The Phillies had more than earned the swagger they displayed as they strolled onto the diamond to conduct their warm-up. They had breezed through their first three games putting up frightening numbers offensively while giving up next to nothing.
If anything was going to cool off the red-hot Phillies, it was not going to be weather offered up this fine May afternoon. The sun was beating down on Cusick Field like nothing we had seen yet this spring. Baseball weather. Finally.
Eric stepped in to lead it off for the White Sox. He slapped one hard up the middle, but the Phillies' pitcher was able to glove it and fire to first. Eric nearly beat it out. Great hustle comes as no surprise from Eric, who knows no other way to play the game. Tom stepped in next and lined one into left field for a single. Tom stole second on the next pitch and reached third when Jared singled to right field, the first of three hits on the afternoon for him. Jeffrey walked to load the bases with one out for Tim, who sent a hot ground ball towards second base. The Phillies' second baseman made a spectacular stop and threw to first a step ahead of Tim. But the RBI machine had done his job as Tom crossed the plate to put the White Sox on the board first.
Two in scoring position with two away for Dan. His swing is all power and he approaches each at-bat with such fierce intensity that the boys in the dugout and the fans in the lawn furniture on the hill behind it all ceased their chatting and held their breath as he stepped in. The pitch... Swing... Strike one. The murmur of the crowd came to a hush again as the pitcher went into his delivery... Pitch... Swing... Strike two. A monstrous swing from the righty this time but just missing. There was something in the way that Dan dug his foot in to set up for the 0-2 pitch--a certain confidence as he pulled the bat back and eyed the pitcher. He knew he was going to crush it, and somehow we all did, too. The poor, unsuspecting pitcher did not. He delivered a fastball right in Dan's wheelhouse, and the thundering clank of the bat echoed throughout Cusick Field. This ball was indeed crushed--all the way back to the warning track in front of the left field fence. The Phillies outfield did well to get the ball back in in a hurry, but not before Dan was standing up at second base and two more runs had scored. 3-0, White Sox at the end of their half of the first.
The White Sox sent Tom to the hill, a hard-throwing righty who has been downright nasty so far this season. He struck out the Phillies' leadoff man but drew hard contact from the next batter, who sent one soaring deep into center field. Tim drifted back, lined it up, and hauled it in for out number two. He makes it look easy, but it's not easy--you have to put in the reps, and Tim certainly has done that. Tom struck out one more to put the first inning in the books. Still 3-0, Sox.
The Phillies starter found his groove in the second and sat the White Sox down in order--but not easily. Joshua hit a hard line drive that looked poised to do some damage, but he was robbed by the second baseman's highlight reel grab.
Tom made quick work of the second inning, fielding a come-backer, getting another to pop up to the mound, striking out the third, and retiring the Phills in order.
Top of the order for the Sox in the third. Eric singled on a hard line drive into right field. Tom then doubled on a good hard shot over the head of the center fielder. Eric scored. Tom stole third and Jared drove him in with a line drive up the middle for a single. One on with nobody out for Jeffrey. Now, we know this kid can hit, but what we witnessed next was a full-on hitting clinic. The Phillies pitcher delivered a very tough fastball low and on the outside paint. Jeffrey waited on it and drove it the other way--way the other way! This ball made it all the way to the fence in right field, and Jeffrey was one cautious third base coach away from his first dinger of the season. Jared scored, making it 6-0, Sox. Jeffrey would score on productive contact by Tim, who continues to collect RBIs like there's no tomorrow. Dan would be issued a walk next--maybe not intentionally but perhaps wisely. Micah worked the count full and then took the free pass to keep the line moving and put two on with two out. Excellent plate discipline. But the Phillies pitcher bore down and shut the door before any further damage could be done. 7-0, Sox after two and a half.
Tom recorded another 1-2-3 inning for the Sox in the bottom half of the third to cap a very solid outing. In three shutout innings, he struck out 5, walked no one, and allowed just one baserunner on a single back in the third. He owes a great deal to his catcher, Joshua, who was reliable as always, kept pitches in front of him, and got a couple of calls with some artful framing.
Tom kept the fireworks going in the fourth with his second double of the afternoon, this one lined just fair to left field. He would score on a single off the bat of Jared to extend the Sox lead to eight runs. The show wasn't over. Jeffrey stepped in and drove one to deep center field for a double and his second extra-base hit of the afternoon. Jared would be waved around third, but the Phillies have a cannon in the outfield and they had him beat by a step. The catcher did well to hold onto the ball and get the tag down.
Tom was relieved by Jeffrey in the bottom of the fourth, but the Phillies would get no relief as Jeffrey came out with his usual gas. The flame-throwing lefty struck out the side and preserved the White Sox lead heading into the fifth.
Tim led off with a single and scored on Dan's second double of the afternoon. This one Dan launched past the left fielder into deep left-center--another beauty. Will connected with an 0-2 fastball and sent a rocket into right field for a single that moved Dan to third. Two on with one out for Drew, who fouled off two tough fastballs--he was right on them. The Phillies pitcher would put a nasty fastball on the outside corner for a called strike three, but this was a heroic at-bat for Drew, who is going to be notching more than his fair share of hits this spring. His bat speed has improved astronomically. He just needs to see enough pitchers and he'll be raking.
The Phillies pitcher was able to shut the door on the Sox half of the fifth, and Jeffrey was ready to do the same with a fastball that can only be described as overpowering. He wasn't born throwing cheese, but over the past few years, he has put in the hours upon hours and reps upon reps that make a kid into a real pitcher. Jeffrey settled in, pounded the zone, and shut the lights out on the fifth.
The Phillies answered with some top-notch pitching of their own and the Sox went down in order in the top of the sixth.
Last chance for the Phillies and they made the most of it, rallying to put four runs up before Sox closer Eric came in to nail this one shut with a blazing fastball, a K, and the save. Final score: White Sox 9, Phillies 4.
Certainly a win for the Sox to be proud of against the class of the league. Tonight's game ball was awarded to Tom, who got the Sox rolling with three shut-out innings of 1-hit ball and a 3-for-4 performance at the plate with 2 doubles, an RBI, stolen base, and 3 runs scored. All in a day's work.
The White Sox take on the Blue Jays next on Tuesday at Cusick. See you there!
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