Morning Box Score: Blackhawks Go Home, Peavy Shines, Cubs Win
By Chuck Sudo in News on Apr 24, 2012 1:50PM
The hockey meatheads are out in force this morning on The Score, calling for the heads of coach Joel Quenneville and GM Stan Bowman and an overhaul of the team. It isn't hard to argue with the latter after the Hawks were eliminated in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs for a second straight year. the flaws that marked this team from the beginning of the season—a lack of depth on defense, mental errors at inopportune moments, Corey Crawford giving up soft goals—all happened again last night. But major credit should go to Coyotes goalie Mike Smith, who weathered an early rush by the Blackhawks and stood strong in goal for Phoenix. Smith stopped 39 shots and, when it became evident he wasn't going to let the puck past him, seemed to energize his teammates. Smith was the difference in this series.
The White Sox surprising start to the season has been spurred by dominant pitching. Jake Peavy followed up Philip Humber's perfect game with a gem of his own: A three-hit complete game shutout that has us wondering if he's reclaimed his staff ace form. Peavy is now 3-0 on the season with a 2.96 ERA and seems to have put the injuries that have plagued his time on the South Side behind him. Peavy was backed up by home runs from Adam Dunn and Paul Konerko. Don't look now, folks, but Dunn is hitting .250.
Some of the Cardinals fans on staff were complaining last night about this game not being on WGN in favor of Hart of Dixie. (We say if you're gonna air a trainwreck, go with the entertaining one.) Joe Mather sent the Wrigley faithful happy—although that could have been the beer doing its thing—with a game-winning single that plated Bryan LaHair and Geovany Soto. Soto, LaHair and Mather all deserve credit for being patient with Cardinals closer Jason Motte. LaHair's at-bat against Motte was the most important one, a 12-pitch at-bat he kept alive by fouling off pitch after pitch until he drew a walk.