White Sox beat Indians 6-3

As the White Sox reached the .500 mark Monday night for the first time since June 1, Gavin Floyd extended his own excellence.

[Nick Danger]

.500 and on the way up. We have pitching and the best bullpen in the majors. Look out people, Let's Rock!

[Barney]

This team is becoming very fun to watch.

[Nada Surf]

Young boys are fun to watch as well.

[100 Years of Futility]

Well, Wrigley Field is in the heart of boystown...

Nada Surf wrote:

Young boys are fun to watch as well.

[MC in AZ]

Nary a word in the article about the homer-double-homer sequence in the bottom of the ninth that made the four runs scored in the top a little more than additional padding. After Floyd pitched extremely well for 7 innings, and well enough for the other 2/3, the bullpen made a bit of a mess of things. The right result (for Sox fans -- this was probably an extremely frustrating loss for the Indians) at the end, but 6-0 would have been a better final score.

[Need better from the pen]

MC in AZ wrote:

Nary a word in the article about the homer-double-homer sequence in the bottom of the ninth that made the four runs scored in the top a little more than additional padding. After Floyd pitched extremely well for 7 innings, and well enough for the other 2/3, the bullpen made a bit of a mess of things. The right result (for Sox fans -- this was probably an extremely frustrating loss for the Indians) at the end, but 6-0 would have been a better final score.

Otherwise the team and the starters are clicking right now.
What's with Dotel in the past few weeks? He's brought in to put out a fire and he spritzes lighter fluid on the charcoal brickettes. He seems to let all inherited baserunners score. He IS the weakest link in the bullpen right now.
Why is Jenks brought in only if there is a save to be earned? Could have used him. The object is to win, not just polish someone's stats. And why does no other Sox pitcher ever get an opportunity to earn a save if Jenks is still in the pen? The save issue aside, Linebrink or even Poreda could have closed out last night.
The Yankees have no compunctions about bringing in Rivera in the 8th or in non-save situations. Is Ozzie catering to Jenk's ego or is he so incredibly formulaic that he can never deviate? Ozzie will throw any player under the bus on the flimsiest of pretexts, except never a pitcher. Apparently, their egos are too delicate.

[John]

We get 2 guys hit in the top of the 9th--1 in the head. We go to the bottom of the 9th with a 6-0 lead.

And our pitcher doesn't put a ball in somebody's ribs. We don't even put a batter on the ground....even after we give up a couple of homers.

We have been out-beaned 28-18 so far this year. Danks understood against the Cubs on Sunday. Our pitchers need to defend our hitters.

[Hardliner]

Great outing by Floyd and thank god Dye didn't get his wrist broken by that pitch. They have a perfect opportunity here to run off a big streak to close the first half. Nine of their next twelve games are against Clevelend and K.C. with a three game set against Minnesota befor the break. If they don't end the first half at six games over .500 they will blown their last chance and should listen to all offers.

[michael p coy]

It's about time the Sox start showing some payback on all these hit batters. While we continue to get plunked and stay above the fray I think for the most part the Umps hate Ozzie. So what the hell lets man up and stop this crap!

[Hardliner]

I know this gets tired but finding the link to this story on the Tribs site was like looking for a waiver wire story. If I didn't watch the game I would have thought they had the day off.

[Dave]

John wrote:

We get 2 guys hit in the top of the 9th--1 in the head. We go to the bottom of the 9th with a 6-0 lead.
And our pitcher doesn't put a ball in somebody's ribs. We don't even put a batter on the ground....even after we give up a couple of homers.
We have been out-beaned 28-18 so far this year. Danks understood against the Cubs on Sunday. Our pitchers need to defend our hitters.

It didn't bother me that our pitchers didn't retaliate. I think it was pretty clear that Perez was just wild and wasn't trying to hit anyone - the White Sox are pretty smart about baseball context - so they retaliated to Zambrano's pitches, but realized that Perez was just not in command.

