White Sox-Orioles: John Danks and the White Sox Tank It in Baltimore

You can’t win 'em all. Last night, the White Sox proved, yet again, just how hard it is for them to sweep a team on the road this season. John Danks came out soft and unfocused, going back to his below-average change-up every time a hitter managed to foul a fastball off with two strikes.

But the whole team came out flat in this game, as if their two-game lead over the Twins gave them some breathing room. 

Jim Thome dogged it to first after driving an RBI hit out into left. After he realized that he didn’t hit the ball over the fence, he tried to turn it on and got gunned down easily at second.

Thome’s lack of effort epitomized the Sox's effort in this one. In two different innings, Sox pitchers retired the first two batters, only to walk the next hitter and end up giving up two costly runs in each inning. The game just had a stink to it the whole time, like the Sox just came out flat. 

For the first time since joining the roster, Ken Griffey’s degraded outfield ability showed, as he fell twice and appeared to be content to let a pop out turn into a two-run, two-out single in the sixth. That play was the difference between a 4-2 game and a 6-2 game.

During a long season, there will be games like this one. More often than not, they come on the road.

That two-game cushion the Sox had was sliced in half because the Twins refused to quit in Seattle and managed to escape Safeco with one win in three tries. 

The Sox can regroup with the off day and come into Boston with renewed energy and intensity. This three-game series could be a playoff preview, but it could also go on to determine the AL wild card, as both colored Sox may need to settle for it if they can’t win their divisions. 

You can’t win 'em all. The White Sox took their day off early and it hurt them in the standings.