White Sox 9, Dodgers 4

Talk about the game that woudn’t die. Dodgers trotted out four different lefty relievers today, and three of them got hit hard. Scott Elbert was touched fo three earned runs in one inning, with a walk mixed in. Stephen Randolph, whose praises I was singing here three days ago when he struck out all three batters he faced, gave up two earnies in two-thirds of an inning and walked three of the seven batters he faced. And Brent Leach didn’t walk anybody or give up an earned run, but he did give up an unearned run when he allowed a two-out single to Sox catcher Donny Lucy. The error that led to the unearned run? It was committed by Chin-lung Hu, his second in two games. Not a good sign for a guy with a career big-league average of .193 whose glove is probably his only chance of making the team. … Speaking of batting averages, Juan Castro’s is now .500 after he doubled in his only at-bat. In fact, he is now DOUBLING at a rate of .313 — he has five of them in 16 ABs. I asked him after the game if he remembered beating Joe Torre and the Yankees with a walkoff single on June 3, 2003, when Juan was still playing for the Reds and I was still covering them. Of course he remembered. But then he said, “Don’t bring it up (to Torre), or I won’t make the team.” So of course I brought it up to Torre, who laughed. But if this guy keeps hitting .500, he’ll make the team as a second utility guy, especially considering he can play all four infield spots. … Kershaw was good, 2 2/3 scoreless, allowed two hits and a walk. Struck out the last batter he faced, Alexei Ramirez, with runners on second and third and one out in the third. James McDonald got the last out to escape that jam, then set down the Sox in order in the fourth ,but hitting a batter with one out in the fifth got him into trouble, and he wound up being charged with two runs that inning. A good lesson for a young pitcher who is going to be really, really good before it’s all over with. … Dodgers fall to 5-6. At the Rangers tomorrow, Schmidt on the mound for the first inning.