No matter which team you were pulling for last night, that was some pitching duel between the White Sox Pink Gavin Floyd and the Cubs Ted Lilly.  In the end, it was Floyd who blinked first, giving up a double to Alfanso Soriano and a game winning RBI to Chad Tracy, who a week before had been buried at Iowa.

Now, here's the annoying part for White Sox fans.  The reason this team is six under and 7½ out is because they can't get the big hit.  The Sox have Juan Pierre lead off the inning as a pinch hitter and break up Lilly's bid for a no-no with a solid, no doubt about it shot through the middle.  So, Piniella lifts Lilly for Dumbo.  Andruw Jones immediately draws a walk and both runners advance on a balk.  But Alexi Rodriguez can't make contact and whiffs for the first out.  Lou Piniella risks the ire of Cub Nation by walking Alex Rios to load the bases.  Bases loaded, one out Paulie and Q coming up.  You couldn't script it better than this if you were a Sox fan.  But then, something would go horribly wrong.

If this was 2005 or even 2008, the Sox would have gotten the big hit.  Instead, Paulie bounces on down to first, where Derick Lee comes home cutting down Pierre.  Bases still loaded, two out and Carlos Quentin at the plate.  Base hit right? Grand slam, right?  Nope, weak fly ball to center and goodnight everybody, please drive home safely.

You can read all the Joe Cowley stories you want on trades, fights between Kenny and Ozzie, A.J.'s new power, Bobby Jenks depressed because he's being booed or whatever off the field bullcrap you want, but this, right here, is the essence of why this team has failed.  They cannot get the big hit, the big inning on a consistent enough basis to maintain a substantial winning streak to crawl back into this thing.

Had PK or Q come through, the Sox might have a five game winning streak, be four under .500 and only 6½.  But none of that happened because neither one could come through when they really needed to.

Meanwhile, if it were managing the White Sox, I'd have pinch hit Mark Kotsay for Quentin.  Honestly, what do you have to lose?  If Kotsay would have made an out, he would have done exactly the same as Quentin.  So, what's the issue there?  I realize under NL rules, I would have burned a potential pinch hitter for later on, but I thinking play to win now. 

Makes you miss Joe Crede doesn't it?