So many storylines to follow here for this ALDS Series between the Chicago White Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays. Hmm, let's see....Ken Griffey Jr. (pictured above, Thanks to the Chicago Tribune) with his son. He hasn't been to the playoffs for over a decade. What about the entire White Sox team. They did something that had never been done before just to get here. They beat three opponents in three days to earn their spot.
OH, and those pesky Tampa Bay Rays. First playoff appearance in the franchise's 10 year history. And all they did was just take the devil out of the name. How simple! All kidding aside, it was more than just the devil. A good mix of players and a manager who held them all together. And they were only the best in the East division, which also includes the Yankees and Red Sox.
Some storylines, huh?
WHERE: Tropicana Field - St. Petersburg, FL
TBS Television Broadcasters: Don Orsillo and Harold Reynolds
ESPN Radio Announcers: Gary Thorne and Chris Singleton
PREDICTION: I'm not really sure where to go on this one, but I'm someone who looks at pitching as key, especially when you have a team that has never been to the playoffs before. The Rays have James Shields. Not their ace, and not someone with big time playoff experience. Javier Vasquez does have the experience and can be considered one of a group of aces on the White Sox staff. I'm going Chicago in game one.
By the way, management has told me that we are joining the game in-progress on-air at 9 am (Honolulu is joining at 10 am, so I guess it isn't so bad). I'll be keeping the blog updated as the game goes along, however, so you don't miss anything here.
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And we are underway! James Shields off to a great start for the Rays, getting his first strikeout of the postseason to DeWayne Wise for the second out after a fly out. Jermaine Dye grounds out, and a 1-2-3 inning for Shields!
Javier Vasquez off to a great start in the opening frame. A couple of quick outs to Iwamura and Upton (I think he hustled) and now the team's best power hitter, Carlos Pena. Vasquez was criticized by his Manager, Ozzie "The Mouth" Guillen after his last start of the regular season. Pena strikes out and the inning is over.
AFTER ONE INNING: Chicago 0, Tampa Bay 0
To the second inning, and the Home Run hero from the AL Central tiebreaker Jim Thome is up first. The 38 year old has set some home-run milestones this year, and whether you believe it is juiced or not, this has been a comeback in regards to numbers. He grounds to short, however, for the first out.
Konerko grounds out on one pitch for the second out. I wonder how much better this team would be if a healthy Carlos Quentin was in the lineup. He had a MVP-like year for Chicago until he went down with a bum wrist. Shields strikes out Griffey on a changeup way out of the strikezone, and we head to the second with no score!
Bottom of the second, and the Rookie of the Year (in my opinion) is at the plate in Evan Longoria. And the first ever playoff homer at the Trop! Evan Longoria knocks one out to left center for the first run of the game. 1-0 Tampa!
Let's see how Javier Vasquez reacts to giving up the homer. Gets Carl Crawford on a foul tip for the strikeout, and then Cliff Floyd flailing away for the second out. Navarro gets a double on a tough pop up for the defense. Give credit to Navarro for hustling out the two-bagger when he easily could've just jogged like he believed it would be an easy out. Gross strikesout to strand Navarro in scoring position, but the damage is done from Evan Longoria!
AFTER TWO INNINGS: Chicago 0, Tampa Bay 1
Our first injury storyline comes here in the third as Carlos Pena leaves the game. Gary Thorne just said that Pena was hit in the throat with a practice ground ball from, of all people, Evan Longoria earlier in the game. Willy Aybar comes in to play at first, and that is a HUGE power bat out of the lineup early on.
ROY Runner-Up Alexei Ramirez with a single, followed up by a Pierzynski single to put a couple of runners on as the White Sox try to answer the Rays homer. Uribe moves both runners into scoring position on the sacrifice bunt, and now Orlando Cabrera with his enormous amount of playoff experience with the Angels and Red Sox steps up. And Shields gets him to pop-up to second! Big at-bat for the Rays starter.
HOME RUN! DeWayne Wise, the fill-in for Carlos Quentin, hits a 3-Run Homer! White Sox go up 3-1 here in the 3rd....what a clutch at-bat! What a way to send Tropicana Field's fans from a frenzy with the Longoria shot to a huge low with Wise's crack. And now, Dye picks up a double to deep left-center. Shields is really shaky right now. Someone might wanna go out and talk to him. And almost on cue, the pitching coach comes out to chat.
Thome grounds out and the inning is finally over. But, DeWayne Wise turns this game around for Chicago to make it 3-1!
***Just an FYI, the live blog takes a break just before 10 am for a little bit. Yours truly is filling in for Jill Taylor on the KBIG-FM Middays. There is a possibility that I may have a guest live blogger for the time being.***
Bartlett bounces one by third to get on base to start the inning, followed by an Iwamura swat to deep center that bounces off the wall! Akinori goes for a triple as Bartlett goes home and the Rays get within one. 3-2 Chicago!