[Steve]

I love this kid Beckham.

Richard is going tonight and we have to be patient. I think he will continue his on the job learning and develop into a decent starter.

[Buzzcut]

Your 2009 Chicago White Sox have the second best starting pitching ERA in the league (only Seattle is better).

Yes, you read that right. A rotation with Danks, Floyd, Grampa Contreras, and some rookie is better than every other AL rotation.

Flubs fans like to taunt us that the AL Central is the worst division in baseball. It's not. They ALL stink.

This division is winnable. This league is winnable. Beating the Dodgers 2 out of 3 times, hell, all of MLB is winnable.

[59 Sox]

Agree Beckham looks like the making of a player who we be around for awhile.Richard going tonight has been weak in his last few outings after pitching a couple gems . Id keep a hook ready if he gets in any trouble. Hopefully he has practice on throwing ball to first base? Great to read Ramirez is okay. That Perez guy certainly did not impress his new team.He was all over the place & Sox got even by sending him to showers before inning was over.Pod has been solid on top of order & bottom appears to be starting to hit also. Go Sox

[FedUp]

I LOOOOOVE watching the Sox manufacture runs. Hope this bodes well for the second half of the season. The division is definitely winnable.

So glad I changed the station in the bottom of the ninth. Can't believe the bullpen blew the shutout. Argh...

[koachditker]

Steve wrote:

I love this kid Beckham.
Richard is going tonight and we have to be patient. I think he will continue his on the job learning and develop into a decent starter.

Maybe Beckham can coach the Sox younger players and teach them how to take what the pitcher gives them. Anderson! Fields! Are you listening?

[paul from geneva]

Hardliner wrote:

I know this gets tired but finding the link to this story on the Tribs site was like looking for a waiver wire story. If I didn't watch the game I would have thought they had the day off.

Get Used To It! The Trib On-Line Treats The Sox Like Another Out Of Town Team. The C**s Are The Top Story Virtually Every Day. Also, Apparently There Are NO Photographers Wherever The Sox Are Playing!

[Charles Monroe]

The Indians are pitiful. I'm tired of following them through THIN AND THIN for the last 45 years. Hello Dodgers.

[South Side of BG]

MC in AZ wrote:

Nary a word in the article about the homer-double-homer sequence in the bottom of the ninth that made the four runs scored in the top a little more than additional padding. After Floyd pitched extremely well for 7 innings, and well enough for the other 2/3, the bullpen made a bit of a mess of things. The right result (for Sox fans -- this was probably an extremely frustrating loss for the Indians) at the end, but 6-0 would have been a better final score.

Yes, great job by Floyd, but the bullpen looked like they were trying to lose it. The shutout would have been real nice. I don't know what's up with Dotel. First it was Linebrink that had the shakes, now it's Dotel. I still feel good about Thornton and Jenks, but if the Sox are going to make their move, Dotel and Linebrink have to do their jobs and hold the other team. GO SOX!

[Nada Surf]

Need better from the pen wrote:

<quoted text>
Otherwise the team and the starters are clicking right now.
What's with Dotel in the past few weeks? He's brought in to put out a fire and he spritzes lighter fluid on the charcoal brickettes. He seems to let all inherited baserunners score. He IS the weakest link in the bullpen right now.
Why is Jenks brought in only if there is a save to be earned? Could have used him. The object is to win, not just polish someone's stats. And why does no other Sox pitcher ever get an opportunity to earn a save if Jenks is still in the pen? The save issue aside, Linebrink or even Poreda could have closed out last night.
The Yankees have no compunctions about bringing in Rivera in the 8th or in non-save situations. Is Ozzie catering to Jenk's ego or is he so incredibly formulaic that he can never deviate? Ozzie will throw any player under the bus on the flimsiest of pretexts, except never a pitcher. Apparently, their egos are too delicate.

Thornton has sucked of late, too.
This is the downside to the recent upswing in play.