U.S Cellular Field is being a real dickhead. Everything the White Sox hit is carrying over the wall, and the padding on the top of the fence in center field ate what should have been an RBI triple by Cliff Pennington, and turned it into a harmless ground-rule double. Rather than taking the lead, the A's remained in a 6-6 tie with the White Sox.
Bob Melvin removed Ryan Cook as his closer because Cook had been ineffective. What does Melvin do next? Immediately throws Cook into a crucial, high-leverage situation. You know, the exact thing that he got demoted from doing today. Predictably, Cook gave up a run, because he's been doing a lot of that lately. Melvin just doesn't get it when it comes to the bullpen. With a tie score, a runner on, and the heart of the order coming up, you should bring in your top arm. That is a high-leverage situation. Not a 2-run lead in the 9th with the 8-9-1 guys coming up, or some stupid "save" situation.
Well, Cook got out of it, but the White Sox now lead 7-6.
Say kids, what time is it?
It's Rally Thread time!
