Ross Gload Goes Big Time

Watching the first eight innings of the White Sox game Friday night, you may as well have been watching any Sox game from the last few weeks.

Freddy Garcia pitched six mediocre innings, giving up four runs, three of them earned.

The Sox were 1-6 with runners in scoring position, netting two runs, one, on a sacrifice fly by Tadahito Iguchi, the other on an infield groundout by Brian Anderson.

As usual the Sox were getting their hits but leaving everyone on base, stranding 9 runners total.

Orioles starter Erik Bedard didn't have anything near his best stuff, but somehow had managed to strike out 7 and hold the Sox to 2 runs.

Then, to make things worse for Sox fans Paul Konerko fouled a ball off his left shin in the 5th inning.

He was replaced by Ross Gload in the sixth.

Paul Konerko does not take himself out of games unless he has too. So now, mired in a slump, the White Sox and their fans were left wondering if they were going to be without their captain for a while to top it off.

Trailing 4-2 in the 9th inning, the White Sox had to face Orioles closer Chris Ray. Ray had converted 26 of 27 saves this year and had a nice 2.88 ERA.

Scott Podsednik pinch hit for Brian Anderson and singled into left.

Rob Mackowiak pinch hit for Pablo Ozuna and singled into left.

Tadahito Iguchi executed a less than stellar bunt, but it was good enough to get the runners over. The way the Sox have bunted this year, they'll take anything.

Jim Thome came to the plate, and was intentionally walked.

Ross Gload, the seldom used White Sox reserve first baseman came to the plate. The only reason he was in the game was the contusion on Konerko's left leg.

After starting with three straight balls, Ray came back, and worked it to a full count.

And then this happened. (Sorry for the quality. Take what you can get!)

Just like that it felt, as if a two-ton gorilla had been lifted off my back. Now it's just one game but it was an important game. The White Sox have 6 straight games against the Orioles and Royals before returning to a diet of the Yankees, Tigers and Twins.

Winning these six games would be huge as far as restoring the confidence and swagger that this team seems to have lost the last few weeks.

It was only one game and one home run, but by the time October rolls around it might just prove to be the most important home run of the year for the White Sox.