The Pecan Park Eagle

ART IMITATES LIFE. – BRAD LIDGE BLOWS SWEEP IN 9TH. – IGUCHI GRAND SLAM FOR 7-6 WHITE SOX WIN DROPS ASTROS’ LEAD IN GAMES WON TO 3-1.

Brad Lidge Eyes Tadahito Iguchi Rounding Bases in 9th.

The Houston Astros were right there – right there at the door of a sweeping victory celebration of their first ever World Series championship.

Didn’t happen.

Let’s explore why not.

Let’s begin with a familiar first scene in this all too well-known script.

Act I: Things Start Well.

The Astros grabbed the early lead in the bottom of the 2nd when Morgan Ensberg led off with a rope-skipping double to left center and then came home on a towering home run to right by Jason Lane. HOUSTON 2 – CHICAGO 0.

Houston added two in the 3rd. After Oswalt led off with a single to left, Taveras hit into a force play. Taveras then came all the way home on a Biggio chalk-kicking double down the right field line. HOUSTON 3 – CHICAGO 0. Berkman then walked, but he and Biggio both quickly advanced to 2nd and 3rd bases on a wild pitch by Sox starter Freddie Garcia. Biggio then scored an a long sacrifice fly out by Morgan Ensberg. HOUSTON 4 – CHICAGO 0.

ACT II: Things Bode Well.

The Astros tacked it on the Sox in the bottom of the 5th. Garcia fanned Taveras and Biggio to start things, but a single to left by Berkman and a booming home run shot beyond Tai’s Hill by Ensberg spread the lead to cork-popping intensity. HOUSTON 6 – CHICAGO 0.

ACT III: Things Fall Apart.

Through the first five innings of Game 4, the Chicago White had continued their skein of goose eggs, giving them a run of 42 straight scoreless frames in this Series, plus one more from 1919 and World Series record of 43 straight run-less innings by a single club’s offense.

Not very pretty, but the bad luck of the Chicago south siders was about to encounter the misfortunes of the Houston all siders.

With one out in the top of the 6th, Iguchi and Konerko both walked for the Sox. Those passes brought Astros manager Garner to the mound, who pulled starter Oswalt in favor of reliever Dan Wheeler. Aaron Rowand awaited with unkind greetings. Rowand then broke the Chicago run drought by slamming a caroming triple down the right field line. HOUSTON 6 – CHICAGO 2.  A shaken Wheeler then walked Dye and hit Pierzynski to load the bases before surrendering a deep sac fly to right by Joe Crede. Wheeler then retired Uribe on a liner to Biggio, but the Astros lead had been cut in half. HOUSTON 6 – CHICAGO 3.

BAD OMENS: Houston loaded the bases in the bottom of the 7th, but could not score. Gallo and Springer had kept the score at 6-3 Houston going into the top of the 9th, but now it was World Series closure time. Manager Garner had CALLED upon closer Brad Lidge to ice the sweep of the Chicago White Sox.

TOP OF THE 9TH: After Joe Crede started the Sox off with a double to left, Jose Uribe lifted a can of corn fly to left for the first of what Astros Nation hoped would be the final 3 outs of the Chicago White Sox.

Not to be.

Lidge gave up a sharp single to left by pinch hitter Willie Harris. Crede had to hold at 3rd. Lidge then walked Podsednik to load the bases. Garner again came out for a massive mound meeting, but Lidge stayed in, even though Qualls was heating up in the pen.

Enter the dragon – Tadahito Iguchi!

After running the count to 3-1, Iguchi caught a failed slider on the sweet spot. The ball took of like a cannon ball to left. It kept on low-rising as it splattered into the concourse that runs right behind the Crawford Boxes. Special Series broadcaster Greg Lucas had a possible play on the ball, but declined at the last minute to take it. “I just had my nails done this afternoon,” Lucas later explained.

Pin drop time. Brad Lidge jaw-drop time too. The adjusted score was still trying to burn its way through the latest veneer of Houston Shock: Chicago 7 – Houston 6.

Chad Qualls then came in to get Konerko and Rowand on flies to left and center to end things, but (plug-in your own favorite cliché here. We’ve all heard the one about the horses and the barn door ad nauseum).

Hermanson relieved for the Sox in the bottom of the 9th. He took out Taveras on a 4-3 grounder to Iguchi before retiring Biggio and Berkman on easy flies to left and center. FINAL SCORE: CHICAGO 7 – HOUSTON 6. 

Luis Vizcaino (1-0) got the win and Dustin Hermanson (Sv 1) got the Save for the White Sox. Brad Lidge (0-1, BS 1) picked up the loss and the blown save for the Astros.

“I was trying too hard to not leave that last slider in the dirt,” Lidge explained at the press conference. “I overcompensated and left it over the white part of the plate and you saw the rest.”

“It was a tough loss,” said Craig Biggio, “but now we just have to put it behind us and come out tomorrow and play that game as well as possible.”

“You don’t want a quote from me tonight,” said Astros manager Phil Garner.

“I never give up on my guys,” said a smiling Ozzie Guillen. “Never!”

Mark Buerhle of the White Sox will take the mound against Andy Pettitte of the Astros tonight in Game 5 at Houston.

Tags: 2005 World Series Replay

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