Rookie, veterans lift White Sox into playoffs
Thome homer, Danks's arm, Griffey throw highlight 1-0 win over Twins
Last Updated: Wednesday, October 1, 2008 | 12:27 AM ET
CBC Sports
White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski, left, tags out Minnesota's Michael Cuddyer at home during the fifth inning. (Paul Beaty/Associated Press)After watching rookie Alexei Ramirez keep Chicago's playoff hopes alive Monday night, a trio of White Sox veterans made them a reality 24 hours later.
Designated hitter Jim Thome swatted a solo home run, while centre-fielder Ken Griffey Jr. turned in the defensive play of the game when he nailed Minnesota Twins outfielder Michael Cuddyer trying to score on a shallow fly ball with a perfect strike to catcher A.J. Pierzynski.
It added up to a 1-0 victory in a one-game playoff for the American League Central Division title that propelled the White Sox to a best-of-five division series against the East champion Tampa Bay Rays, starting Thursday at 2:30 p.m. ET in Florida.
"Look at this," Thome said after the game with the home crowd of 40,354 roaring all around him. "This is what it's all about — October baseball."
The White Sox last won the division in 2005 en route to winning the World Series.
This time, they join the crosstown Cubs in the post-season, the first time since 1906 that both Chicago teams made it.
Javier Vazquez (12-16 in the regular season) takes the mound for the White Sox in Game 1 against fellow righty James Shields (14-8).
Chicago dropped six of 10 games to Tampa Bay this season, going 3-4 at Tropicana Field, while the Rays led the majors with 57 home wins.
But despite a disappointing 35-46 road record in the regular season, the White Sox will ride a three-game winning streak into the playoffs after prevailing for the eighth time in 10 meetings this season versus Minnesota at Chicago's U.S. Cellular Field.
On Monday, Ramirez set a major league rookie record with his fourth grand slam of the season in an 8-2 drubbing of the Detroit Tigers to set up Tuesday's tiebreaker.
In Chicago's 163rd game of the season, it was rookie pitcher John Danks's time to shine.
Pitching on three days' rest for the first time, the left-hander tossed eight innings for the first time in 33 starts, blanking Minnesota on two hits for his 12th win.
"Going on three days' rest might actually help a little bit because I won't feel quite as strong," Danks said prior to Tuesday's outing. "I really need to just stay within myself and let the defence work for me."
He was particularly strong against Twins catcher Joe Mauer and first baseman Justin Morneau of New Westminster, B.C., who were 8-for-12 and 7-for-16 respectively against the Chicago hurler in his four previous starts against Minnesota this season.
The Twins' No. 3 and 4 hitters went hitless in a combined six at-bats with three strikeouts, but Mauer still won his second AL batting title with a .328 average. Morneau finished the season in a 6-for-41 funk that probably will hurt his chances to win a second AL MVP award, despite the fact he hit .300 with 129 runs batted in.
"You never want to put 162 games all into one game, but that's what ended up happening," said Morneau. "It's going to hurt for a while and it's going to be a long night for sure."
Closer Bobby Jenks needed just eight pitches in a 1-2-3 ninth for his 30th save of the season.
The 23-year-old Danks didn't allow a hit until Cuddyer opened the fifth inning with a double into the left-field corner.
After moving to third base on Delmon Young's flyout to centre, Cuddyer tested Griffey's 38-year-old arm on Brendan Harris's shallow fly ball. But the 19-year veteran delivered a strike to Pierzynski, who was bowled over by Cuddyer but held on to the ball to keep the game scoreless.
"He did a heck of a job," said Thome of Griffey, who will be making his first playoff appearance since 1997 with Seattle. "I'm so happy for him, too."
Added Griffey: "That play, all I had to do was make a good throw. The credit is all A.J. I put a two-hopper in there and he was able to get it and block the plate. That's the key there. He put his body on the line for us."
Twins rookie right-hander Nick Blackburn, who was starting in place of the injured Kevin Slowey, went pitch-for-pitch with Danks through the first six innings and at one point retired 13 of 14.
But that run ended when Thome took a 2-2 changeup an estimated 461 feet over the centre-field fence for his 34th homer of the season and 541st of his career to open the bottom of the seventh.
Blackburn (11-11) took the loss, allowing a single run in 6 1/3 innings. He entered the game with a 2-2 mark and 5.67 ERA in five starts this season against Chicago.
"Our expectations are to get to the playoffs and go to the World Series every year," Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire said. "It just was a night where we couldn't score any runs. It's really tough right now and we'll just have to live with it."
With files from the Associated Press
