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Midweek musings: The Chicago White Sox defeated the Minnesota Twins 4-3 Tuesday at U.S. Cellular Field and reduced their magic number to three. Well, for avoiding a 100-loss season. In a year like this has been, Sox fans have to find comfort wherever they can, make no mistake about that.
Former Maxim Hometown Hotties winner April Rose always is welcome around here.
* Speaking of making mistakes, the Sox do lead the major leagues in errors with 113. Houston is next with 110. The Sox had three errors Tuesday. Ironic that the Sox clinched their victory with a couple of impressive ninth-inning defensive plays.
* If you’re looking for a race involving the Sox and crosstown Cubs (something other than most losses, which the Sox lead 91-88), how about most walks. Sox slugger Adam Dunn has 73 (in 504 at-bats) and Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo has 74 (in 563 at-bats). Rizzo does lead Dunn in on-base pecentage (.322-.321), but Dunn has done better in home runs (32-22) and runs batted in (83-75).
* The Cubs lost 4-3 to the Brewers in Milwaukee on a ninth-inning suicide squeeze. Or total murder, perhaps. Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said manager Dale Sveum will not be judged on his won-lost record. Otherwise, he probably would have been gone bu the all-star break.
* Speaking of Sveum, here’s Epstein: “Then there is the ability to develop solid, trusting relationships with players so you can get through periods when you don’t see eye to eye. As a whole Dale has had a nice, calming effect on the club. He’s established a level of professionalism that’s admirable.” Even if the Cubs have on occasion looked fairly amateurish.
* Cubs starter Jeff Samardzija struck out eight in seven innings. He ranks fifth in the National League with 9.06 per nine innings. Meaning his 4.42 earned-run average might be worse than it is if he wasn’t striking out as many batters as he does.
* Jay Cutler of the Bears ranks 10th in the NFL in quarterback rating at 95.4. Ben Roethlisberger of the Pittsburgh Steelers (whom the Bears play Sunday night) has a QB rating of 74.8, good for 26th. Or bad for 26th, depending how you look at things. Roethlisberger is tied for fourth in the NFL — in sacks (he has seven in 70 pass attempts). Cutler has one in 71 pass attempts. Most incredible is St. Louis Rams quarterback Sam Bradford has passed 93 times and has not been sacked this season.
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