Alexei Ramirez isn't known for working counts.
Ramirez got a free pass only 18 times in some 46o at bats last season. So when the "Cuban Missile" found himself with a 3-2 count and the bases loaded in the bottom of the fifth of last night's game, one thing was for certain: strikeout or putout. Batting only .167 coming into the game, the chance
Ramirez was going to hit safely in that situation was slim and none. The result:
Ramirez took a 3-2 "get me over" pitch from
Shawn Camp into the left field bullpen. It was Ramirez's fifth grand slam of his young career.
Giving the Sox a comfortable 8-2 edge was perhaps a side note for Sox manager Ozzie Guillen who is hopeful that his sophomore shortstop may be ending his early season woes. "As soon as the game was over, I saw him and talked to him about the game," Guillen said. "I was excited for him. Hopefully this is a corner he is going to turn."
Both
Brent Lilibridge and
Jerry Owens provided stellar defensive plays to back up
Mark Buehrle (3-0) who provided his third quality start of the season. "You're going to run into some of that once in a while. But if they don't make those plays, it's a different ballgame all the way around," said Toronto manager
Cito Gaston.
Jose Contreras (0-3)looks for his first win of the season today when he takes the mound at 1:05. Contreras is looking for his win at U.S. Cellular since June of last year when he defeated the Cubs.
Loose Sox: Sox second baseman
Chris Getz was 86'd from last night's lineup due to a sore finger. Getz will return to the lineup against Seattle on Monday.
Monday's game against Seattle is a
Value Monday at U.S. Cellular Field. All tickets at the Sox box office are half-off the day of game. Game Time: 7:11 pm.
According to Elias Sports Bureau,
Ramirez reached five career grand slams in the second-quickest amount of time in Major League Baseball history at 152 games, trailing only
Rudy York's total of 139.
Former White Sox outfielder Jerry Owens was signed to minor league contract by the Seattle Mariners. Owens 28, was designated for assignment by the Sox following their series with, who else? The Mariners. Owens opted out of the reassignment. 
