The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

I’m too old to stay up and watch ballgames on the West Coast anymore. After six innings of a scoreless tie White Sox and Giants, it was off to bed for me. TIVO could do the heavy listing. Imagine my surprise around 7:45 AM this morning to see the Sox score an unearned run in the ninth and beat San Francisco, 1-0. Tanner Banks won his first major-league game in relief, and Leury Garcia lifted his BA to the Mendoza Line with a single to drive in the winning run. Good for Banks, a thirty-year old rookie who may prove to be a real find (31.1 innings pitched, 3.45 ERA), and Garcia, going through what so far has been a miserable season. On the downside, Tim Anderson, Luis Robert and Yoan Moncada combined to go 0-for-12 on the night, with a collective five runners left on base. Not to overstate the obvious, but you don’t win many ballgames with that kind of production, or lack thereof, from key players. I definitely wouldn’t expect another win predicated on such futility. Ten years ago, I would be walking around in a fog from staying up to watch a ballgame that ran 2:59. A 1-0 game where both sides combined for nine hits and eight walks, minus two double plays, and no pitching changes during an inning? That’s a recipe for loss of viewer interest if ever there was one.