White Sox 12, Orioles 8: Welcome to the 2nd half, y'all

by Stacey on Jul 18, 2009 2:00 AM EDT in Post-Game

The theme of tonight's game was bad pitching and sloppy defense. The Orioles scored 8 runs and still managed to leave 11 men on base. The White Sox scored 12 runs, 7 of which were scored by runners who reached base via walk or HBP. Each team made two errors in the field and of the 10 pitchers who were used in the game, only three didn't give up a run (Octavio Dotel and Tony Pena each pitched one scoreless inning for the White Sox, Kam Mickolio pitched 1.2 scoreless for the Orioles). Every other pitcher gave up at least two runs.

Jim Thome had a hell of a night, hitting two home runs, the first a 3 run HR and the second a grand slam. The funny/pathetic thing about the grand slam is that the three guys on based reached on two walks and a HBP. That's right, the Orioles walked two guys and hit another with a pitch to get to the man with over 550 career home runs. I didn't catch the distance on the Thome grand slam (hit off of Danys Baez), but it was basically a line drive to straight away center that only stopped when it hit a wall.

If you're looking for positives, there were plenty to be had in the offense. Nick Markakis and Adam Jones both homered, with Adam Jones' HR being a liner to the opposite field. Brian Roberts, Nick, Adam, Aubrey Huff, Nolan Reimold, and Melvin Mora all had multi-hit games, and even Cesar Izturis got in on the action with an RBI double. You might not believe it if you didn't see it, but one of Brian's hits was a bunt single. No lie! And Aubrey Huff hauled ass down the first base line for an infield hit in the 6th inning. Aubrey was obviously well rested from the break.

The O's and White Sox face off again tomorrow at 4:05 for the Fox game of the week. Thankfully Brad Bergesen will be on the mound so the national embarrassment should be kept to a minimum. Mark Buehrle goes for the White Sox.

Poll

Who was tonight's Most Birdland Player (MBP)?

Brian Roberts (2-3, 2 BB, bunt single, 2B, 3 R)

24 votes

Nick Markakis (2-5, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2B, HR)

25 votes

Adam Jones (2-5, 2 R, 3 RBI, HR)

53 votes

Aubrey Huff (2-5, 1 RBI, busting ass for an infield hit)

9 votes

Melvin Mora (3-4, 2B, BB, 1 R)

9 votes

Nolan Reimold (2-4, 2B, BB)

4 votes

Cesar Izturis (1-5, RBI 2B)

1 votes

125 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

I See

no one else stayed up for the recap long enough to comment on it.

If it were any other starting pitcher other than Rich Hill, I guarantee we would’ve won this one…wtf is up with Baez recently?

"Going over the hitters it was decided that we should pitch Frank Robinson underground." - Jim Bouton

by neptunerav on Jul 18, 2009 2:08 AM EDT reply actions

He tried to sneak a high fastball past a HOF slugger.

Down, down & away, down, high heat over the middle of the plate. Gone.

Yeah, cuz’ that’s where you want to pitch Jim Thome. Welcome back, Danys Baez. Hope we can still trade you.

From the Land of Pleasant Living...

by OEutaw on Jul 18, 2009 7:35 AM EDT up reply actions

Berken started the game

But we did see a relief appearance by Rich Hill, just what we needed.

I will lead these Peoples to the promised land, also known as "Slightly Ahead of the Blue Jays." ~WietersRunDry

by Stacey on Jul 18, 2009 8:43 AM EDT up reply actions

Stick him back in the 5 hole...!

Melvin Mora is well on his way to hitting .380 with 15+ HRs and 60+ RBI…! We should stick him back in the five hole to take advantage of his raw awesomeness! In all seriousness a really good game from Melmo…and no don’t hit fifth again just yet.

All-Star Doc. Jones should get a lot of votes as he and Nicky ended long homer-less streaks… Same for Reimold who had a real solid game after his early struggles in July.
Should be a good one Tomorrow on Fox…Go O’s

by Tetris on Jul 18, 2009 2:28 AM EDT reply actions

I voted for Huff

Because I thought his infield hit was awesome. But Brian Roberts deserves a lot of consideration. He was great last night.

I will lead these Peoples to the promised land, also known as "Slightly Ahead of the Blue Jays." ~WietersRunDry

by Stacey on Jul 18, 2009 8:45 AM EDT up reply actions

Wow, tonight's game is almost semi-watchable: it comes on at midnight here-- and it's Bugurglarson. Maybe I'll just...

ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.

No I won’t. Still, it’s a nice thought. But Sunday’s 10:05 is better.

In other news, the National League has decided to move the Washington Nationals back to Montreal. As Pretend Commissioner Dub Giles explained, “Turns out it’s a lot easier to hide a national disaster in another country. I don’t know why we didn’t think of that before. Oh, that’s right.— I’m dumb as a post.”

And in way other news, Barack and Dmitry"s Excellent Summit failed to change the visa regs. In fact, they didn’t even come up at the meetings, apparently. So us expats are still stuck with the World’s Stupidest Visa Regime. No joke.

I have decided to write my congressman to demand reciprocity, i.e. that Alexander Ovechkin, Andrei Kirilenko and Maria Sharapova be given “business” visas good for “one year”…which in the fine print say “may be used only for non-consecutive periods not in excess of 90 days each during one 365-day period. So go blow us, OK?”

Jeez, I wonder how fast the visa regime would change THEN…

"Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning." Churchill,1942-- a rebuilding year.

by Titov on Jul 18, 2009 3:22 AM EDT reply actions

I am all for them returning to Montreal!! I am only 3.5 hours from there, I miss going there, and getting awesome awesome seats for a whole series at least once every other summer.

by Timmy L. on Jul 18, 2009 8:27 AM EDT up reply actions

I went to two O's games there in 2000 (driving up from VT). Getting box seats for $12 Canadian was great. On the other hand...

it was the worst venue I’ve ever seen MLB played in…and the two teams played down to the venue. We lost both, which were our 19th and 20th consecutive losses to Canadian teams at that point.

Still, who could suck worse than the Gnats? I sort of feel bad for their actual fans (all 18 or 20 of them, including the guy who writes their team blog— which is pretty good), if not for the franchise owners and the leave-in-the-5th-inning “fans” who are only there to lobby somebody for something.

"Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning." Churchill,1942-- a rebuilding year.

by Titov on Jul 18, 2009 1:14 PM EDT up reply actions

I agree with you every bit about it being a huge dumphole.

but exactly, cheap tickets, sit right behind homeplate, or right behind either dugout

by Timmy L. on Jul 18, 2009 6:42 PM EDT up reply actions

i miss koji all over again. koji you big galoot!

Ooey Where A?

by thewaywardO on Jul 18, 2009 10:10 AM EDT reply actions

Went AJ

was about to go Nicky, then remembered that whole bases loaded situation. Sorry Nick.

Matt Wieters can get to the tootsie roll center of a tootsie pop in under one lick.

by daveh873 on Jul 18, 2009 10:47 AM EDT reply actions

Also

As I was FINALLY buying an AJ bobblehead on Ebay, AJ hit the homer. Literally a split second after I hit buy it now, he connected on that dong. Moral of the story? Everyone should buy AJ bobbleheads every time he’s at bat.

Matt Wieters can get to the tootsie roll center of a tootsie pop in under one lick.

by daveh873 on Jul 18, 2009 10:49 AM EDT up reply actions

No Mickolio?

by wickedwitch on Jul 18, 2009 10:49 AM EDT reply actions

Got himself into trouble

and yes, he did get out of it. But none of the pitchers deserved a chance to be on the MBP poll last night.

Maybe MSP, I think people could figure out what that “S” stands for.

by Timmy L. on Jul 18, 2009 11:46 AM EDT up reply actions

Shitacular?

" I'm happy to announce that we've made Adam Jones our 4th and 5th starting pitcher as well as bench coach and team chaplain" - peter_angelos 8:04 AM May 14th from digsby

"Matt Wieters Adopted Mark Texiera's Parents Because He Felt They Needed A Son To Be Proud Of."

by getxstoked on Jul 18, 2009 12:25 PM EDT up reply actions

That;s nice!!

Mine was the more simple “shit”, but yours trumps mine any day

by Timmy L. on Jul 18, 2009 6:42 PM EDT up reply actions

Didn't he look like some stoner we pulled out of the crowd?

Still a half decent 2 innings. I voted my man Nicky. Thanks for the pic of him stacey. All in all a pretty difficult game to sit through. A lot of ups and downs, but mostly downs.

"You don't EVEN KNOW who Nick Markakis is"- .....My 4 year old daughter to another kid.

"I'm a Country Boy"- ......Alan Jackson

by O's21girl on Jul 18, 2009 1:34 PM EDT up reply actions