White Sox bog down, sunk by Mudville Fancy new uniforms for The Nine mesmerize Palehose
HAZEL PARK, MICHIGAN - The White Sox have a big target on them. Specifically, no one wants to lose to the men in black, particularly as they defend the Homant division title.
With the days-long predictions of rain and floods, the Sox experienced very low turnout and had trouble even fielding a squad to start the game. Newcomer Rov Cowan got the start on the mound, showing tremendoue resiliency in grabbing a baseball and playing competitively for the first time in nearly three decades.
Brad Owens and Chris Wilkson led the admittely anemic offensive attack, each collecting two hits apiece while driving runners around the diamond. Cowan had the start, Gray relieved and Lehman followed. Ari's heavy participation has led him to the tops in several offensive categories.and picked up an RBI for the first time in months.
The improving White Sox will be back at it again Sunday Morning at Hazel Park, facing the Cubs at 10AM.
ST. CLAIR SHORES - After staking out a nine-run lead for Rodney Price, the White Sox cruised to an eight-run victory at Kyte 1.
Toshi Endo, Toshi Miyasato, and Jason Rogers combined for a statistical beatdown. The first three of the White Sox batting order led the way to certain victory, going a combined 9-9, 9 runs, 2HBP & BB for a 1.000 OBP, with 5 RBI and 6 SB. Brian Sexton and Ari Lehman went 3-4 and 2-3 respectively, each driving in 3, and Ray Brooks threw in an extra-base hit in his White Sox debut.
Lehman took an inning on the bump, followed by Endo and Rogers. The slick infield couldn't double plays as the Southsiders discouraged any thought of a comeback by the Mudville nine.
Whe White Sox return to Park, 8:45 PM. plenty of good seats available.
REDFORD (Capitol Park) – Brian Sexton singled in the game-winning RBI in his 1st-inning at-bat, plating leadoff hitter and starting pitcher Ken Grawburg, and the White Sox addend insurance runs in the 6th to defeat the Angels. Grawburg helped his own cause by snatching three stolen bases, while striking out three.
Key to the Southsiders’ victory was the lack of free passes – just one walk and two hit batsmen. The game was very well-played (a relative term in the 42+s), and memorable for its intense and rapid pace. But in the end, the Palehose were able to keep cool and make high-probability plays, thwarting every Angels rally opportunity.
The Angels’ Andy Kamin was crisp through three and gave the Angels their chance to stay close. The White Sox were able to apply pressure with aggressive baserunning and consistent hitting up and down the lineup. Adrian Bradley led the Sox with two hits and two RBI.
The White Sox face the Cardinals Tuesday night at Royal Oak Memorial Park, with a limited number of seats remaining available.
Palehose play it even through six, then drop the ball
ROYAL OAK (Memorial Park) – The 42+ White Sox were competent and competitive to an unprecedented degree Tuesday night at Royal Oak Memorial Park, with high hopes for an upset victory. In their first-ever visit to Royal Oak Memorial Park, the Men In Black held tight with the talented Cardinals, tying up the score in the bottom of the fifth 4-4, and then through a scoreless sixth. But in the top of the 7th, the Cards’ bats came to life, pounding doubles into the fenceless expanse of right field, and the White Sox had no answer.
Ari Lehman pitched like a well-chosen position pressed into service, keeping the game close through four on a mixture of off-speed pitches, change-ups, curveballs and slowballs. Brian Sexton provided two strong innings in scoreless relief, only to be the subject of the barrage of sixth, then sharing the “fun” with Jason Rogers and Toshi Miyasato at a third-inning each. Toshi Endo, Terry Graham and Keith Witherspoon led the offense for the Southside gang.
NOTES – Ticket sales were more brisk than expected, with a handful of fans showing up for both teams at the cushy Memorial Park, known for its seatbacks and difficult access.
“Roku” goes 3-4, strikes out ten in Ohtanian effort
REDFORD (Capitol Park) – With a short lineup and a lack of defensive flexibility, the Sox nevertheless stormed into Wrigleyville (Redford) Friday night with winning in mind. Toshi Endo was masterful in his first start over several weeks, striking out ten as the Southside batsmen tried to figure out Cubs starter Neil Schliewe.
The Cubs surged out to a 5-1 lead through three, but the Sox bats came to life in the top of the fourth behind a Brad Owens double and the first six batters reaching base. When the dust cleared, the Sox had surged to an 8-5 lead.
