If there was one team glad to see the Metrodome come to a close, it must have been the Chicago White Sox. The team dubbed it the "House of Horrors" as it seemed they could never get it together when going up north to face their division foes. The Twins have removed the dome and now play outdoors in the new Target Field. Sweaty Freddie took the bump in game 1 of this short two game series and got right to work. If there has been a bright spot on this disappointing start to the season, it has to be Garcia and Danks. Although his ERA is high and only has two wins, Garcia has shown up to play every outing with the exception of one. Garcia got quite the test in the bottom of the fifth with two on, two out, and reigning AL batting champion Joe Mauer stepping to the plate. Freddie didn't back down and struck him out with three off-speed pitches resulting in simultaneous fist pumps, not the Jersey Shore variety, from Pierzynski and Garcia. Freddie gave up two runs on nine hits, struck out three, and walked two.
On the offensive side of things, Alex Rios extended his hit streak to twelve and stole his tenth base of the season. The pivotal at bats came from Alexei Ramirez and A.J. Pierzynski came in the fifth inning with two outs. Alex Rios reached third with nobody out and all looked alright in White Sox land. Beckham would then strike out for the inning's second out and everything then looked like it has all season with a runner stranded in scoring position and the White Sox trailing. Alexei Ramirez came up and smashed a 3-1 pitch from Slowey to the wall in left center, scoring two runs and putting the Sox up 2 to 1. Pierre's infield single kept the two-out rally going and Pierzynski would follow with a two-run double of his own. Jones would single home Pierzynski and the inning would then end with the Sox on top 5 to 1. Morneau's solo blast would cut the lead to 5 to 2, but that's where it would stay. Jenks came in to close it out in the ninth, but managed to make it interesting again. Bobby got behind the first two hitters and surrendered a pinch hit double to Jim Thome, which called for a trip to the mound by Guillen. Jenks would then rebound to strike out Nick Punto and get Denard Span to groundout to end the game. The Sox still have some questions to answer, but this early pivotal road trip may answer some of them as they have one more against the Twins followed by three against the Royals and two against Detroit before returning home.
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