Flirting With Perfection

Story Line: White Sox hurler Mark Buehrle tosses eight innings of one-hit, shutout baseball against the Detroit Tigers. Mark retired the first 19 Tiger batters before Placido Polanco took a 0-2 offering from Buehrle down the left field line for a double in the seventh inning. Following Polanco's double, Buehrle walked the next two batters to load up the bases. Mark went on to retire the next Tigers batter and get an inning ending fly out to center field. Bobby Jenks came into a non-save situation in the ninth and surrendered back-to-back singles to start the inning. He went on to retire the next three batters, including striking out former Sox right fielder Magglio Ordonez to end the game.

What Buehrle had to say: "I feel so lucky. It's an honor to pitch in the major leagues. It's a kid's game and I try to have as much fun as I can, win or lose. A lot of people would love to be doing what I'm doing, and I appreciate every minute of it."

Overheard by Tigers manager Jim Leyland: "In, out, cut the ball, jam guys, tail away, change up on them -- that's the art of pitching. He just carved us up, made it look easy."

BTW: A.J. Pierzinski hit a three run home run in the first inning. It was Pierzinski's third homer in his last six games. He has 101 career homers. Jason Nix hit his first home run of the season in the fourth inning. Nix is taking over for Alexei Ramirez at shortstop, while the young Cuban gathers his thoughts.

Hard, raw stats: In his last six games, Pierzynski is batting .542 with three homers and seven RBIs, lifting his average from .220 to .313.

What I think: This was just the kind of game the pitching staff needed. Buehrle is unquestionably the ace of the staff and this kind of outing shows why. Hopefully, some of Buehrle's confidence will spill over into some the young guns and aging veterans.

Next Up: Texas (15-12) at Chicago (12-14), 7:11 p.m. Jose Contreras (0-5) Matt Harrison (2-2)

Paying Off?

This is Part 1 of a four part series on the 2009 White Sox payroll. Check out what your favorite player is getting paid for the 2009 season, and if they are earning their take based on the numbers 25 games into the season.

Mark Buehrle 2009 salary $14,000,000

ERA 3.30 W-L 4-0 SO 19
Buehrle is getting paid $86,419 per game, $28, 806 per hour, $9,602 each inning pitched

Jim Thome 2009 salary $13,000,000

BA .214 HR 4 RBI 14
Thome is batting just .185 against right-handers and a solid .375 against lefties.

In 71 at bats, Thome has struck out 39% of the time.

Thome is taking in $80,246 per game. $26,748 per hour or $20,061 per at bat (9 inning game)

Paul Konerko 2009 salary $12,000,000

BA .302 HR 3 RBI 18

Konerko has been the Sox most solid contributor at the plate. In 99 plate appearances, Paulie has only K'd 13.1 % of the time. $74,074 per game, $24,691 per hour.

Carlos Quentin 2009 salary $550,000

BA .253 HR 8 RBI 17

Quentin got off to a hot start this year, but his recent struggles have many suggesting his wrist is causing him problems at the plate. Quentin will be signing a new contract next year and big money is waiting for him. Quentin earns $3395 per game or $377 per inning.

Jermaine Dye 2009 salary $11,500,000

BA .292 HR 7 RBI 15

Dye has traditionally always hit better off of righties and this year has been no exception. Dye is batting .342 against right-handers, while hitting .235 against southpaws. Dye cashes in $70,987 per game, $23,662 per hour.

Cuban Missile Crisis. Over?

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.