Kissing your sister is nasty.  It's one thing if she looks like Carrie Underwood, but clearly another if she, like the Baltimore Orioles, resembles Rosie O'Donnell with a mustache.  But there it was for all to see: 1½ games, one loss, one win.  At least the Seattle Mariners were in a cooperative mood.

The second game was highlighted by Jim Thome's 535th home run.  For all the people that booed this guy back in May, do you feel silly now?  Not only is Thome a really decent guy, he's a damn fine ballplayer, even at his advanced state.  And, along with Carlos Quentin and Jermaine Dye, he's a guy you can depend on.

Clayton Richard took a page out of the Javy Vazquez how to pitch manual by throwing just one bad inning.  Other than that, the kid looked pretty good.  He'll either be the fifth starter next year or wind up as Kenny's latest trade for some unknown and underachieving player who will lead the AL in homers next year.

Even the bullpen showed up for the second game.

The first game was brutal to watch.  The Sox hitters decided to use it as batting practice, figuring since they were the home team, a long one would end it.  They looked awful at the plate until the bottom of the 14th when they were forced to get something done.

After Paul Konerko walked to lead off the bottom of the fourteenth (and Ozzie Guillen answered my screaming "Getz, Getz!") A.J. Pierzynski came up with the sole purpose of getting Getz to second base.  Two lousy bunt attempts later, A,J, wound up striking out.  The problem was A.J. was trying too hard to make a perfect bunt and force it down the third base line.  Even if he would have put it out in front of home plate, chances are with the speedy Getz running, the Orioles wouldn't have risked chucking the ball into centerfield and gone for the sure thing at first. 

The issue is good teams put pressure on the other team's defense.  A.J., by trying to be perfect and not just get down any kind of bunt, put pressure on the Sox offense.

If A.J. had got the bunt down, the single by Carlos Quentin would have moved him to third and he would have scored on Crede's fly out to Sox killer Nick Markakis.  I mean really, does SOB have to come up big on defense too?
As it was Getz got into third, where, after a walk to pinch hitter Ken Griffey Junior (another move I urged Ozzie to make!) Jermaine Dye flew out to end the game.

Of course, back in the eleventh, if, as Harry Caray used to say, if Carlos Quentin "had one more biscuit for breakfast" it might have all been a moot point.  So what did we learn last night? 

1. That sometimes the little things are more important to the big things and
2. If Seattle hires Joey Cora to be their next manager, Ozzie should make me his new bench coach.

More fun tonight from Charm City.  Best hurry and get some "W's" on the board before the Mariners turn back into pumpkins.

Lightning Round

• Joe Crede is back and this time he may have brought his glove. I don't care if he hit .100 the rest of the way as long as he keeps playing defense like he did last night.
• I'll gladly pay you Tuesday for a Hamburger today.  (Babes Love Baseball)
• Rickhouse does a nice job of consolidating the love for A.J. Pierzynski. (Tremendous Upside Potential)
• If the White Sox have another October to remember, they could very well find themselves visiting the First Sox Fan. (Awful Announcing)