Breakeven!

(June 24)

Short Take:  An impressive month.

On May 23, the White Sox were 14-29, fifteen games beneath .500 and looking at a long long summer of embarrassment.  Today they evened their mark at 36-36, a complete reversal of fortune from the day Kip Wells took the mound in SkyDome, ended an eight-game losing streak, and started the Sox on the path back towards the A.L. Central Division race.  The first goal has been accomplished:  reach .500.  The next goal is right in front of them:  catching the Twins.  Three big games in the Hump Dome are on-deck!

The Sox beat Baltimore Sunday at Camden Yards  8-2 taking 3 of 4 from the Birds.  James Baldwin struggled allowing two dingers and six base on balls.  Heart of a champion, JB still went six innings and earned the win, evening his record at 4-4.  Sean Lowe pitched brilliantly for three innings long relief, earning his second save.

The Jose Canseco acquisition looks better and better.  It was the first of his two hits that gave the Sox a first inning 1-0 lead--a lead they would never relinquish.  He joined a trio of Sox players with two hits and two rbi's, Ray Durham, and Royce Clayton being the others.  Chris Singleton batting #2 was 2 for 4 with a walk and a run scored.  Sweet!

The game also marked the return of Jose Valentin from the DL.  He was given lead-off responsibility with one hit, one walk, and an rbi sacrifice.  Apparently Royce Clayton has forgotten he played his way out of the starter's role (earning manager Jerry Manuel great contempt from Sox Fans for not benching him sooner), and only got regular playing time again because of Valentin's injury.  Besides that he's been relegated to the bottom of the Sox line up, the only place the Sox can ever expect to get something valuable out of his bat.

Does Royce think he's earned the starter's role from Valentin's misfortune?  He did his level-best to ruin a positive clubhouse atmosphere by whining about the perceived injustice of the situation.

You've got to admire Clayton's chutzpah.  Let's ship it Tampa Bay.