The Twins winning the first two over the White Sox is a major step. Now just a half game out behind Chicago, the Twins are proving a reality of baseball: The White Sox are poised for another of their patented season-ending blowups. Sure, Chicago is just as hobbled and have as tired a starting pitching staff as the Twins, but the White Sox also had a 2.5 game lead heading into the final handful of games in the season. Whether the Twins pull out another AL Central title or not, the White Sox fans and front office cannot be happy with how poorly Chicago has played in the past month.
Whether the White Sox win the division or not, word around the league is that Ozzie Guillen's job isn't safe. Guillen's brash behavior coupled with his sometimes team-critical demeanor has made him an easy target for a firing at the end of the season.
Heck, if Ned Yost gets fired so close to a playoff berth and so late in the season, then Guillen can't be comfortable with his job security.
Guillen's love for the Twins organization -- or more importantly, their fundamental strengths and manner of play -- is setting up his downfall. He wanted Javier Vazquez to pitch like a big-time pitcher so he calls him out in the media and Vazquez quickly gets shelled by the Twins. Guillen hoped for Vazquez to do as Twins pitchers Scott Baker and Nick Blackburn did over the past two games ... suck it up and pitch better than their now sloppy, tired and slow arms would allow. Guillen did whatever he could to get Vazquez to pitch like a Twin.
Mark Buerhle, on the other hand, did what Vazquez couldn't tonight. Fortunately for Minnesota the Twins kept all but Ken Griffey Jr. from making more than a dent on the scoreboard.
Kudos to the Twins. They continue to hang on and hang on, keeping close enough to the Sox to have a puncher's chance. The standing ten count could come tomorrow. I don't think either the White Sox or Twins will do much in the playoffs, but right now who cares? It's getting damn fun.
Doesn't it feel great to have playoff-like baseball back?
1 comment:
I told you! I told you! Wait for the White Sox series. Up a half with 3 to play. Amazing!
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