Game 81: Mama Said There’d Be Days Like This

Roy Oswalt faced off against Chris Sale tonight in Chicago, but it was never really much of a game. The final tally was 19-2 in favor of the White Sox, but it didn’t actually feel that close.

I was thinking this afternoon that Oswalt was probably due for a game where absolutely nothing went right. He got a little bit lucky in his last start, giving up only 5 runs on 13 hits in 6 innings of work.

Tonight he was shelled in 3 separate innings, giving up 11 runs (9 earned) on another 13 hits. It wasn’t a case of getting BABIP’d, either. The Sox were hitting the ball hard.

In the first 2 innings, Chicago had 3 singles, 2 doubles, a triple, and 3 homeruns. Six outs into the game, Texas trailed by 7 runs.

To Oswalt’s credit, he saved the bullpen by stretching his start to 4.2 innings. The Rangers would need only two other pitchers (Yoshinori Tateyama & Justin Grimm) to finish the game.

Also of note…

• One positive to take away from this game: All of the Rangers wore the right uniforms and remembered to bring their gloves and bats and stuff. Way to go, guys!
• Oswalt had a lot of trouble hitting the outside corner and CB Buckner wasn’t helping the situation. Although Buckner’s zone was consistent, he wasn’t calling anything right off the black.
  Every time Oswalt had to throw a strike, it tailed middle-middle and the White Sox hitters teed off on it.
  Not Buckner’s fault, but a more liberal zone would’ve helped Roy immensely.
• Tateyama came in to finish the 5th (.1 innings of work) and gave up 5 earned runs on 5 hits and a walk. I don’t dislike Yoshi, but I’m starting to wonder what he can contribute beyond mop-up duty in a blowout.
  His season has been nothing short of disastrous and it’s a good bet that he’s the first to be sent down when other guys get healthy.
• Grimm gave up 3 runs (in 3 innings of work) on 3 hits and 2 walks. Still like the kid, though he probably needs some more seasoning in the minors.
• Tip of the cap to the scout that drafted Sale, to the organization for promoting him so quickly, and to the organization again for pulling him out of the bullpen.
  The young lefty gave up only 1 run in 7.1 innings of 5-hit ball.
• The Rangers’ 2 runs came on a two-on, two-out double by Elvis Andrus in the 8th. I guess it’s good to score a few, because losing by 17 is far more respectable than losing by 19.
• Oswalt may have gotten through 5 innings if not for an error. Ian Kinsler mishandled an in-between hop and Chicago added 7 more runs before the 5th was over.
• Three of those 7 unearned runs came on an A.J. Pierzynski HR to deep, deep, deep right. In other news, Pierzynski is still not an All-Star.
• Wash’s conversation with Oswalt after the game may have gone something like this* (5:00-5:31), but I have no way of knowing for sure.
  (*Warning: Some foul language and hard to understand British accents.)

Texas and Chicago will come back to do it again tomorrow night. Scott Feldman takes the hill at 6:05 Arlington time on FSSW and ESPN.

Press on, Rangers fans.

(Leave a comment or find me on Twitter @twbbg. Per usual, thanks to Baseball Reference for their invaluable resources.)