Sxy Mofo
04-05-2005, 10:11 AM
A quick 1 and done
April 5, 2005
BY DOUG PADILLA (dpadilla@<hidden>) Staff Reporter
The only blemish in a classic season opener was the way things were decided, not that anybody on the White Sox' side was complaining.
Mark Buehrle and the Cleveland Indians' Jake Westbrook squared off Monday in a game that was more like speed chess in the park, with the Sox squeezing out a 1-0 victory before 38,141, thanks to an error by Indians shortstop Jhonny Peralta.
In a 1-hour, 51-minute step on the accelerator, Buehrle's two-hit, eight-inning performance topped Westbrook's four-hit, eight-inning offering when Aaron Rowand's seventh-inning bouncer on a drawn-in infield caromed off Peralta's body, allowing Paul Konerko to score the lone run.
Peralta is replacing longtime Indians stalwart Omar Vizquel, who nearly signed with the Sox this offseason before joining the San Francisco Giants.
Buehrle made his fourth straight Opening Day start despite having only one spring-training outing to get over a freak foot injury March 20 that team doctors called a "stress reaction.''
"You have to tip your cap to Buehrle,'' said Konerko, who was in position to score the game-winner after doubling to lead off the seventh and going to third on a fly ball by Jermaine Dye. "Those guys threw well today; our guy threw a little bit better. The guy [Buehrle] is unbelievable. I know his foot is bothering him, probably, but what can you say?
"Whatever the game is that day, it seems like he pitches to the game. If it was a seven-run game, he gives up runs when he knows he can do it. If it's a 1-0 game like it was, he just bears down. You can't put your finger on it. He's good.''
Buehrle was perfect through four innings when Victor Martinez led off the fifth with a single up the middle through Buehrle's legs. But Martinez was erased one batter later on a double-play grounder by Aaron Boone. The Indians' only other hit was a single by Coco Crisp to lead off the seventh.
Shingo Takatsu pitched a perfect ninth for the save as the Indians sent only 28 batters to the plate, one over the minimum. Ross Gload, a defensive replacement for Konerko at first, made a diving stop on a Crisp grounder to make the final out.
The outing was similar to one Buehrle had last season against the Indians at Jacobs Field in which he pitched a two-hitter while facing the minimum 27 batters. And while that game came to mind Monday, Buehrle ignored thoughts about perfection.
"It kind of went through my head, especially when the guy got the hit and then the double play,'' Buehrle said. "[But] it's just a long game. Once I get into the ninth inning, if I have something like that [a perfect game], then I'll start to think about it.''
There were signs Buehrle had the potential to be so dominating. He retired the first 12 batters he faced in a Cactus League game against the San Diego Padres on March 8, and he pitched six perfect innings against the Kansas City Royals on March 19, the day before he injured his foot shagging fly balls.
"That's what we expect from him,'' manager Ozzie Guillen said. "I'm so happy he was healthy just to come out and perform. As long as he's healthy, that's what we're going to see from him. He threw a tremendous game.''
Along with the two hits, Buehrle (1-0) gave up a walk and struck out five. Westbrook (0-1) walked one and struck out three. "That's as good as I've ever seen him,'' said Indians manager Eric Wedge, somehow able to differentiate from Buehrle's outing last season. "Jake was outstanding. He was just like Buehrle. He was making his pitches and working corner to corner. [The Sox] just squeezed one run out, and that's all it took.''It'll be interesting to see how the manufacturing runs strategy plays out. No more 15 runs one game, 1 next, 0 next 21 next... I like the move. For one, I was completely sick of valentins 'buck five oh' batting average.
April 5, 2005
BY DOUG PADILLA (dpadilla@<hidden>) Staff Reporter
The only blemish in a classic season opener was the way things were decided, not that anybody on the White Sox' side was complaining.
Mark Buehrle and the Cleveland Indians' Jake Westbrook squared off Monday in a game that was more like speed chess in the park, with the Sox squeezing out a 1-0 victory before 38,141, thanks to an error by Indians shortstop Jhonny Peralta.
In a 1-hour, 51-minute step on the accelerator, Buehrle's two-hit, eight-inning performance topped Westbrook's four-hit, eight-inning offering when Aaron Rowand's seventh-inning bouncer on a drawn-in infield caromed off Peralta's body, allowing Paul Konerko to score the lone run.
Peralta is replacing longtime Indians stalwart Omar Vizquel, who nearly signed with the Sox this offseason before joining the San Francisco Giants.
Buehrle made his fourth straight Opening Day start despite having only one spring-training outing to get over a freak foot injury March 20 that team doctors called a "stress reaction.''
"You have to tip your cap to Buehrle,'' said Konerko, who was in position to score the game-winner after doubling to lead off the seventh and going to third on a fly ball by Jermaine Dye. "Those guys threw well today; our guy threw a little bit better. The guy [Buehrle] is unbelievable. I know his foot is bothering him, probably, but what can you say?
"Whatever the game is that day, it seems like he pitches to the game. If it was a seven-run game, he gives up runs when he knows he can do it. If it's a 1-0 game like it was, he just bears down. You can't put your finger on it. He's good.''
Buehrle was perfect through four innings when Victor Martinez led off the fifth with a single up the middle through Buehrle's legs. But Martinez was erased one batter later on a double-play grounder by Aaron Boone. The Indians' only other hit was a single by Coco Crisp to lead off the seventh.
Shingo Takatsu pitched a perfect ninth for the save as the Indians sent only 28 batters to the plate, one over the minimum. Ross Gload, a defensive replacement for Konerko at first, made a diving stop on a Crisp grounder to make the final out.
The outing was similar to one Buehrle had last season against the Indians at Jacobs Field in which he pitched a two-hitter while facing the minimum 27 batters. And while that game came to mind Monday, Buehrle ignored thoughts about perfection.
"It kind of went through my head, especially when the guy got the hit and then the double play,'' Buehrle said. "[But] it's just a long game. Once I get into the ninth inning, if I have something like that [a perfect game], then I'll start to think about it.''
There were signs Buehrle had the potential to be so dominating. He retired the first 12 batters he faced in a Cactus League game against the San Diego Padres on March 8, and he pitched six perfect innings against the Kansas City Royals on March 19, the day before he injured his foot shagging fly balls.
"That's what we expect from him,'' manager Ozzie Guillen said. "I'm so happy he was healthy just to come out and perform. As long as he's healthy, that's what we're going to see from him. He threw a tremendous game.''
Along with the two hits, Buehrle (1-0) gave up a walk and struck out five. Westbrook (0-1) walked one and struck out three. "That's as good as I've ever seen him,'' said Indians manager Eric Wedge, somehow able to differentiate from Buehrle's outing last season. "Jake was outstanding. He was just like Buehrle. He was making his pitches and working corner to corner. [The Sox] just squeezed one run out, and that's all it took.''It'll be interesting to see how the manufacturing runs strategy plays out. No more 15 runs one game, 1 next, 0 next 21 next... I like the move. For one, I was completely sick of valentins 'buck five oh' batting average.