The Pecan Park Eagle

Konerko HR IN 8th is Difference Maker in 3-1 Sox Win. Astros’ Lead in Games Drops to 3-2. World Series Heads Back to Chicago for Game 6 & 7, If Necessary.

GAME 5: CHICAGO 3 - HOUSTON 1.

KNERKO BLAST PLATES 2, DOWNS QUALLS, ASTROS.

What are the chances that a World Series game that starts out with a lead-off homer by tiny Willie Taveras will hold form as an Astros win? I’m with you. It isn’t highly probable – and it didn’t happen in Game – even though that’s exactly how it all began.

Leading off the bottom of the 1st, Willie Taveras caught up with a second pitch fastball on an 0-1 count and lined it into the left field Crawford Boxes for the first score of the game. Unfortunately for the Astros, Willie T’s swat turned out to be th club’s only score of the game.

With some help n the last two frames from Bobby Jenks and Dustin Hermanson, Mark Buerhle shutdown the Houston Astros the rest of the way, surrendering isolated singles only to Craig Biggio, and Adam Everett from the 3rd through the 9th. The only other time the Astros mildly kicked up a mild threat came in the 7th, when Morgan Ensberg walked, yIelded his place on a grounder force from a ball batted by Jason Lane, and then saw a runner move to 2nd base on a single by Adam Everett after Mike Lamb fanned, Brad Ausmus then ended things on a soft liner to center field.

The Astros uprising in the 7th brought Bobby Jenks in to pitch the 8th and the first two outs of the 9th after the White Sox awakened with a 3-spot 8th and a lasting 3-1 lead in the game.

Prior to the 8th inning, Astros starter Andy Pettitte had held the White Sox to two singles, but he was starting to tire. When Jose Uribe started the top of the 8th with a sharp single to left center, Astros manager Phil Garner pulled him in favor Chad Qualls.

Pablo Ozuna then pinch hit for Sox starter Mark Buerhle and sacrificed Uribe to 2nd base.

Scott Podsednik then singled hard to left to score Uribe with the tying run. When the ball got away from Berkman in left, Podsednik was thrown out on a 7-5 play at 3rd base. The play left it 1-1 in runs, 2 outs, 0 on, top of the 8th.

Tadahito Iguchi then turned up the burner heat with a double into the right center gap. With Paul Konerko coming to bat, Garner went to the mound for a confab with Qualls. After a lot of head shaking and some considerable talking into gloves, things broke up and play resumed.

With the count at 1-2, Paul Konerko then caught a curve that didn’t break and drove it high, far, and wide over the train track in left center for a two-run blast that moved things to what would soon become the final score: Chicago 3 – Houston 1.

Enter Russ Springer to strike out Aaron Rowand and end the threat of further damage to an already fatally infected cause in Game 5.

Orlando Palmiero pinch hit for Russ Springer to start the bottom of the 8th. He walked, but Taveras then fanned and Biggio forced Palmiero on a grounder before Berkman ended the inning on a routine ground ball to short.

Dan Wheeler took the mound for the Astros in the top of the 9th and quickly fanned Timo Perez., who had entered the game in the 7th for Jerome Dye after the starting right fielder was removed from the game by a hard pitch from Andy Pettitte, the second serious HBP by Pettitte in the game. Andy had almost taken out Aaron Rowand in the 4th with a hard pitch that hit him in the back. An umpire’s warning had gone out to both sides after the Dye departure, but pitcher Wheeler either had not heard, did not care, or couldn’t help himself.

When Wheeler plunked A.J. Pierzynski, he was quickly chased. Brad Lidge came in to retire Joe Crede and Jose Uribe on Xerox quality shallow flies to left to end the Sox 9th.

Bobby Jenks struck out Morgan Ensberg and Jason Lane to start the bottom of the 9th, but hen gave up a sharp single to left center by Mike Lamb, prompting Sox manager Guillen to bring in Dustin Hermanson. Jose Vizcaino entered the game as a pinch hitter for Adam Everett, but quickly ended the game on a looping liner fly out to Aaron Rowand in center field.

Final Score: Chicago 3 – Houston 1.  Mark Buerhle (1-1) got the win for Chicago; Bobby Jenks picked up a hold credit (H1); and Dustin Hermanson (S2) grabbed the save. Chad  Qualls (1-1) picked up all the bad medals for losing the game after blowing the save (BS1).

“I am reminded of the words of Bobby Kennedy,” barked Sox manager Ozzie Guillen, “when he said – ‘Now it’s on to Chicago and let’s win there!’ – You know what I mean? I mean – my players play good – and they play even better at home. And that’s good – for Chicago. And I’m always down with whatever’s good for Chicago – on the south side, anyway.”

Lucidity reigns.

As for the Astros, Phil Garner had little to say beyond this gem:  “We know where the airport is. We know where the ballpark is on the south side of Chicago. And we’ll be there on time – and ready to play Game Six. – Count on it.”

Tags: 2005 World Series Replay

This entry was posted on July 12, 2011 at 12:45 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.