It started with a bunt.
White Sox starter Jeff Samardzija was struggling in the first and second inning. He was running counts 3-2 on batters and the Twins got 2 runs in the first and Ed Escobar led off the 2nd with a walk. Then a bunt. A first pitch bunt by Eddie Rosario halted all that momentum. Sure he was trying for a base hit and was credited for a sac but that pitch, that play seemed to have thing click on for The Shark. Next batter Aaron Hick swung at the first pitch and hit a lazy fly ball and Santana struck out and that was all she wrote for the Twins offense.
Phil Hughes pitched well except for the 4th inning where the wheels fell off. A walk, a defensive misplay and a misplaced pitch led to 2 runs. Hughes was lifted after 7 inning even though he had 89 pitches (72 strikes!) and was in control. Aaron Thompson came in and walk the second batter he faced and that run came around to score Twins lose 3-2.
NOTES
- Joe Mauer stole third base in the first inning and it led to sac fly by Plouffe. Mauer is 3 for 4 in stealing 3rd. His last attempt was in 2010.
- Mauer has 25 RBI this season, a team high.
- Mauer has 9 doubles, giving him 12 extra base hits this year. That is 4th most on the Twins (Dozier, Plouffe, Hunter)
I'd hardly say Samardzija was struggling. He gave up a bloop hit to Torii that probably should have been caught and then the RBI double by Mauer followed by a steal and a sac fly. Dick actually said he thought Samardzija looked like he might get pulled in the early innings, which is laughable based on one real hit.
He racked up a pretty high pitch count in the first inning (I cant recall right off hand, in the neighborhood of 30) and ran full to Escobar. Fine struggling might not be the right word, but it certainly looked like he a was not going to last more than 5 innings. After than bunt, Samardzija was sharper and more efficient.
He had a lot of the Twins batters chasing high. I wonder if the Sox broadcasters were calling for him to keep his pitches down?
My impression of The Cell: like someone did an okay job of finishing their basement, but didn't cover the cement walls. Everything gray and black
I was there the year it opened, I think. Sounds about right.
Hrm. It opened in 1991. My first trip there probably wasn't until 1993 or 1994.