With three round robin games being played in such quick succession, it is difficult to produce a detailed play-by-play for each game. Instead, I will roll through highlights of the first two round robin games.
The Sox drew a very tough pool for the round robin--the Phillies, who finished the regular season in first place, the Astros, who defeated the Sox in a nail biter a few weeks back, and the Mets, who handed the Sox their third loss of the season last Tuesday. From this pool two teams will advance to the semifinal round.
The Sox took on the Phillies first on Saturday at Cusick under beautiful baseball skies. It's about time! Eric started for the Sox and had a searing fastball working for him. He fanned four and gave up only one hit in three innings of 1-run ball. He had excellent support defensively. Tim covered some real estate in the first inning to haul in a long fly ball to center field--where triples go to die. Drew at the hot corner yanked a screaming line drive out of thin air to save extra bases in the second. In the third inning, Will at right field gunned a runner down at second for an emphatic outfield assist. The Sox were flashing the leather all day long. Tom took the hill in the fourth inning and put up another couple of zeros for the Sox. Commanding a blazing fast ball, he struck out 5 in two and two-thirds inning of work. He also benefited from a top-notch defensive effort. In the fifth, Dan at second elevated and put leather on a smoking line drive towards right field. Tom helped his own cause when he laid out for a dying infield pop up--a spectacular diving catch to end the fifth. Jared came in to close out the game with two away in the bottom of the sixth, bases loaded, and the winning run at the plate. Cool, composed, and all-business, he only needed for pitches to deliver the K and the White Sox first playoff win of the season.
On the offensive side, the Sox held a very tenuous 1-run lead through five innings, until Eric provided some insurance with a clutch RBI triple in the top of the sixth--an absolute bomb nearly back to the fence in center field--that gave the Sox a little breathing room. Tim drove in another with his third of three singles in the game to make it 4-1, Sox, and that would be the final.
Drew earned the game ball for his outstanding defensive play at third base, including that bullet he gloved in the second. Joshua also deserves mention, having caught all six innings, receiving the ball with great consistency, providing a steady target, blocking pitches, keeping everything in front of him, and making good throws down to second. Hardest working guy on the diamond.
The next morning, the White Sox took Cusick field with one playoff victory securely in hand. It was a good thing, too, because the Astros brought their bats, and their dominating lineup showed no mercy. They put up 12 runs in the contest, and the White Sox could not keep pace, falling in the end 12-2.
But this game did feature some bright spots for the White Sox. Tim put on a clinic in center field, hauling in two long fly balls that would have easily gone for extra bases. He delivered at the plate, too, driving in both White Sox runs--one on a single in the first and another on a sacrifice fly in the third. Micah, who is emerging as a highly effective pitcher for the White Sox, recorded two more scoreless innings and four Ks. His fastball has caught some serious zip of late, and he's commanding it well. Another player coming into his own down the stretch is Zach. He was 2-for-2 this morning at the plate, belting two hard singles. Dan and Tom also made some good noise with the bat. Dan went 3-for-3 and Tom cranked a double deep to left in the third.
The game ball was awarded to Tim for his excellent play in center field and for his effort at the plate bringing in all of the White Sox runs this morning.
The loss to the Astros did not seem to faze the White Sox in the least. They are all business when things go their way, and they are all business when they don't. They understood that they did not need to win today in order to advance to the semifinal round. Two wins, in all likelihood, will be enough to kick the White Sox into the semifinals. The White Sox have a good chance for that second win this Tuesday when we take on the Mets at Broadmeadow in our third and final round-robin game.
See you there!
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