Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Posted 5:04 p.m.Updated 7:12 p.m.
By Brett Ballantini
CSNChicago.com
KANSAS CITY, Mo.Bad baserunning. Laissez faire defense. Runners forgetting the number of outs. Pitching to contact. Lazy tags. Impatient hitting. Poor jumps defensively. Indecisive base coaching. Optional defense by pitchers. Dropped fly balls.
READ: Who, What... How?
The Chicago White Soxs numerous gaffes in Wednesdays 12-inning, 10-7 victory over the Kansas City Royals were erased by, not one, but two dire comebacks late. The first put the White Sox ahead in the ninth after another mighty swat of the stick by Carlos Quentin, who struck a two-strike, two-out double to drive home the lead runs.
"Early in the game was very bad, second part was a little bit better," White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen observed.
But after Matt Thornton was unable to hold the lead in his first save opportunity, it took a second clutch hitthis one by Brent Morel, driving home Quentin (who had four hits) and Alexei Ramirezto give the White Sox a 9-7 lead and the eventual win.
MLB
"An early season win like that - a back and forth game, us not giving up - that's good to have," said Quentin.
Until the Chisox struck for seven runs in the final three frames, much of the game seemed close only in the way a retired couple sidling up to Old Country Buffet at 2 p.m. is eating dinner, and featured an dizzying array of White Sox slips, bobbles, and miscues.
But with the late reversal, which turned a flatulent 2-3 road trip against Central Division also-rans into a 3-2 soul-stirrer, the 2011 White Sox most definitively showed they were all-Inand not only in the sense we have come to know them, bellying up to the plate and swinging big, with impunity.
This was the first time in a decade that the White Sox overcame a three-run deficit in the ninth to win.
"Never thought it would happen, four runs vs. Royals closer Joakim Soria with two outs," said Guillen. "Crazy game - very crazy game - for both sides. It seems like every time we come here it's a crazy game. We did the little things to win.
"Thank God we won. Huge game for us."
High Five!
With his RBI single in Chicago's four-run ninth inning rally, Paul Konerko became only the second White Sox player ever with at least one RBI in his first five games.
Carlos Lee accomplished the feat in 2000.
Home opener
Edwin Jackson toes the rubber as the White Sox make their U.S. Cellular Field debut on Thursday. He'll be opposed by big Rays southpaw David Price (0-1, 5.14 ERA). Jackson is 2-0 with a 1.59 ERA in his career against his former employers.
Last time Jackson faced Tampa Bay, he hurled a no-hitter back on June 25, 2010.
Brett Ballantini is CSNChicago.coms White Sox Insider. Follow him @CSNChi_Beatnik on Twitter for up-to-the-minute Sox information.