2008 ALDS Game 3: TB Rays @ ChiSox
Posted by SBG on Sunday, October 5th, 2008 at 2:01 pm
With any luck at all, the 2008 baseball season will end for Chicago today. The Cubs, out in three straight, have done their part and now it's time for the White Sox to roll over and play dead.
The White Sox are sending John Danks out to the mound today to stop a sweep from happening. Danks was last seen putting an end to the Twins season. The Rays aren't exactly killers against left handers, either, hitting a collective .246/.330/.396/.726 against lefties as compared to .267/.344/.434/.778 against righties. (Compare that to the Twins: .275/.332/.397/.729 against lefties, .280/.344/.413/.757 against righties, huh, almost the same.) This looks like a bad matchup for the Rays, who haven't beaten a quality left hander since... Friday, when they beat Mark Buehrle in game 2 of this series. Trends are trends, of course, but these playoff games are discrete events, so yep, it would appear that the White Sox have the edge here with Danks, but all that matters is what happens today. If the White Sox are feeling a little less than secure about things, that might matter just as much as whether the Rays have hit Danks in the past (and they haven't, in 19.1 innings against the Rays this year, Danks has allowed 16 hits and 3 walks, while striking out 20).
Meanwhile, the Rays counter with our old friend Matt Garza. The Rays certainly look like they've drawn the longer stick in their trade with Twins in the off season, and Garza (and not their "MVP" Jason Bartlett) is the reason. Garza's performance this year was right in line with the five young starters that the Twins have, so I suppose trading him wasn't the worst thing in the world, but hey, it's worked out great for the Rays. I liked Garza, I like that he was in Gardenhoser's doghouse, I like that he's been found out to be a quality major league starter. That's not to say that he'll hold down the Sox today, but it would be sweet if he did.
Go Rays!
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I'm all for the White Sox losing, but if they lose and Los Angeles of Anaheim loses, it'll be a while before we have any more ball games to watch.
Rain delayed till about 3:40.
Go Rays!
Rays get on the board first with a little small-ball.
I had "pfft, if the MVP wouldn't have walked, the Rays would have gotten a run there. Some MVP." all loaded up.
Now it's "man, that MVP really helped the team by walking to allow Iwamura to bat."
AJ drives in Wise to tie it up.
Sox load the bases and Ramirez drives in Thome with a sac fly. 2-1 Sox.
Wise doubles to drive in Konerko and Griffey. 4-1 Sox.
BJ (man I like this guy) drills what looked like a fat one from Danks (at least according to the ESPN gamecast) to drive in two. 5-3 Sox.
White Sox win 5-3. Game 4 tomorrow night.