The three-game series between the Chicago White Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers opened with an intriguing pitching matchup between Chris Sale and Clayton Kershaw, but Friday's game didn't quite go according to the plan. The Sox jumped on Kershaw early thanks to a towering two-run home run by Adam Dunn in the first inning and a follow-up solo shot from Alex Rios in the very next inning, and Chicago built a 5-1 lead by the sixth frame. However, Chris Sale never quite found command of his breaking pitches, and he finally ran into trouble in the bottom half of that sixth. The Dodgers scored five quick runs to grab a 6-5 lead, and despite a Rios home run they prevailed 7-6 in the end.
Jim Margalus of South Side Sox relays the details of the Sox's demise:
Rios restored some hope in the eighth with a leadoff homer off Ronald Belisario, but when Thornton came in, the momentum slipped away. He struck out Tony Gwynn Jr. to start the inning, before a weak seeing-eye single byJames Loney scooted past a diving Eduardo Escobar (who replaced Hudson).
There was your Thornton Luck. Then came the Thornton Suck. He walked Dee Gordon to put Loney into scoring position, and he advanced to third on Herrera's fielder's choice to short. Don Mattingly called on Bobby Abreu to pinch hit, but it didn't matter. Thornton spiked a 1-0 fastball past a backhanded stab by A.J. Pierzynski, giving the Dodgers their winning run.
Game two of the series is set for 9:10 p.m. CT on Saturday night.
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