Live and Let Dye

When you score 8 runs you expect to win. When you come back from an 8-0 deficit to tie the game, you hope to win. When your bullpen gives up 5 more runs, you lose. That's what happened in the Bronx yesterday when the White Sox scored 8 runs in the 2nd, the Yankees responded immediately with 8 of their own, but lost anyway 13-9.

This game was touted as a great pitching match up, but neither Roger Clemens or John Garland made it out of the 2nd inning. The Yankees comeback went for naught as Jermaine Dye led the assault on the Yankees pen with a pair of home runs. Paul Konerko also homered as part of a 17 hit attack.

Anatomy of an inning

The 2nd inning took an hour as the teams stood toe to toe, exchanging blows. First the White Sox.

Paul Konerko single
A.J. Pierzynski single
Jermaine Dye RBI double
Darin Erstad RBI single
Juan Uribe RBI single
Danny Richar flies out for the 1st out of the inning
Robinson Cano misplays Jerry Owens grounder for an error. The fans are growing restless.

Alex Cintron hits a comebacker to Clemens. He forces out Erstad at home. 2 away and the inning would have been over if not for Cano's error. This is where Clemens needed to step up and didn't.

Jim Thome singles home 2 more run. The booing is getting louder. Konerko, the 10th man up, doubles in a run, and Pierzynski follows with an RBI single. When Dye gets his 2nd double of the inning, Torre finally goes to the mound. Clemens exits to loud boos. Mike Myers walks the only he batter he faces before Jeff Karstens finally gets the 3rd out.

Anatomy of an inning, Part II

John Garland had to be feeling pretty good about things as he toed the rubbed to start the 2nd inning. An 8-0 lead. He wouldn't feel that way for long.

Hideki Matsui singles to right
Jorge Posada ropes a double
Robinson Cano singles in the 1st run
Switch-hitter Wilson Betemit bats from the left side and becomes an instant fan favorite with a long home run to left-center field. It's an 8-4 game.
Andy Phillips singles
Garland finally strikes out Johnny Damon for the 1st out, but Melky Cabrera, Bobby Abreu, and Alex Rodriguez stroke consecutive singles to cut the score to 8-6.

A-Rod's hit snaps an 0-22 skid and knocks Garland out of the game. Boone Logan strikes out Matsui, but Posada bloops a ground rule double to tie the game at 8-8, sending the fans into a frenzy. Cano grounds out to finally end the inning.

The teams managed not to score in the 2nd, but the White Sox started up again in the 4th. Scott Podsednik pinch-hit for Thome, who left the game with back spasms, and immediately joined the hit parade with a double. 3 batters later, Dye launched his 20th home run of the season to give the White Sox the lead again, and for good.

Podsednik touched up Karstens again in the 5th for an RBI single and an 11-9 lead. Needless to say, the fans were getting restless again. Bobby Abreu belted his 10th home run of the season, off of Ryan Buckvich, in the 6th to cut the lead back to 11-9 and made the fans even more ready for an A-Rod blast. But the man stuck on #499 popped out. Reliever Matt Thornton then came on and struck out Matsui and Posada to end the inning.

Kyle Farnsworth was soundly booed when he entered the game in the 8th, and if possible, was even booed louder by the time the inning ended. First, Paul Konerko his 23rd HR of the season and then Dye hit a long blast into the darkened bleachers in centerfield for his 21st of the season, for an insurmountable 13-9 lead.

...

Clemens' outing was his shortest non-injury related start in 12 years. It was just the 8th time in his career that he didn't make it out of the 2nd inning.

Jorge Posada had to leave the game in the 8th after a collision at home plate with Richar. His knee swelled up and was stiff. Jose Molina will probably get the start tonight.