White Sox finally a winner in AL Central
Thome goes deep in win
Wednesday, October 1, 2008 11:41 AM PDT
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| Paul Beaty | Associated Press
The Chicago White Sox celebrate after defeating the Minnesota Twins 1-0 in the American League Central tiebreaker baseball game Tuesday in Chicago. |
CHICAGO (AP) — The White Sox traveled a difficult and winding road to make the playoffs. And now Chicago has two teams in the postseason for the first time since 1906.
The Cubs were already there, having clinched the NL Central more than a week ago. The White Sox needed a tension-filled 163rd game, a real squeaker, to qualify.
With veterans Jim Thome, Ken Griffey Jr., and A.J. Pierzynski and young left-hander John Danks leading the way Tuesday night, the White Sox beat the scrappy Minnesota Twins 1-0 to win the tiebreaker and the AL Central. Now it’s off to Tampa to begin the playoffs against the Rays.
The last time Chicago had two teams in the postseason more than a century ago, it was the White Sox, known as the ‘‘Hitless Wonders,’’ beating the Cubs in six games to capture the World Series.
Now, for both of them to square off again in the World Series, they’d have to win seven playoff games each.
‘‘Special. It just proves that Chicago is a great baseball city,’’ said Thome, whose 461-foot homer in the seventh inning accounted for the game’s only run. ‘‘We’re so happy from our end that Sox fans get to enjoy this.’’
Danks had a special performance on three days rest, allowing just two hits in eight stellar innings in a stirring duel with rookie Nick Blackburn.
‘‘That’s the reason we are where we are right now,’’ White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said of Danks. ‘‘I think it was one of the best games he’s ever thrown.’’
Griffey, who like Thome is 38, agreed to come in a trade from the Reds for the chance go be in the playoffs. He made a nice throw to cut down a runner at the plate with a tough tag by Pierzynski as Minnesota’s Michael Cuddyer ran over him.
Thome, whose long drive off Blackburn (11-11) was the 541st homer of his career, hasn’t been in the postseason since 2001 with Cleveland.
Griffey’s had waited even longer — his last postseason experience was in 1997 with the Mariners.
‘‘The hardest part was getting there. Now it’s just a matter of us going out there and doing what we’ve been doing,’’ Griffey said.
Bobby Jenks worked a perfect ninth for his 30th save in 34 chances.
After replacing Griffey in center field, Brian Anderson ended it with a diving catch of Alexi Casilla’s blooper.
‘‘You never want to put 162 games all into one game, but that’s what ended up happening,’’ Twins slugger Justin Morneau said. ‘‘It’s going to hurt for a while.’’
Cuddyer led off the fifth with a double, the first hit off Danks, and moved to third on Delmon Young’s fly to center.
When Brendan Harris hit a fly to Griffey in shallow center, Cuddyer took off. He crashed into Pierzynski, who held onto the low, two-hop throw from Griffey while tagging Cuddyer for the out. Pierzynski then popped up and showed the ball as the crowd of 40,354 — mostly dressed in black — roared.
‘I still don’t know how I caught the ball. I have no idea. I couldn’t feel it in my glove,’’ Pierzynski said.
‘‘All I had to do was make a good throw. The credit is all A.J.,’’ Griffey said. ‘‘He put his body on the line for us.’’
Cuddyer took the gamble in the low-scoring game where, as it turned out, one run did make the difference.
‘‘I knew the only play I would have, if it was a good throw, was to run him over,’’ Cuddyer said. ‘‘I tried to. Once I saw the arm get extended, that’s what I went for. I went for his arm just to drive the ball loose. Unfortunately the ball stuck.’’
The White Sox hosted the game because they won a coin flip earlier this month and what an advantage it was: Chicago went 8-2 against the Twins at U.S. Cellular Field this season and 1-8 at the Metrodome.
It was the eighth one-game playoff in major league history and the first in the AL since 1995 when Seattle beat the California Angels 9-1 to win the AL West. Playing for the Mariners in that game was Griffey and Chicago bench coach Joey Cora.
A late-season slide by the White Sox began at the Metrodome a week ago. The White Sox entered a three-game series with a 2 1/2-game lead in the division but the Twins pulled off a sweep to take over first place.
Chicago came home and lost two more to the Indians but was able to stay close because the Twins dropped two in a row to the Royals at the Metrodome. Both teams won Sunday, leaving Minnesota up a half-game. The White Sox had to beat Detroit in a rain-delayed makeup game Monday to force Tuesday night’s tiebreaker.
Joe Mauer went 0-for-3 Tuesday night but still won his second AL batting title at .328. Morneau, who drove in 129 runs, slumped in the final week.
The White Sox overcame late injuries to surprising star Carlos Quentin, who was leading the AL in homers when he broke his right wrist by hitting it on his bat in frustration Sept. 1, and third baseman Joe Crede, who had back problems. Neither is expected back for the playoffs.
Notes: The White Sox were 4-6 against the Rays this season, including 3-4 at Tropicana Field. Javier Vazquez will start for Chicago in Thursday’s Game 1.
