When Liam Hendriks went down for the White Sox, the assumption was that Kendall Graveman would slot into the closer role. As often happens, though, in nature, that assumption may have been wrong.
Last night, with the White Sox facing the heart of the Blue Jays’ order in the 8th inning, clinging to a narrow lead, manager Tony La Russa didn’t turn to Graveman. Or. Wait. No, he did turn to Graveman. That’s the point. Graveman didn’t close it out. Joe Kelly closed it out. Joe Kelly got a save!
The haters will say that the Biggio kid took Joe Kelly yard, but last I checked, letting a meaningless run clear the bases is very different from being taken yard. After all, the White Sox still won the game. And Joe Kelly still got the save. And he had a lot of swagger doing it. (He and Josh Harrison have a good vibe going out there.)
So, our guy might be a closer now. Also might not be. It’s a mystery, and I think that’s the point. Keep the American League guessing.
For once, Tony La Russa and I are on the same page.
UPDATE: See note below, in the viewing schedule. (update update: this wasn’t really an update but, you know, we like to keep the flow of these notes natural)
Happy Summer Solstice
The summer solstice was or is today (my understanding is that the solstice is both a moment and a day, but I thought the same thing about Rumpelstiltskin and it turns out he was neither of those things), and Aaron Rodgers’s alleged girlfriend, Blu of Earth, did some ceremony to recognize it. Unfortunately, I missed the ceremony, but I saw a countdown on her Instagram story and I’m hoping there are updates on it tomorrow when I look again.
Anyway, fully in support of Rodgers getting the sun on his side. Notice how much better Tom Brady got when he said he couldn’t get sunburned anymore? And notice how flimsy his explanation for his sunburn immunity (hydration) was? I would say that having the sun on your side is the biggest deal in the world if you’re a Super Bowl-contending quarterback, but that would neglect the fact that the sun is, literally speaking, out of this world.
Elsewhere in Nature…
The Lightning are alive.
I keep going through this cycle these playoffs where I resign myself to the Avalanche winning, and all that entails, and then they lose and I unresign myself, only to eventually resign myself once more. My greatest fear (in this sphere—I have way bigger fears, have you guys seen what a saltwater crocodile can do to an adult male human?) is that there’ll be a Game 7 and I won’t be able to resign myself in time.
Oh No (of the Newcastle Genre)
Burnley goalkeeper Nick Pope is reportedly leaving for Newcastle, which is good in that Burnley will get some money and Wayne Hennessey can probably do a good enough job if the defense and offense are both adequate, and bad in that Nick Pope will go to Newcastle and I don’t like Newcastle and the defense and offense back at Burnley might not be adequate so Wayne Hennessey might not be able to do a good enough job.
***
Viewing schedule, today/tonight
2:00 PM EDT: Notre Dame vs. Texas A&M (ESPN)
7:00 PM EDT: Auburn vs. Arkansas (ESPN2, second screen)
College World Series elimination games, also know as, “The Moment This Gets Serious for Those Shithead Thirteen-Year-Olds Yelling ‘Deez Nuts’ Jokes at the Outfielders But Not Serious Enough for the Kids to Realize It so a College Athlete’s Baseball Career Will End This Afternoon in a Cacophony of Poorly-Delivered Punch Lines.”
7:05 PM EDT: Cubs @ Pirates (MLB TV)
I will not lie.
Last night hurt.
8:10 PM EDT: Blue Jays @ White Sox (MLB TV, phone until the 9th inning, evidently)
I doubt La Russa will use our man two games in a row, partially because I doubt the White Sox will lead two games in a row late, but if he does, the possibility he is now the White Sox’ closer is a possibility that has me giddy. Speaking of which, hey, I just looked to see if La Russa said anything about Joe Kelly being the closer (because I assumed he was asked last night), and evidently he told everyone a while ago that Joe Kelly’s the closer now. This was knowledge, even entering last night. Missed that one! Which is weird because I both Google and Twitter search Joe Kelly’s name every weekday in preparation for these notes. Guess I need to try something else to make sure I’m not missing crucial Joe Kelly news. Maybe I should try to get a press pass so I can, every single day, ask Tony La Russa, “Hey, how about Joe Kelly?” Although on second thought, I don’t know that La Russa’s getting all the news either.
Note: This last paragraph is what the update above was referring to.
