It was not a pleasant weekend for the Chicago White Sox. After getting swept by the Detroit Tigers, the Sox are 1 1/2 games behind first place after enjoying a lengthy stay on top of the division. Luckily, the struggling offense bounced back Monday night as the Sox beat the Twins 7-4.
Nice to see that home run swing again
Paul Konerko started the game off on the right foot with his 3-run blast in the first inning. Later in the third, both Adam Dunn and Alex Rios would hit two-run homers of their own. Dunn’s home run was his 29th of the season and he is now on top of all the majors in that category. It is great to see Konerko and Dunn each contribute today since each of them have been on a bit of a slide. Konerko’s production just hasn’t been there recently (just 2 RBIs in the last ten games before tonight) and he’ll need to come through in the clutch if the Sox are going to pass up the Tigers. Dunn continues to swing for the fences and when it works, it works, but that .204 average is nothing to get excited about.
In pitching news, starter Gavin Floyd is fresh off the DL and his return was just alright. He only gave up two earned runs while getting the win (8-8), but he also walked a concerning six batters. It is very likely that he is still feeling the after effects of his injury. The Sox had a season high three errors, but that shouldn’t be anything to worry about. They have one of the most effective defenses in the league. Despite their errors, the infield turned an impressive five double plays which got Floyd out of some very difficult spots.
Since Detroit didn’t play today, the win over the Twins puts the White Sox an even game behind the Tigers. It is still early and there is no reason to tense up yet, but the Tigers are beginning to play up to the preseason hype. They are currently on a 13-2 run, so the Sox will definitely need to snap these offensive blues if this division is to stay close. The Sox will look to clinch the series tomorrow night.
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