Summary:
Mark Buehrle worked quickly and efficiently last Friday, looking a lot like Greg Maddux -- the pitcher he beat, in game the White Sox won 6-1 against the Cubs in the first Interleague game of the season.
Rogers Centre
Mark Buehrle worked quickly and efficiently last Friday, looking a lot like Greg Maddux -- the pitcher he beat, in game the White Sox won 6-1 against the Cubs in the first Interleague game of the season.
The White Sox started trailing by 1 at the top of the first, but thanks to an efficient offense they managed to tie the game at the bottom of the first and from then on the game was all theirs.
Buehrle had a smooth two-hour ride through the Cubs struggling lineup throwing a two-hitter in the White Sox victory. "We don't throw hard. We use a lot of movement in our pitches. You go out there and beat one of the best pitchers in the game, it makes you feel a lot better about yourself," Buehrle said after the Interleague opener at U.S. Cellular Field.
The White Sox are playing a lot like they played last year when they were World Champions and if they continue with this pace they most certainly will get to the World Series this year also.
Lineup
1. Scott Podsednik, LF. 2. Tadahito Iguchi, 2nd B. 3. Jim Thome, DH. 4. Paul Konerko, 1st B. 5. Jermaine Dye, RF. 6.A.J. Pierzynski, C. 7.Joe Crede, 3rd B. 8. Rob Mackowiak, CF. 9.Alex Cintron, SS.
Josh Towers (1-8) from the Blue Jays became the majors' first eight-game loser by following up his best outing of the season -- two runs and five hits in eight innings Sunday against Tampa Bay -- with one of his worst, giving up five runs and eight hits in five innings on Friday against Colorado.
The right-hander left a fastball up in the first inning that Atkins hit out to left for a solo homer and then gave up a two-run double in the fourth to Barmes.
"I think I was able to put the ball where I wanted to, but I did get a couple of sliders out over the plate," Towers said. "When I located pitches, they couldn't do anything with it."
Despite what Towers thinks this wasn't one of his best games in the season. The Blue Jays performance sometimes depends a lot on how good their bullpen is on a certain day. And on Friday, the Bullpen left committed too many mistakes that cost them the game against the Rockies.
They face a very difficult series against the White Sox this week; most sportsbooks will have as favorite the White Sox in what many expect to be a series sweep by Chicago.
Lineup
1.Reed Johnson, LF. 2. Alexis Rios, RF. 3.Vernon Wells, CF. 4.Troy Glaus, 3rd B. 5. Lyle Overbay, 1st B. 6.Bengie Molina, C. 7.Aaron Hill, 2nd B. 8. Russ Adams, SS. 9.Josh Towers, P.