Every year, the Chicago White Sox seem to have one player that you never heard of who comes through when the Sox need it most.  In 2005, it was Ross Gload.  In the 2005 World Series, it was Geoff Blum.  Last night, it was DeWayne Wise.

Wise turned shock, disbelief, profanity and anger into cheers and relief with an eighth inning grand slam that saved the White Sox from their floundering bullpen.  Not more than a half inning earlier, the Sox had choked away a seven run lead, thanks to Octavio Dotel serving up a gopher ball with the bases loaded to Marcus Thames. 

The biggest victim of the second game had to be John Danks, who pitched six scoreless innings and got nothing for his trouble.

Anyway you slice it, coupled with the Sox game one win and the Twinkies loss to the Orioles, the Sox now enjoy a 1½ game lead in the AL Central.  The Sox magic number is now 13, with the possibility of fourteen games left to play.

If the Sox need to be concerned about anything going into a critical do or die ten game road trip (which includes three critical games against the Twinkies beginning a week from today) it's got to be the bullpen.  Only Matt Thornton looked like he had his act together yesterday.  Everyone else from Boone Logan to Bobby Jenks, D.J. Corrasco and the afore mentioned Dotel stunk.  I don't know if it was the two days off or what, but this needs to get fixed if the Sox want to stay in the race.  Scott Linebrink gets a pass (this time) because he's still rehabbing.

It does you no good to get a great effort from your starter only to piss it away late in the game.

Enough.  Two wins are two wins, no matter how ugly the second one was.  On to New York.  Hopefully, the Yankees are busy working on their off season plans and forget the White Sox are there.

Lightning Round

• The biggest hero yesterday, next to DeWayne Wise was the Marquis de Sod, Roger Bossard.  
• Jim, as usual, has some brilliant thoughts including a breakdown of the bullpen breakdown and which minor league managers will be returning next season. (Sox Machine)
• Chris has had it with mouth breathers. (South Side Sox)
• The Sox get national love on a Sunday night only to be interrupted by a no-no.  A Cub no-no. I know most Sox fans were annoyed by it, but with the game 7-0 at the time, ESPN did the right thing cutting away.  I agree though, picture in picture would have been a good idea.
• Bobby Thigpen's 18 year old record for saves in a single season was broken by Francisco Rodriquez of the Angels yesterday.  Thiggy showed a lot of class in passing the baton.
• Are the White Sox making you cranky? Uptight? Unable to sleep or eat? Irritable at work or around your spouse?  It could be worse, my friend.  Much worse.