Sox 4 Pirates 3

It is a shame really. The franchise that gave us Roberto Clemente and Willie Stargell should win a game every now and again, but tonight they had to tangle with the White Sox.

The Pirates led after 6 by a count of 3-0. Paul Maholm baffled the Sox hitters with a fastball that he liked to spot high and away and a curve that he placed down and in. However, as Sox Thoughts predicted, the Sox took some balls to right and center in the seventh, and when the dust cleared they had hung a four spot on the board. That was all she wrote for the Pirates.

Freddy Garcia gave up two long balls tonight, but he managed to give them up with no one on base. He did a good job managing the damage and picked up the win.

The bullpen held down the Pirates in the eighth and ninth with lefty Matt Thornton and right handed closer Bobby Jenks getting the call. Thornton looked unhittable, and the Pirates hitters looked clueless against him. Pirate fans are probably getting used to that look. Big, Bad, Bobby Jenks put two on with two outs but retired Jason Bay to end the game.

This leaves just one more game against Freddy Sanchez. Is that guy tough or what?

On Another Front: What was John Paxson doing trading Lamarcus Aldridge for Tyrus Thomas and some Russian dude? The trade leaves the Bulls with four small forwards, and they still have a black hole at the power forward position. I can only conclude that their must be a trade in the works that involves Nocioni or Deng. Nothing else makes much sense.