The 2005 Fall Classic was the first to involved the White Sox that didn't have at least two shutouts!
Having been involved in two in their first World Series in 1906, then having two straight against them in 1917, things sure got interesting on this team. No one suspects Chicago of throwing the 1917 World Series, but to be no-hit in back-to-back days in the regular season and then blanked in back-to-back games in the Fall Classic is interesting. Obviously, the 1919 World Series was not on the level, but in addition to another back-to-back blanking, the Sox got a shutout in the game that proceeded that. In 1959, Chicago again lost, but both victories by them were shutouts.
So along came 2005 against the Houston Astros. Chicago hadn't been in a World Series since 1959. Hadn't won one since 1917. Their wait, at this point (88 years) was actually longer than the other Sox's 86 years!
So Chicago took the opener, 5-3 at home. But the shutout was broken early. Chicago scored in the bottom of the first on a Jermaine Dye solo home run, but Houston was back in the top of the second. Mike Lamb went yard on a solo flight of his own. Chicago came back with two more runs in the bottom of the inning against Roger Clemens to take a 3-1 lead. Houston tied it in the top of the third. Chicago tallied once in the bottom of the fourth and again in the bottom of the eighth. Houston was shutout the rest of the way.
Game two was even further away from a shutout. Chicago won this one, and it was even closer, 7-6. But Houston wasted no time in getting going. Morgan Ensberg hit a solo home run for Houston in the top of the second to break the ice. But when the White Sox scored twice on a single and fly ball in the bottom of the frame, the floodgates had only started to open. The game actually ended in dramatic fashion as Scott Podsednik hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth. It, too, was a solo blast.
Houston, now at home, scored first in game three, but ultimately lost the game. Lance Berkman singled home the game's first run in the bottom of the first. Houston actually led 4-0 after four, and looked poised to get back into the 2005 Fall Classic right there. But a home run (you guessed it, solo) by Joe Crede put Chicago on the board in the top of the fifth. The White Sox scored four more times to actually take the lead. Houston didn't go away quietly. A clutch double by Jason Lane in the bottom of the eighth inning put tied the game. Then, the Astros had several chances to win it as the game went into the late stages and eventually extras, but could not get it done. Instead, it was Chicago with two touches of home in the top of the 14th inning. Chicago had to hold Houston off in the bottom of the frame, and it wasn't easy as Houston got runners to the corners before the third out.
So Chicago was now up 3-0 in the Fall Classic, but all the games had been close. In game four, it was Freddy Garcia going for Chicago and Brandon Backe for Houston. And for a while, it looked liked they'd both pitch shutouts!
The game was scoreless through seven, but in the top of the eighth, Freddy Garcia was removed for a pinch-hitter. And that batter, Willie Harris, singled. A bunt got him into scoring position with one out. Carl Everette also pinch hit, but could only ground out. Harris was now on third, but there was two outs. Jermaine Dye was the hitter. On a 1-1 pitch, he singled to centre to score Harris. Finally, a "1" on the scoreboard. Could Chicago make it count?
Cliff Politte came on to pitch, but it was a rough ride in the bottom of the eighth. Craig Biggio grounded out, but the Politte hit a batter. Then, to complicate matters, Politte threw a wild pitch. The tying run was at second with less than two outs. Chicago decided to walk Lance Berkman intentionally. Morgan Ensberg flied out and neither runner advanced. That marked the end of the game for Politte. Neal Cotts jogged in from the 'pen. Jose Vizcaino pinch hit. But Cotts got him to ground out. Chicago was three outs away from a long-awaited World Series. They were also three outs away from a shutout.
Chicago tried to get some more offence in the top of the ninth. A leadoff double was sadly stranded. It was up to the courageous Chicago bullpen to nail this thing down!
Bobby Jenks, a rookie pitcher with only six saves in the regular season but four more here in the postseason, was on the hill.
Houston did not quit. Jason Lane hit a leadoff single. Brad Ausmus, the catcher, sacrificed him to second. A single would break the shutout and tie the game. Chris Burke was sent up to pinch hit. On a 2-2 pitch, Jenks got him to pop to third. Two down and a runner on second! One more out to go for Chicago!
Orlando Palmeiro was sent to bat for relief pitcher Brad Lidge, who had given up the long run of the game. Lidge was out of there with three K's in only two innings. When Palmerio was retired on a ground ball to short, Chicago had the 2005 World Series in a sweep!
Chicago didn't exactly race through Houston. The Astros had battled hard. But it seemed that Chicago got the pitching when they needed it the most. Down the stretch in late innings, into extras. Here, they needed a shutout and got one. It must have seemed like a nice way to end eighty-eight long years of frustration. Shutouts hadn't helped Chicago one was or another in that stretch, but one shutout here did just fine! It put the icing on the cake!
Enders, Eric. 100 years of the World Series. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. 2005. Print.
Neft, David S., Richard M. Cohen, and Michael L. Neft. The Sports Encyclopedia: Baseball, 1992. 12th ed. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1992. Print.
Neft, David S., and Richard M. Cohen. The World Series: Complete Play-by-play of Every Game, 1903-1989. 4th ed. New York: St. Martin's, 1990. Print.
Nemec, David et all. 20th Century Baseball Chronicle: A Year-by-year History of Major League Baseball. Collector's Edition. Lincolnwood, Ill: Publications International, 1993. Print.
