Sep 24 2008
Make or Break for White Sox
With one game down and two to go in Minnesota we shall see if the White Sox can make the playoffs. After last night’s performance where Javier Vasquez got rocked and then the rest of the pitching staff got rocked we will see for sure if this White Sox team is for real. Much like how Paul Konerko stated the other day ” If we can not handle the Metrodome and handle these hard places to play then we do not deserve to be in the playoffs because the road gets much harder in the playoffs.” The White Sox are now 1 and 6 in the Metrodome after last night’s performance.
Now it is time for the ace of the White Sox, the same ace that has won a world series ring, and that is Mark Buehrle. The White Sox season might be in Mark’s hands tonight but, that is alright because he is the stopper and this is not the first time he has had to stop the bleeding. However, if we can not hit offensively and put pressure on Minnesota’s less than perfect defense then, Mark Buerlie can pitch all he can and it may still not be enough. We have got to hit tonight! If you can not hit Minnesota pitching which is no better than are pitching staff then the post season will be a far shorter experience than in 2005 in which we were 11-1.
This all may sound depressing and really a bad sign for the Sox but that is why baseball is so great. You can get beat badly one night and then the next night shut them out yourself. This next game is key if the White Sox do not want to be scoreboard watchers the rest of the season. A team’s chances to get in the playoffs are so much greater when you are beating the team that is in your rear view mirror.
With a win tonight we can breath a little better and not be like those New York Mets which have blown first place leads twice in the last two seasons in the last two weeks. There is just too much more experience and talent for the White Sox to lose this fight with Minnesota even thou the winner of all of this AL Central battle still might be at death’s door with the Tampa Bay Rays being the possible match up for both of these teams. Both the White Sox and Twins have had loosing records this year against Tampa Bay and I know they are a first time participant but they have been the most consistent team all year long and they have had the defending champion Red Sox nation on their heels for most of the year.
Here is the prediction for tonight I say the Sox win and the magic number will be pushed to three and we will clinch Friday night at home against Cleveland. We as all Sox fans in Chicago still got your back and we know you can get the job done. If we fail we know it was not meant to be and the better team will move on, that is how baseball works at the end, the best teams always win.
