Game 73 Recap-
The Pittsburgh Pirates jumped out to a 6-0 lead and faster that u could get a beer, the game was tied. Chicago responded with a 6 spot of their own and once tied, the White Sox ran away with game, winning 13-8 Thursday afternoon at US Cellular Field in Chicago to finish a 3 game sweep of the interleague series.
“Guys are going to give up after being down six?” asked White Sox first baseman Nick Swisher. “We had a big inning just like they did.” White Sox RF Jermaine Dye led the charge with 2 home runs(2 run and a grand slam to put his team ahead for good). He and his team’s offensive explosion was the story of this series, “Something about being here just wakes our bats up. Hopefully we can carry it over on the road,” Dye said. “It was probably one of my better days. … This ballpark is a good hitter’s park, even though early and late it gets cold and the ball doesn’t travel — so when it does heat up you have to take advantage of it. The ball has been traveling for us this year.”
White Sox starter RH Gavin Floyd(8-3,3.19) had a rough first inning( 6 runs) but settled down and helped his bullpen by staying in the game. In the 6 run Pirates 1st, a throwing error scored the 1st run, followed by a bases clearing3 run double by CF Nate McLouth. 2b Freddy Sanchez them homered for a 6-0 spread.
Young Pirates LH Phil Dumatrait(3-4,4.66) ran into the buzz saw known as the White Sox offense and paid-DEARLY. Over 5 innings, he was touched for 11 hits & 9 runs with 2 Ks. In the 6 run 2nd, SS Orlando Cabrera’s 3 run shot tied the game after rbi hits from 2b Pablo Ozuna & Alexei Ramirez. Dye homered in the 3rd to put the Sox up 7-6. Sanchez singled in a run in the 4th to tie the game at 7.
The White Sox finished Dumatrait off in the 6th after DH Jim Thome singled in a run to make it 8-7 in the 5th, a Sacrifice fly in the 6th was charged to Phil. LH John Grabow(4-2,3.31) gave up a crushing grand slam to Dye in the 7th to cap the offensive explosion. The Pirates scored a meaningless run in the 9th on an infield hit by LF Jason Bay but could not recover from this offensive onslaught.
“They’re obviously swinging the bat very well. Hitting home runs, finding holes, bloop hits, line drives,” Pirates manager John Russell said. “They all seem to be clicking together. Not much else you can say. They scored a ton of runs against us. You’re not going to win many games when you give up that many runs.”
White Sox offensive breakdown for the series:
3 Games-37 runs-44 hits-10 homers
Star of the Game-
Dye- 2 huge homers gives him 6 rbi
Pirates Notes-
C Ryan Doumit suffered a mild concussion Tuesday and was out today, he will probably be available this weekend. He is listed as day to day however… Team has homered in 9 straight games— Pirates are 1-8 in Chicago this year, 1-5 vs the Cubs in Wrigley… McLouth, Bay, Sanchez and SS Jack Wilson led the team with 2 hits apiece
Next Game -
3 Game Interleague series vs the Toronto Blue Jays at PNC Park in Pittsburgh
Pirates LH Zach Duke(4-4,3.24) vs Blue Jays RH Roy Halladay(8-6, 3.09)
