Unmitigated Disaster

(July 19)

Short Take:  A total cave-in.

What can you say that is positive about the effort of the Sox in this disaster of a ballgame?  Not much.  The Cleveland Indians march into our house, drink our beer, steal our chicks, trash our family room, and leave an awful mess in the bathroom, too.  An unmitigated disaster from start to finish.  The score was 10-3, if you care.

Sean Lowe deserves a bit of credit.  After getting shelled for six runs in the first three innings, he stuck his chin out and sucked it up for three more scoreless innings.  Jerry Manuel didn't want to waste his bullpen in this futile game and Lowe game him the innings he needed to do just that.  That's a brave pitcher, if not an effective one, to give up eleven hits and two dingers for six innings! 

By the seventh inning the Sox were showing signs of making a move, the deficit cut to 6-2.  A leadoff single by Jose Canseco and a walk by Paul Konerko had the Sox in business with one out and the mental midget John Rocker on the mound for the Racist Cartoons.  For some strange reason no pinch hitter was used for lefty Mark Johnson who struck out, and of course Royce Clayton's pop fly ended the rally. 

But the real end came in the top of the eighth when Bob Howry got his skull caved in.  Four runs on three hits plus a hit batsmen, Sox Fans should have to wait a long time before anybody from the Sox front office talks up the wisdom of this particular White Flag acquisition!

Kudos to Magglio Ordonez and Carlos Lee for each going 0 for 4.  Special props to El Caballo for that double-play grounder to kill the first inning rally.  The Sox only collected seven hits and still managed to strand five baserunners.

What a mess!  Forget it and turn the page.