dead men tell no tales...

It's lights out for the Beantown Bums. Better luck in 85 years, guys.

Go White Sox! On to the ALCS!

Okay, more than that...

The whole game was basically played in the sixth inning. At the beginning of the top of the 6th, the game was tied 2-2, thanks to a couple RBI hits by the White Sox in the 3rd, and back-to-back solo homahhs by Papi and Manny in the 4th.

Starter Tim Wakefield is pitching, and starts off bad... a walk to Jermaine Dye is followed by a towering blast by Paul Konerko, and the Southsiders are up 4-2. Wakefield is left in to pitch to Carl Everett and gets him to ground out. Chad Bradford comes in to relieve the knuckleballer, and Rowand singles off him. Then Michael Myers is brought in, and before walking Pierzynski, he lets Rowand steal second. Then Papelbon comes in, and even though he gets Crede to pop out and K's Uribe, he also let freakin' A.J. steal a bag. Nasty.

So, bottom of the 6th, the White Sox are up 4-2 with starter Freddy Garcia pitching. First batter up is Manny. Solo shot. At that point Manny was 2-2 with 2 solo HR and a walk. So Damaso Marte comes in to relieve Garcia, and promptly gives up a single to Nixon before walking Mueller and Olerud to load the bases with no one out. Varitek pinches for Mirabelli, and Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez comes in for the worth-less-than-shit-today Marte.

Duque gets Varitek to pop out, then, in a 10-pitch at-bat to Tony "I was a Royal pretty recently" Graffanino, gets him to pop out. Then The Duke fucking K's Johnny Damon after Damon took him to a full count.

That's right. El Duque came in with the bases loaded, 1 in and 0 out. And got two straight infield popups and a strikeout to get out of the jam unscathed. Now that is some quality playoff pitching. He also stayed in for the 7th and 8th and gave up no runs.

But the whole game was played in the 6th.

posted by Steve  # 4:41 PM