Having been involved in two in their first World Series in 1906, then having two straight against them in 1917, things sure got interesting on this team. No one suspects Chicago of throwing the 1917 World Series, but to be no-hit in back-to-back days in the regular season and then blanked in back-to-back games in the Fall Classic is interesting. Obviously, the 1919 World Series was not on the level, but in addition to another back-to-back blanking, the Sox got a shutout in the game that proceeded that. In 1959, Chicago again lost, but both victories by them were shutouts.
So along came 2005 against the Houston Astros. Chicago hadn't been in a World Series since 1959. Hadn't won one since 1917. Their wait, at this point (88 years) was actually longer than the other Sox's 86 years!
So Chicago took the opener, 5-3 at home. But the shutout was broken early. Chicago scored in the bottom of the first on a Jermaine Dye solo home run, but Houston was back in the top of the second. Mike Lamb went yard on a solo flight of his own. Chicago came back with two more runs in the bottom of the inning against Roger Clemens to take a 3-1 lead. Houston tied it in the top of the third. Chicago tallied once in the bottom of the fourth and again in the bottom of the eighth. Houston was shutout the rest of the way.
Game two was even further away from a shutout. Chicago won this one, and it was even closer, 7-6. But Houston wasted no time in getting going. Morgan Ensberg hit a solo home run for Houston in the top of the second to break the ice. But when the White Sox scored twice on a single and fly ball in the bottom of the frame, the floodgates had only started to open. The game actually ended in dramatic fashion as Scott Podsednik hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth. It, too, was a solo blast.
Houston, now at home, scored first in game three, but ultimately lost the game. Lance Berkman singled home the game's first run in the bottom of the first. Houston actually led 4-0 after four, and looked poised to get back into the 2005 Fall Classic right there. But a home run (you guessed it, solo) by Joe Crede put Chicago on the board in the top of the fifth. The White Sox scored four more times to actually take the lead. Houston didn't go away quietly. A clutch double by Jason Lane in the bottom of the eighth inning put tied the game. Then, the Astros had several chances to win it as the game went into the late stages and eventually extras, but could not get it done. Instead, it was Chicago with two touches of home in the top of the 14th inning. Chicago had to hold Houston off in the bottom of the frame, and it wasn't easy as Houston got runners to the corners before the third out.
So Chicago was now up 3-0 in the Fall Classic, but all the games had been close. In game four, it was Freddy Garcia going for Chicago and Brandon Backe for Houston. And for a while, it looked liked they'd both pitch shutouts!
The game was scoreless through seven, but in the top of the eighth, Freddy Garcia was removed for a pinch-hitter. And that batter, Willie Harris, singled. A bunt got him into scoring position with one out. Carl Everette also pinch hit, but could only ground out. Harris was now on third, but there was two outs. Jermaine Dye was the hitter. On a 1-1 pitch, he singled to centre to score Harris. Finally, a "1" on the scoreboard. Could Chicago make it count?
Cliff Politte came on to pitch, but it was a rough ride in the bottom of the eighth. Craig Biggio grounded out, but the Politte hit a batter. Then, to complicate matters, Politte threw a wild pitch. The tying run was at second with less than two outs. Chicago decided to walk Lance Berkman intentionally. Morgan Ensberg flied out and neither runner advanced. That marked the end of the game for Politte. Neal Cotts jogged in from the 'pen. Jose Vizcaino pinch hit. But Cotts got him to ground out. Chicago was three outs away from a long-awaited World Series. They were also three outs away from a shutout.
Chicago tried to get some more offence in the top of the ninth. A leadoff double was sadly stranded. It was up to the courageous Chicago bullpen to nail this thing down!
Bobby Jenks, a rookie pitcher with only six saves in the regular season but four more here in the postseason, was on the hill.
Houston did not quit. Jason Lane hit a leadoff single. Brad Ausmus, the catcher, sacrificed him to second. A single would break the shutout and tie the game. Chris Burke was sent up to pinch hit. On a 2-2 pitch, Jenks got him to pop to third. Two down and a runner on second! One more out to go for Chicago!
Orlando Palmeiro was sent to bat for relief pitcher Brad Lidge, who had given up the long run of the game. Lidge was out of there with three K's in only two innings. When Palmerio was retired on a ground ball to short, Chicago had the 2005 World Series in a sweep!
Chicago didn't exactly race through Houston. The Astros had battled hard. But it seemed that Chicago got the pitching when they needed it the most. Down the stretch in late innings, into extras. Here, they needed a shutout and got one. It must have seemed like a nice way to end eighty-eight long years of frustration. Shutouts hadn't helped Chicago one was or another in that stretch, but one shutout here did just fine! It put the icing on the cake!
References
Enders, Eric. 100 years of the World Series. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. 2005. Print.
Neft, David S., Richard M. Cohen, and Michael L. Neft. The Sports Encyclopedia: Baseball, 1992. 12th ed. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1992. Print.
Neft, David S., and Richard M. Cohen. The World Series: Complete Play-by-play of Every Game, 1903-1989. 4th ed. New York: St. Martin's, 1990. Print.
Nemec, David et all. 20th Century Baseball Chronicle: A Year-by-year History of Major League Baseball. Collector's Edition. Lincolnwood, Ill: Publications International, 1993. Print.
Retrosheet. Web. 19 Jul. 2014. <www.retrosheet.org>
Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. 19 Jul. 2014.
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