This was without a doubt the best game the White Sox played all year. Danks was brilliant for 7 innings only losing his shutout on the inherited runner Linebrink let in. Ozzie managed the game perfectly calling multiple hit-and-runs, stolen bases, squeeze bunts, and slap hits with pitchers. And the hitting stepped up when it was needed.
But what stuck out to me in this game was the perfection in the Sox execution of eveything Oz asked them to do. Konerko put the ball right where it needed to be on his hit-and-run with Wise, Podsednik played the squeeze bunt perfectly (as did Getz on 3rd). And my favorite play of the afternoon was Danks' slap hit that didn't even work. Even with it not working, it was still perfect and it still got the job done leading to the run on the squeeze.
The only problems I saw in this game were the multiple DP's the Sox grounded into (plus the strike him out throw him out DP), and Beckham's failure to convert on the chance with Getz on third in the 2nd. But for every mistake there was an opposite for each guy. Alexei knocked the homer out in his first AB which gave him the pass on the rest of his afternoon And Beckham had the play I mentioned coupled with the error in the 2nd but made up for it converting the DP on the next batter and coming through with the walk and single later in the game.
Overall though, there is absolutely nothing to complain about in this game. The Sox were absolutely untouchable this afternoon. Now they can look towards tomorrow and try to fully avenge their poor performance at Wrigley last year.
Oh yeah, and don't look now but the Sox are just 3.5 games out of first.
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