It?s an hour after yet another frustrating game for White Sox pitcher Jake Peavy.
For the 10th time this season he threw at least six innings, gave up three runs or less and got nothing to show for it -- either a loss or, in this case, a no decision.
?You need a lucky horseshoe,? I write to Peavy in a text message.
?Find me one,? he replies back.
For someone whose latissimus dorsi tendon tore completely off the bone of his pitching shoulder two years ago, you could say that Peavy is actually one of the luckiest guys in the league. He?s not only pitching, he?s dominating, and in some ways, even more than he did while winning the National League Cy Young Award in 2007.? ?
Peavy went 19-6 that season with the San Diego Padres, but did so without having to throw a complete game.
How many does Peavy already have this year? Four. And he?s lost three of them, with the White Sox scoring a combined total of ONE run.
?It seems like every year there is one guy who gets screwed. It?s definitely [Peavy],? said Adam Dunn, who at least saved Jake from another loss with a solo home run in the ninth inning to achieve career RBI No. 1,000 and tie the game at 2.
The White Sox would go on to lose 3-2 in 11 innings. Peavy is now 9-8 with a 3.04 ERA.
?We can?t score runs when he?s on the mound,? Dunn said. ?He keeps us in every game. Can?t put a finger on why. It?s just one of those things.?
The White Sox offense is giving Peavy an average of 4.17 runs a game, tied for 59th in the league. By comparison, the Angels Jered Weaver, who is the favorite to win the American League Cy Young Award, is receiving 6.14 runs per game -- second highest in the majors.
Having that kind of run support has been crucial for Weaver, who can be more aggressive attacking hitters because he knows that if he makes a mistake, the Angels offense will be there to back him up.
Peavy? He?s been sweating bullets. Since May 26, all but one of his 12 starts has been decided by three runs or less. For the season, eight have been decided by a single run. ?
Weaver? Just three, and just once since April.
?He always goes out there knowing each pitch can cost him,? manager Robin Ventura said of Peavy. ?We need to do a better job of giving him more room to pitch with.?
In Peavy?s last 11 starts, the White Sox have scored a total of just 26 runs.
?This is kind of the underlying theme with my season,? Peavy told reporters.
But Jake isn?t pointing fingers. Instead, the White Sox pitcher and musician, is focusing on his next start -- and next big concert he?s planning to attend.
?About 30 days until Springsteen!!?? he sends in a text, referring to the shows coming to Wrigley Field Sept. 7 and 8.
Considering his misfortune this year, I suggest that he listens to a certain Springsteen song that seems fitting for his situation, and might help get him out of his funk, no matter what city he pitches in.
It's called ?Lucky Town.?
Does music have the power to change a person's season? Can it break a streak of misery that's been dogging an athlete for weeks? Frankly, I have no idea.
But for Peavy, a man mired in the worst luck of his career, he apparently believes so, because when I recommended the song, he wrote back one word that completely summed up his frustrations:
?Done!?
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