Strikeout on Upton by Vasquez, and Javier has a lot of work to do to keep that tying run from coming in at third. I'm surprised that the infield is coming in here in the 3rd inning. Aybar hitting for the first time and immediately makes a difference with the fly ball deep enough to left field to drive in Iwamura. 3-3 Tie! That was a close play at the plate. Good throw by Wise.
WHAT!?!? Longoria goes out again! Down the left field line and Longoria hits his second home run! 4-3 Tampa Bay!
I have a feeling that Javier Vasquez won't be lasting too much longer for the White Sox. He's been tagged over the past inning plus. Carl Crawford up, hard to top the act that Longoria has put up so far. Crawford flies out and ends the inning, but the Rays answer the 3-Run White Sox inning with three of their own!
AFTER THREE INNINGS: Chicago 3, Tampa Bay 4
USELESS STAT OF THE NIGHT: Evan Longoria is the youngest 3B since 1951 to hit two home runs in his game. Good work.
INJURY UPDATE: Slightly blurred vision in the left eye of Carlos Pena has knocked him out. He suffered the injury at home last night. Yikes. How many times have we heard of injuries suffered outside of the game (a la Monta Ellis moped incident) that has cost players some time? Hope Pena is okay.
Shields starts this half of the inning with a strikeout to Konerko looking and a Griffey grounder, and now working hard against Rookie Alexei Ramirez to try to end this frame. Gets a grounder to first and Shields retires the side!
To the bottom of the frame we go, and this is an important recovery inning for Javier Vasquez. The offense for Chicago will get more runs, I'm sure. But can the pitching staff hold down the Rays attack? Cliff Floyd strikes out for out number one.
Navarro up, and he doubled his first time up, but he pops up here. I didn't realize that Vasquez already has six strikeouts. Maybe the trouble has outweighed the K's so far. He's close to walking Gabe Gross, however. And there it is.
USELESS STAT ALERT: Evan Longoria is the first player in MLB Postseason history to hit home runs in his first two postseason at-bat's
Nice aggressive base running by Gabe Gross to steal 2nd with two down. Bartlett pops up and the inning is over. We're done with four!
AFTER FOUR INNINGS: Chicago 3, Tampa Bay 4
***BREAK TIME: Gotta fill in on the KBIG FM Mid-days. Be back in a little bit!***
Alright, we're back, and what did we miss?
SCORING PLAYS:
5th - Evan Longoria RBI Single followed by a Carl Crawford RBI base knock
AFTER SIX INNINGS: Chicago 3, Tampa Bay 6
James Shields has loaded the bases thanks to a walk, HBP, and a single, and his night is over. Grant Balfour has two outs to keep all of the runners on base, and Juan Uribe is the first man to face him. And Balfour delivers with a key strikeout to keep em loaded with two down!
Uh-oh. Tempers are flaring! Grant Balfour and Orlando Cabrera are kicking dirt and yelling at one another. I'm not sure what may have happened there, but it's the playoffs, and this is the time where emotions come out!
WOW! Balfour strikes out Cabrera! Now Ozzie Guillen is screaming at his players to get control of themselves. Yeah, he should be one to talk, right? Balfour saves the day for Shields and the Rays still lead by 3!
***PROGRAMMING NOTE*** Tomorrow on "The Josh Pacheco Show", BYU-Hawaii Women's Volleyball coach (and Laupahoehoe alum) Wilfred Navalta joins us to preview the matchup against Hawaii-Hilo, and Rosey Rosenthal calls in to talk BIIF Football. We run until 11:35 am as we will have Game 2 of the ALDS between these two teams.
Bottom 7, and BJ Upton goes after a slider in on him, and flies to right. One down. Nice stab by Uribe to get Aybar, and now comes the game's star, Evan Longoria, who's driven in three runs! And, to be expected with a nice sized Rays lead, Longoria gets walked to bring up Carl Crawford.
Also, not to be surprised at this, but Ozzie Guillen jawing at Rays fans. Who doesn't he jaw at?
Longoria nearly caught in a run down, but it's been his night tonight. Konerko could release the ball from first, and Longoria steals second. Crawford grounds out to end the inning and strand Longoria.
AFTER SEVEN INNINGS: Chicago 3, Tampa Bay 6
***One more break on the live blog...gotta go to the bank***
That's it! Dan Wheeler made this one interesting, but Tampa Bay holds on to win 6-4!
Milwaukee and Philadephia coming up in about 15 minutes. Thanks for logging on!
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