A nice and total victory to enter the three day all-star break, 9-2 over Pittsburgh.

Sean Lowe was sent down to Charlotte early this season for no apparent reason beyond throwing too many balls is a relief appearance.  He rightly complained at the unusual treatment (everyone on the Sox staff was pitching like crap at the time) and even asked to be traded.  Cooler heads prevailed and Lowe has been the key pitcher out of the bullpen in long relief, a role he has filled admirably for over two years now.  

In another spot start for the injured David Wells, Lowe proved why he ought never get shipped to the minors ever again.  A gutsy eight inning performance allowing just six hits and one run earned Lowe a promise from Jerry Manuel to pitch the third game of the Cubs series coming up next weekend at Wrigley Field.  That's a long way from Charlotte!

Meanwhile the offense was taking full-advantage of mistakes by Pittsburgh.  A two-out error extended the second inning leading to four unearned runs for our Pale Hose.  Give the devil his due, the key at-bat was Royce Clayton's who tripled home three of those four runs.

Oh, and the power!  Here is the ingredient obviously missing from the 2001 Sox.  Jose Canseco turned what might have been another cardiac arrest Sox victory into a big, big victory.  A two-run dinger in the third inning and a solo shot in the seventh buried the Pirates in a manner that had Sox Fans getting teary-eyed for the glory of 2000 when no amount of offense was beyond the realm of possibility for a Sox line up that could knock the cover off the ball top to bottom.

We really miss it. don't we Sox Fans?

The Sox enter the all-star break at 41-44, in third-place and 13 games off the pace.  Can they reach the wild-card?  Three months of baseball still ahead.