Announcement: With a new episode of The Club set to air at 9 p.m. EST, we'll be hosting another live chat here tonight. It may turn into a Mad Men chat immediately after if we don't cut it off.
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A few unconnected thoughts:
*September can't come soon enough, and not just because the Sox hold a two-game lead in the division. It's because Ramon Castro is still socking the snot out of the ball. He's hitting .306/.393/.512, even though he plays roughly a week. Ozzie Guillen doesn't like using a catcher in the DH spot, which is unfortunate considering he owns the hottest bat of the ineligibles.
*It feels like Scott Linebrink gives up a run every time he pitches, but that's just because he doesn't pitch enough. The homer to Jack Cust was the first run he allowed since June 22 -- but he had only appeared in six games since then before Sunday. What a use of $5.5 million.
*Freddy Garcia was squeezed by Laz Diaz en route to the shortest start of his career, but Diaz may have made up for all those calls with the called third strike he gave Tony Pena. Wow.
*Garcia's dud means that even more is on Daniel Hudson's plate, since he was already 1) trying to establish himself as a viable Jake Peavy replacement, and 2) trying to establish himself as a viable White Sox, period. And he'll be facing Oakland's best, Brett Anderson.
It's an uphill climb, but if Hudson were to prevent a losing streak and even up a difficult road trip at 5-5 while being responsible for none of the losses, that would be quite the statement win, wouldn't it?
But a quality start would be fine, too.
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Minor league roundup:
- Indianapolis 8, Charlotte 5
- Alejandro De Aza tripled, singled twice, stole two bases and struck out twice.
- Carlos Torres hit a wall in the sixth, and control issues were his undoing: 5 1/3 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 7 BB, 4 K.
- Tyler Flowers was 0-for-3 with a strikeout and an HBP.
- Brent Morel was 0-for-4 with a K.
- West Tenn 4, Birmingham 3
- Christian Marrero doubled twice and drove in two over four ABs.
- Justin Greene (three K's) and Eduardo Escobar (one) were both 1-for-4.
- Potomac 7, Winston-Salem 2
- Jon Gilmore went 1-for-3 with a walk.
- Jose Martinez did the same, except he struck out twice.
- Brandon Short was hitless over five ABs with a strikeout.
- Stephen Sauer allowed four runs on nine hits and two walks over 6 2/3 innings, striking out four.
- Kannapolis 14, Asheville 0
- Andre Rienzo struck out 10 over six innings, allowing only a pair of singles.
- Tyler Saladino (double, strikeout), Nick Ciolli (double, triple) each went 3-for-5.
- Brady Shoemaker homered as part of a 2-for-4 day.
- Juan Silverio went 1-for-4 with a double, walk and two strikeouts.
- Bristol 6, Pulaski 2
- Matthew Heidenreich allowed two runs on six hits over seven innings, with no walks and four strikeouts.
- Daniel Black doubled twice with an RBI and a strikeout over four ABs.
- Great Falls 4, Casper 3 (10 innings)
- Thomas Royse struck out six over six, allowing a run on two hits and no walks.
- Ross Wilson went 1-for-3 with two walks.
- Andy Wilkins was 0-for-3 with a walk.
