This post title is a bit of a cop-out, since I was really only able to see Game One… but I’m gonna give some feedback on Game Two because I’m good like that. Besides, there wasn’t much to see anyway.

Bartolo Colon started game one and flat-out dominated. He went seven innings, giving up one run on four hits and a walk with six strikeouts. His fastball consistently hit the low-90s with great inside-out movement. He threw one right at Ichiro’s thigh that then darted back in for a strike. It was wonderful, the best stuff we’ve seen from Colon in years. He only got into trouble in the seventh, where he gave up his only run. You could argue Ozzie left him in a bit too long, but he pitched out of it well. He’s been a great revelation this year.

It’s a good thing Colon pitched so well because the White Sox offense was really determined to, as we say in baseball terms, “not do jack.” Historically, Sox hitters struggle against guys they’re seeing for the first time and cool, I get that. But my God… making Chris Jakubauskas (yes, THAT Chris Jakubauskas) look like Nolan Ryan is a tough task. The guy’s a 31-year old rookie reliever-turned-starter who came into the game with a 7.11 ERA. His (brief) career-high innings pitched in a game is 5 and 1/3. So how do the Pale Hose attempt to take on this pitching juggernaut? They swing at the first pitch. Every. Time.

The guy walked off the mound after the the first inning with eleven pitches under his belt. He left the second with 21. He finished the third with 31. And on and on we went. He pitched an eight-inning complete game, allowing just two runs on two hits and a walk. All in 88 pitches. Unbelievable. Is it too much to ask to be patient at the plate? to see what his approach is and force him to make the right pitch? Is it too much to ask to try to break in the opposing bullpen during the first game of a double header?

Bah. Luckily, and literally it’s probably no more than that, the Sox made their two hits and one walk count. They all came in the fourth inning, when Paul Konerko adjusted well to a high fastball (which is where Jakubauskas was living all game), knocking it down the left field line; a two-run scoring double. Other than that ONE inning, Jakubauskas pitching a perfect game.

Team/Player Photos: Cleveland Indians v Chicago White Sox on Sep 01, 2010

Anyway, on to game two. John Danks, he of the future Cy Young award, just didn’t have it. He gave up a run in the first then two in the second, and from there you knew we were in for it. Danks exited after only four and Carrasco and Broadway relieved, if you can call each giving up two runs in two+ innings ‘relief.’ Mariners phenom Felix Hernandez shut the Sox hitters down and that was all she wrote. The only chance the Sox had was for Danks to outduel Hernandez, and when he didn’t have it, they didn’t really stand a chance. The Sox scored their only run in garbage time in the ninth.

So I suppose today was a wash, but the Mariners win the day on a tiebreaker.