Once again, the mighty (alleged) Chicago White Sox couldn't figure out a kid pitcher making his first major league start.  Vin Mazzaro, who grew up in the mean streets of Hackensack and whose name sounds more fitting to be a Sopranos character,  whacked  the Sox for seven plus innings last night en route to a 5-0 victory.  Maybe the Sox should have called those two dudes in the Miller Lite commercial for some protection.

It's not the first time the Sox have struggled with a kid pitcher.  According to South Side Sox, the Sox are 1-5 this year against pitchers they haven't faced before.  Which makes us wonder, if the hitting coach's job is to prepare the team before each game, is the Sox record against unfamiliar pitchers the smoking gun against hitting coach Greg Walker.

Bartolo Colon pitched the first five innings well enough to win, provided he got some run support.  He didn't.  After giving up a first inning run, the Sox promptly foreshadowed the evening in their half of the first.  Scott Podsednik singled and stole second.  Once again, Alexi Ramirez couldn't advance the runner and moments later, with Jermaine Dye at the plate, Scotty Pods got picked off second.  Scotty, we love you, but you've been picked off more than a duck in shooting gallery this season. 

But wait, the Sox still had a chance as Dye singled and Buzz Lightyear walked.   But Paul Konerko couldn't take advantage and flew out to end the inning.  The Sox got two men on with one out in the bottom the second, but couldn't convert.  That was pretty much it.  The Sox left six men on and hit into three double plays.  Yuck.

One other fact that became painfully obvious during the game.  Wilson Betemit flat out sucks.  Besides going 0-2 , his error on a routine grounder to start the fifth, opened the flood gates for a three run inning for Oakland.  When you have a pitcher like Colon on the mound, you must take great care defensively to make every play that you can so that you don't raise his pitch count.  When Colon throws the right pitch and gets the right result, a fielder making an error on an easy play in unacceptable.  Betemit looks great at third, so long as no one hits the ball to him.  Then he conjures up nightmares of Steve Lyons.

I'd rather see Josh Fields strike out 100 more times than watch Betemit try and stop a ground ball like he's herding snakes.

The Sox ago blew an opportunity to gain a game on Detroit who was beaten by Boston.

Let's hope Clayton Richard can get the train back on the track tonight at US Commiskey Park.  Another one of those kids nobody has ever heard of, Josh Outman, pitches tonight for Oakland.

One other thing.  Someone call Wilson Betemit about 2pm and tell him the game is rained out.  Or, have one of Vin's buddys pay him a visit.