Ozzie Guillen called GM Kenny Williams out, saying the Sox needed some offense. This after the club dropped three of four to the first place(?) Tampa Bay (Devil) Rays. Which was perfect fodder for Sun Times columnist (weasel) to once again suggest Ozzie needed to be fired, but what then would Jay have to write (whine) about? Guillen’s latest tirade couldn’t have come at a better time, focus was taken off the players, the pressure too.
It looked like a different ballclub playing host to the KC Royals & Zack Greinke. Greinke has gotten away from his junk and gone with his fastball, which has made him successful of late, but not tonite, not against the White Sox & their fastball hitting team.
With a man aboard in the 1st inning Carlos Quentin (after his day off, plus the off day) responded with new found energy & a big fly. Then Alexei Ramirez hit a perfect doubleplay ball to the shortstop, it was hit hard, elluded him, and Alexei was credited with a double. Orlando Cabrera hit a slow bounder up the middle, which plated two with the infield playing in. The next batter A.J. Pierzynski plated two more, rocketing one over the rightfield wall. What lack of offense was Ozzie talking about? The score was 6-0 Good Guys before we were even able to settle into our seats, or find a comfortable wall to lean on behind home plate, as the case may be.
It would’ve been a tough play for secondbaseman Alexei Ramirez to have thrown out Joey Gathright, even if he had fielded the grounder cleanly, which he did not, on which play he was credited with an error, KC scored two unearned runs as a result.
The Sox offense got those two runs back in the sixth when Nick Swisher & Alexei Ramirez hit solo shots, in between homers Joe Crede popped out. Al was just bemoaning the fact that Swisher was batting .200 when Nick whacked one good to right.
Mark Teahen homered after Miguel Olivo doubled in the 7th for the only two earned runs off Gavin Floyd of the evening to make it 8-4. The Royals, in the 8th, off Octavio Dotel, cut it to a three run lead when Alex Gordon singled home David DeJesus from 2nd base, after DeJesus had stolen second. But the Sox made the final 9-5 when Alexei Ramirez picked up his third hit of the game, an 8th inning single to shallow leftfield, scoring Jermaine Dye without a throw from DeJesus. Dye had singled & Crede had walked before Alexei’s single. A.J. Pierzynski also had three hits for the Pale Hose, as did David DeJesus for the Royals. Bobby Jenks was called on to close it out for the Good Guys in black.
Despite threatening weather, it did not rain, and I was VERY glad I was there, as EVERYBODY was there (Al, Anthony (newly fractured elbow), Tade, Steve, Roland, Dick, Bea, Caramel Corn Mike, & my latest sweetie Hot Chocolate Jackie (selling beer tonite)).