Birthday Bash for El Caballo!

(June 20)

Short Take:  Sweep the Royals!

The line up Jerry Manuel employed for this get away day game at Comiskey would have done the Charlotte Knights proud.  Only four of the starters from the opening day team were slotted, while four others who started in Triple-A got the nod today for the Sox.  Predictably the Sox showed little sign of any offensive punch, but it was more than enough to beat Kansas City 2-1, a three game sweep of the series.

Can we schedule these guys more often?

Rocky Biddle returned to the rotation after missing his last start complaining of soreness.  He looked very sharp against the anemic Royals, pitching five innings, allowing just one run and five hits, striking out four and walking nobody.  

Biddle also had the advantage of pitching with the lead, thanks to a Carlos Lee double followed by a two-base fielding error resulting in an unearned Sox run.  Still Biddle suffered tough luck getting no decision for his effort, allowing one run on three hits in the fourth to let Kansas City tie it up.  Jon Garland kept the Royals off the board for three additional innings.

That set the stage for eighth inning heroics by El Caballo who, coincidentally, was celebrating his birthday.  21,000+ Sox Fans left the ballpark happy after Lee stroked one over the wall to right-center and Keith Foulke sealed the door shut in the ninth.  

Two games beneath .500 and a trip to visit Baltimore before a showdown series in Minnesota.

Just win, baby.