Endo then took over, with four strikeouts in the 1-2-3 bottom 4th and 5th. In the sixth, the Cubs managed another run on a couple errors, but left the bases loaded when catcher Ari Lehman flipped a passed ball to Endo to put out a runner attempting to score. The Sox sealed the win with another 1-2-3 inning in the seventh for an 8-6 final.
The White Sox got great offensive contribution from the middle of the lineup, with Brian Sexton going 2-3, and Brad Owens 3-4 with a double and RBI. But the best at the plate was also Endo, who went 3-4 with a triple, RBI, and a stolen base. Eight different White Sox players scored a run.
Trying to dig out of a deep first-half hole, the White Sox will try their hand again Monday August 15 against the Mudville nine in Royal Oak. First pitch at 6:03 PM. Rainchecks will be honored for any rainouts over the last five years.
Rogers & Owens shine as broad offensive contributions, team defense, and careful pitching fuel Sox victory
HAZEL PARK (Bob Welch Field) – It took one of the best defensive effort the White Sox could muster, just to stay competitive with Favoretto-division teams. But that’s just what they would need in their Thursday night tilt against the 42+ Braves.
To secure a season series split, the Palehose looked to their most consistent starter of the last few seasons, Ken Grawburg. The “Southside Southpaw” kept the Braves swinging, and relied on steady defense to limit any damage. The strong Sox nine committed only a single error, clearly their best effort of the season. Highlights included a double play in the third, and another in the fifth. Right fielder Brad Owens caught a deep sac fly attempt by Andy Fairman, then hit shortstop Jason Rogers on a relay, who gunned the ball to Brian Sexton at third to beat a stunned Braves baserunner.
Owens’ big day was more than the double play. Going 2-2 at the plate, the second-year man scored a run, and drove in another on a third inning sacrifice fly. His recent surge has put him first in batting average on the team, edging out Toshi Endo. For his part, Endo hit a home run in the fourth on a ball that would not stop rolling, his first of the year. Just about every White Sox player contributed something at the plate, and fourteen players participated.
Grawburg, for his part, was given a lead in the second which grew to 8-6 after five, and he even drove in a run himself with a second inning double. After the team succumbed to a 1-2-3 inning against Brave Bob Wilson in the sixth, Ken marched right out to finish his game with the time limit approaching in the bottom half. After granting two walks, the Sox moved to Jason Rogers to wrap things up. After yielding a single to load the bases, Rogers got the Braves leadoff hitter for a backwards ‘K’. Next up was pitcher Wilson, who knocked in a run on a fielder’s choice to cut the Southsiders’ lead to one. With the time limit now expired, two outs, first base open and Fairman up, the Sox put him on, loading the bases and bringing the Braves’ cleanup hitter to the plate. But closer Rogers earned the Save, freezing the hitter looking at a slider while it snapped into catcher Ari Lehman’s mitt.
The White Sox have a quick turnaround to their next game, versus the Cubs on Saturday August 20th at Hamtramck.
"Big Sexy" complete game erases big start by little bears; Endo homers again
HAMTRAMCK (Norman “Turkey” Stearnes Field at Historic Hamtramck Stadium) – The Cubs showed up at Hamtramck with an eye toward evening the season series and grabbing first place in the Homant division. And so, they went for it with gusto, batting around in the first inning and tallying five runs before the dust settled. Still, White Sox starter Brian Sexton had his own game plan, managing to fan the first and last batters in the first. Undeterred, he threw down 1-2-3 innings in the second and third, as the Sox bats heated up.
Toshi Endo led off the bottom of the first with an inside-the-park homer (his second HR in consecutive games), and later Terry Graham tripled, each man taking advantage of the expansive Historic Stadium outfield. The Southsiders managed to apply offensive pressure in every inning, scoring two in the first and second, four in the fourth, and one more in the fifth. Outfielder Chris Wilkson went 2-3 with an RBI, scoring a run and swiping two bags, and Endo continued to lead the Sox offense with a 2-3 performance with two RBI on top of the homer. Joe Bush legged out a double and scored the winning run in the fifth, Nate Moore stole two, and Jason Rogers reached base all three plate appearances without an at-bat (2xHBP plus a walk).
In the top of the seventh, Sexton yielded a solo home run to Matt Christie, when the ball got past a diving Endo in center field. But Sexton also grabbed his fourth strikeout in the last half-inning, and generated ground ball outs. His second victory ties him for the team lead, and secures the season series win for the South Side 3-1, with the final regular season matchup coming Thursday at Hazel Park.
NOTES: This was the White Sox debut at Stearnes Field, an honor which will be repeated next week versus the Angels.