The Brewster

Louisville at Chicago Series Results

04/03/40: Louisville Sluggers @ Chicago Black Sox - Loss, 8-2.
Black Sox Stumble, Lose to Sluggers
W: L. Klomp (1-0) L: M. Peña (0-1).
HR - LOU: E. Edmonds (1), C. Reyes (3), R. Hubbard (1)

04/04/40: Louisville Sluggers @ Chicago Black Sox - Loss, 6-5.
Sluggers Prevail, 6-5, Over Chicago
W: A. Goulding (1-0) L: A. Soto (0-1) S: B. Keller (1).
HR - LOU: B. Frazier (1) CHI: H. Popo (1), L. González (1)

04/05/40: Louisville Sluggers @ Chicago Black Sox - Loss, 8-3.
Sluggers Jolt Black Sox with Late Rally
W: R. Keefe (1-0) L: J. Alfonzo (1-1) S: A. Ramírez (1).
HR - LOU: A. Martínez (1), B. Frazier (2)

Game 1 Notables: SP Manuel Peña got hammered by the Sluggers, going just 2 innings and yielding 7 runs (5 earned) with 3 walks, 1 K, and 2 HRs allowed. ERA: 22.50 … 42 degrees at game time, 12 mph left to right wind … Still no Sox homers through 3 games at home … Louisville DH Alfredo Martínez was ejected for arguing a strike call in the 9th inning of an 8-2 game. He’s a man of his convictions, apparently … Player of the Game: Louisville SP Lando Klomp … Cliché of the Game: “I like our moxie,” said Louisville manager Waldemar Buddenberg.

Game 2 Notables: Sound familiar? SP Alejandro Soto got hammered by the Sluggers, going 4.2 innings, yielding 9 hits and 6 runs while walking 3 and striking out 5 … 38 degrees at game time, wind blowing in at 10 mph … C Hotha Popo hits the first Black Sox homer in the new park, a 389-foot solo shot to left in the 2nd inning … 3B Luis González hits the second Sox homer, another solo dinger that goes 370 feet to left … Player of the Game: Hotha Popo … Cliché of the game: “We found a way to get it done,” said Louisville LF Scott Martin.

Game 3 Notables: Louisville demolishes three Sox pitchers – starter François Mangin and relievers Juan Alfonzo and Justin Archer – to send Chicago to fourth straight loss … DH Tommy Cochran awakens from early season slumber to lash two hits, including a triple … warmest day yet for a game: 47 degrees with wind blowing in at 11 mph … Player of the Game: Louisville DH Alfredo Martínez … Cliché of the Game: We cashed in when we had the chance,” said Louisville manager Waldemar Buddenberg.

In Sum:
The Sox were completely overmatched in this series: the hitters didn’t hit and the pitchers didn’t pitch. Assuming Peña will right the ship at some point, the 4 and 5 spots in the rotation still look alarming. Manager Bret Richards may go another start or two to see how Soto and Mangin do, but not much past that. Vito Reyes and Hector Reyes (twin sons from a different mother?) may get a shot sooner rather than later. Hector Reyes is currently toiling in AAA, but perhaps not for too long, while Vito has looked fine in long relief.

I'd like to see a year-end recap of all the "Clichés of the Game," then listen to @shoeless.db pontificate on said list and rate it as a whole.

I particularly like it when different players give the same quote in back-to-back games. They're taking notes on each other ...