It was pretty much the Mark Buehrle show tonight in Chicago, as the Detroit Tigers looked like a team that was either more interested in getting out of town to begin the next series, or still groggy from last night's rainout. Buehrle is a guy who likes to work fast, but Tigers batters didn't seem too interested in putting up much resistance at all.
That's not meant to take away from how well Buehrle pitched. He took a perfect game into the seventh inning. It just continues to baffle me how he's been so effective against a lineup that's hit left-handers quite well the past few seasons.
Whimper:
The Tigers only managed three hits tonight, and two of those were in the ninth inning against Bobby Jenks, so you could pass around plenty of whimpers there. They had no answers for Buehrle tonight.
Maybe it wouldn't have mattered if Armando Galarraga had pitched better, but two outs into the first inning, he basically served up the game to the White Sox. After walking two batters, Galarraga teed up a single, double, and home run that brought in five Chicago runs. I guess the consolation is that he didn't pitch for the cycle and allow Jayson Nix to hit a triple in the inning.
Galarraga made up for that later, however, by hanging a slider that Nix jacked out of the park for his first major league home run. (Several guys seem to be breaking that seal against the Tigers this season.)
Turning Point:
Paul Konerko dropping a ball just inside the right-field line for a two-run double in that first inning was probably the decisive hit. But the knockout punch came next from A.J. Pierzynski, who smacked a two-run homer. Game over, man. Game over.
Comment of the Night:
so...hey the Office is onby rock n rye
It'll be more fun against the Indians this weekend, right? Right?