End Times

The Oakland Coliseum has been a house of horrors for the White Sox for as long as I can remember. It could be Reggie Jackson stepping to the plate, or Kurt Suzuki. Sox lose, Sox lose. According to the Sun-Times, the Sox have gone 3-12 in that dank, concrete bowl since the 2017 season. So, imagine my surprise to see Elvis Andrus and Yoan Moncada go back-to-back to start the game and Moncada add a three-run homer in the second on his way to another five-hit game (the first one in June against Detroit). Eloy Jimenez and Romy Gonzalez also homered, with Gonzalez adding four hits to a twenty-one hit, 14-2 rout of the A’s. One down, three to go. Dylan Cease was merely mortal in going six shutout innings, giving up three hits and two walks. Vince Velasquez was Vince Velasquez, yielding two runs in the eighth. Maybe he only gets up for the important games, like against the Mariners. Sure, I’ll believe that. The second call from my daughter yesterday was considerably more downbeat than the first. The cost of a new sump pump may have sunk in, and someone who was supposed to work on the new dishwasher cancelled (not to be confused with the person who didn’t have the part to fix the new stove). She also shared this bit of sobering news—Tony La Russa may be back in the dugout next week, doing whatever it is he does. Every player asked has said he wants La Russa back. Beware what you wish for, my friends.