Morning Box Score: Danks Solid In Sox Season Debut
By Chuck Sudo in News on May 25, 2013 2:00PM
White Sox 4, Miami 3 (11 Innings)
John Danks earned a no-decision in his 2013 White Sox debut Friday Night at U.S. Cellular Field but, more importantly, looked sharp in his first start since undergoing shoulder surgery last year. Danks pitched into the seventh inning, threw 56 of his 76 pitches for strikes and was able to pitch inside to lefties and righties while striking out five. His velocity was lower and, except for a hit batter and a two-run homer to Derek Dietrich in the fourth inning, the control issues that hampered Danksin spring training and his early rehab starts were kept to a minimum.
"If for the rest of my career I can throw 87 to 90 [mph] and throw the ball exactly where I want to throw it for the most part, I would trade that in for 92 or 93," Danks said. "I've seen a lot of 93-mph fastballs get hit hard and a long way."
The Sox' bullpen shut Miami down the rest of the way and Jeff Keppinger's walkoff single in the 11th inning won it for the South Siders. Keppinger had two RBi on the night. Paul Konerko and Hector Jimenez also drove in runs for the Sox.
After a brief period where the Cubs were playing some of their best baseball of the Theo Epstein era, the team has resorted to being mind-boggling bad. They've now lost five in a row after Friday night's game at the Great American Ballpark. A five-run fourth inning was the difference as Scott Feldman melted down and allowed a three-run homer to Ryan Hanigan and a solo shot to Joey Votto. Hanigan turned on a hanging curve Feldman called a "boneheaded pitch."
Feldman did help his own cause with a two-run homer in the second innings. The hitting by Cubs pitchers has been one of the high spots of the team in May. Feldman, Jeff Samardzija and Travis Wood have homered this month and Cubs pitchers have driven in 15 RBIs, the most since August 1997. Maybe they're taking their hitting seriously because the Cubs everyday lineup stranded another nine runners on base and were 2-for-9 with runners in scoring position last night.