In an era when money permeates all facets of the game, it seems aberrant that neither the New York Yankees nor the Boston Red Sox, the two powerhouses with the largest salaries, will be challengers in the quest for the American League pennant. Both teams failed to advance to the ALCS, leaving baseball lovers to instead watch the Chicago White Sox and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
Chicago swept the Red Sox in three games, destroying any Bostonian hope for a repeat of last season's World Championship. And, after a cross-continental flight, the Yankees, too, lost Game 5 of their series, prompting the unanticipated ALCS matchup.
The Angels, rather than the Yankees, jumped on a plane to Chicago after a quick champagne-drenched celebration. Arriving in their third time zone in three days and traveling a combined 4,200 miles, they refused to allow their well- rested opponents an advantage for the first two games of the series. They intend on sleeping in November.
The teams head to Anaheim for the third game, after the umpires handed the White Sox a much needed 2-1 victory in Game Two to even the series 1-1.
In that game, with the score tied 1-1 in the bottom of the ninth inning, Joe Crede drove in pinch runner Pablo Ozuna on a game-winning two-out double. The Angels, however, thought they were out of the inning before Crede even strode to the plate.
With two on and no out, White Sox catcher, A.J. Pierzynski swung and missed on a pitch headed for the dirt. Anaheim catcher Josh Paul grabbed the ball and flipped it toward the mound, walking toward his dugout, prompting Doug Eddings, the home-plate umpire to signal out.
After initially moving towards his third base dugout, Pierzynski turned and ran towards first base instead, believing the ball touched the dirt before Paul scooped it up. Much to the chagrin of the Angels and their fans, Enddings ruled that Paul did indeed trap the ball and his initial pumping of the fist was merely to acknowledge that the Chicago catcher had swung. Pierzynski was safe at first.
Pinch runner Paul Ozuna stole second base and set up Crede to drive in the winning run.
Instead of heading into extra innings, the umpires handed the White Sox the small margin of victory they needed to travel to California tied 1-1.
Chicago pitcher Mark Buehrle pitched nine flawless innings, with the exception of a home run by third baseman Rob Quinlan in the fifth. After Jarrod Washburn exited with two outs in the fifth inning, the combination of Brendan Donnelly, Scot Shields and Kelvim Escobar in the Angel bullpen matched Buehrle until the debacle in the bottom of the ninth.
In Game 1, a much less frustrating game from Los Angeles's perspective, emergency starter Paul Byrd, with the help of Garret Anderson's third inning solo homerun and a little small-ball, astonished the White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field, with a 3-2 victory.
One day after 21-game winner Bartolo Colon left the ALDS game against the Yankees with an inflamed shoulder, Byrd gave his team a lift, pitching slightly better than White Sox ace, Jose Contreas, who gave up three earned runs on seven hits in eight and a third solid innings.
The Angels looked to extend their 1-0 lead in the third inning after Chone Figgins's sacrifice bunt put runners on second and third with one out. Shortstop Orlando Cabrera singled home the second run of the game, and then 2004 MVP Vladamir Guerrero grounded back to Contreras who wheeled and threw to second, attempting to start a double play. The White Sox recorded only one out on the play, allowing the Angels to score their third and final run.
It was Chicago, not Los Angeles that looked uptight and bleary-eyed in the first game of the best-of-seven series.
Crede's solo shot to left center in the bottom of the third inning and Pierzynski's single to right, scoring Carl Everett in the fourth, brought the White Sox to within striking distance. This, however, was the last time the home team would score.
Francisco Rodriguez pitched two-thirds of an inning to close out the game, giving his team the first advantage in the series.
The two teams will play the third game of the series tonight in Anaheim where the White Sox's Joe Garland will face off against John Lackey.
