Sox Win 11-8 over KC

The White Sox put on a show of just about every component of a complete offensive team tonight, hitting 3 home runs, stealing 4 bases, drawing walks, using sacrifice bunts/flyouts/hits to advance runners or score runs, hitting to the right side. You name it, the Sox probably executed it Monday night, albeit against Jose Lima and a few relievers whose ERA's were all above 7.00. Every hitter in the Sox line-up was able to pick up a hit, highlighted by AJ who was 3 for 4 with a huge bases loaded 2-run single to put the Sox ahead for good in the 6th, Iguchi went 3 for 5 with 3 runs scored, Konerko was 3 for 5 and hit a 3-run homer in the 1st, Frank hit a solo HR in the 4th, his 6th of the season (more on than momentarily), and JD went 2 for 4 with a solo HR, 2 RBI's, 2 runs scored and a walk.
Brandon McCarthy held a 5-1 lead through 3 innings and a 7-3 lead through 4, but he was not able not able to escape the 5th for a chance at his first major league victory. Not that it would have mattered anyway, as Ozzie left Vizciano in to pitch the 6th after relieving McCarthy in the 5th, and he surrendered 2 solo home runs allowing KC to tie the game at 8. The pitching held strong after that though with Cotts, Shingo and Hermy closing the door. When the offense is scoring like they were this evening, the pitching can afford to give up some runs, but they have to be able to put their foot down when the time comes, and that is exactly what the Sox were able to do tonight.

A quote from Paul Konerko following Monday nights contest:
"It's good to hit behind [Thomas]," Konerko said. "Even when he has a tough game, he usually squeaks out a walk, makes the pitchers throw. I've got to think, that no matter how he's going -- good or bad -- the other team focuses on him a lot. Sometimes I get a good pitch to hit because it seems so much energy is [devoted] to him. There might be a let-up."

And Ozzie Guillen says the toughest part of his job is deciding wheather to play Crazy Everett or Frank Thomas at DH. I highly doubt that any teammate of Everetts, at any point in his career, has said anything close to what Paulie said about Franks presence in the line-up. The guy has hit 6 home runs in 32 AB's this season, has a career OBP of .429 and OPS of .997. If he's healthy there is absolutely no reason that Frank should be anywhere else but in the line-up, every day. Once again I'm going to quote a saying that I first remember hearing from an old teacher of mine, Mr. Montgomery, when I say "Common sense is not so common."

One more quick quote by some Cubune columnist that I caught on a clip of a sportsblab show Monday evening. The quote is regarding the biggest difference between the Cubs and Sox players mindsets because of thier respective bullpens when hitting in late inning RISP situations:

"When a Sox player, like Aaron Rowand last night, is at the plate, they know that if they do something, its actually going to matter"
I think he went on to say that Cubs players get a go-ahead hit and then think, "OK, now how are we going to screw this one up?"