October 11, 2005: Exhausted Angels outlast White Sox in Game 1 of ALCS

The White Sox stand for the National Anthem on the third-base line at home before Game One of the ALCS, the only game they lost in the entire playoff run. (Courtesy of the Chicago White Sox)

In 2005 the White Sox put on one of the most dominating postseason performances in the history of major-league baseball. They won an astounding 11 out of 12 games. In the American League Division Series, the White Sox beat the Boston Red Sox in three straight. They won four out of five against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the American League Championship Series before going on to sweep the Houston Astros in the World Series. The only game the White Sox lost that postseason was Game One of the ALCS, played on Tuesday night, October 11, at US Cellular Field.

Before the start of Game One, White Sox fan Rod McKennell summed up the feelings of the Chicago fans:

Give this city a championship. That’s what we need, one baseball championship. And who better else than the White Sox? You know, we don’t make excuses for losing, we don’t have curses. We just go out and play and this is what it’s all about. We got to win this right now.1

It had been an extraordinary season for the White Sox. Manager Ozzie Guillén was in his second season with the team. In his first season the team finished 83-79, second in the American League Central Division behind the Minnesota Twins. In 2005, the White Sox won 99 games, more than any other team in the American League. They were 52-29 on the road and 35-19 in one-run games (both the best in the majors). They had three pitchers with 15 or more wins (the first time for the White Sox since 1993).

The 2005 White Sox had seven hitters with 15 or more home runs, and they smashed 200 homers as a team (fourth in the American League). But the White Sox were not just a power-hitting team; they also knew how to play small ball. Only two other teams in the American League stole more bases than the White Sox in 2005 (Angels and Devil Rays).

The White Sox overpowered the Red Sox in the ALDS, outscoring them 24-9 on their way to a three-game sweep.2

The Angels’ trip to the ALCS was a bit more difficult. They played a full, five-game series against the New York Yankees. The Angels won two of the first three in that series. Game Four was scheduled for October 8 in New York but was rained out. The game was played the next night and the Yankees won, 3-2. Both teams flew across the country for Game Five, which the Angels won in Anaheim, 5-3, to clinch the series. Since the ALCS started the next night in Chicago, the Angels had to immediately board another plane and travel to the Windy City. Thus, the Angels had to play three games in three different cities on three straight nights.

The travel did not seem to affect the celebratory attitude in the Angels clubhouse after Game Five, where the “beer and champagne flowed freely.”3 Star catcher Bengie Molina said, “This is unbelievable. … Don’t think just because we win, it’s easy. It hasn’t been that way all year. We just keep finding a way.”4

The White Sox and their fans were understandably confident going into Game One. The South Siders were playing at home on four days’ rest. The Angels were worn out and playing on the road. And yet, as Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune noted, the ALCS should come with a “warning label” for White Sox fans: “Caution: Overconfidence can be bad for your health.”5

The Sox started red-hot José Contreras, who was riding high on a nine-game winning streak. During the season the 33-year-old Cuban-born hurler had gone 15-7 with a 3.61 earned-run average. He pitched a career high of 204 2/3 innings. Contreras had started and won Game One of the ALDS when the White Sox overwhelmed the Red Sox, 14-2.

Paul Byrd started for the Angels on three days’ rest. The 34-year-old right-handed journeyman started 31 games for the Angels in his only season with the team. He went 12-11 and tied for second in the American League with 22 quality starts.

The Angels struck first when Garret Anderson led off the second inning by hitting a 2-and-0 Contreras pitch over the right-field wall. The Angels scored two more runs in the top of the third. Steve Finley, who had hit a measly .091 so far in the postseason, led off the inning by slicing a single into right field. The next batter, Adam Kennedy, hitting ninth in the batting order, slapped a single to left. That brought up Chone Figgins, who laid down a sacrifice bunt, advancing the runners. Shortstop Orlando Cabrera came up next and hit an infield single, scoring Finley. Vladimir Guerrero, the Angels’ designated hitter, then grounded out to Contreras, allowing Kennedy to score. This was a classic case of “get ’em on, get ’em over, get ’em in.” It was all the scoring the Angels would need to win Game One.

The White Sox tried to come back but ultimately fell short. In the bottom of the third, Joe Crede, who drilled 22 homers during the regular season, hit a one-out smash over the left-field wall. The next inning, Carl Everett poked a single to right, then advanced to second on a fielder’s choice. A.J. Pierzynski then singled to right, driving in Everett. This was the final run scored in the game. The Angels won 3-2.

Contreras did his part. He went 8 1/3 innings. And besides the third inning, when the Angels scored twice, he never really got in trouble. With one out in the eighth, he gave up a one-out hit to Bengie Molina that led Guillén to pull him. He had thrown 102 pitches.

The White Sox had their chances. Twice runners were caught trying to steal second. In the bottom of the fifth with two outs, Scott Podsednik attempted to steal on Byrd – but the Angels had called a pitchout, and a perfect throw by Molina to Cabrera caught him by a mile. On the Fox broadcast, Joe Buck quipped, “Ozzie Guillén just got his pocket picked.”6

Two innings later, with reliever Scot Shields on the mound and A.J. Pierzynski on first, Joe Crede apparently missed a hit-and-run sign. As Pierzynski ran toward second, he looked back at Crede – who didn’t swing – and Pierzynski was easily caught by another perfect strike by Molina. When Pierzynski got back to the dugout, he slammed his helmet onto the ground. Guillén just shook his head.

In the bottom of the eighth, with Juan Uribe on first and no outs, Scott Podsednik was unable to lay down a sacrifice bunt and ended up striking out. Later in the same inning, Paul Konerko came to the plate with two outs and runners on first and second, but he popped out to center field to end the inning.

The White Sox’ last chance to score was in the bottom of the ninth. With pinch-runner Pablo Ozuna on first and no outs, Aaron Rowand tried to lay down a bunt, but it went directly to Chone Figgins at third, who threw out Ozuna at second. So much for small ball. It just wasn’t the White Sox’ night.