Misery Loves Company: Two Guys Watch Baseball

Game 68 - Red Sox

White Sox 4, Red Sox 2
Record: 39-29

A real head-scratcher, this game. Pedro pitched effectively, leaving the game after the 5th inning with a 2-1 lead. He threw his allotted 70 or so pitches, the last of which was a knee-buckling breaking pitch to strike out Frank Thomas with the bases loaded. Ryan Rupe replaced Petey and promptly surrendered a three-run blast to Joe Crede in the bottom of the 6th. Ryan Rupe, who'd thrown 105 pitches on Saturday.

I hold no ill will towards Mr. Rupe, but wonder why the hell the Sox are trying to ruin his arm. John Burkett was well-rested, and the Sox could have thrown Lyon, Almonte, Shiell, or Seanez. Why, again, was Ryan Rupe the choice? It wasn't as if this was made necessary by the 14-inning game on Sunday, because the Sox announced that Rupe was the plan before Sunday's game. Frankly, a bizarre decision, compounded by the Sox inability to hit Mark Buerhle, he of the 2-10 record.

Pedro looked great, which is the consolation to come from this game. Burkett goes today against Bartolo Colon, the Yankees play 2 against Tampa Bay while Toronto plays the Orioles. Bad times.