Wednesday, May 03, 2006
GAME 29: WHITE SOX 6, MARINERS 5 (11 INNINGS)
[initial partial post]
In 25 words or less: The early lead, the collapse, the odd comeback, the demoralization, and the predictable end.
This one featured Gil Meche going up against Freddy Garcia. Coming into the game, the Mariners had only scored seven first-inning runs all year. In a note that surprises nobody, Raul Ibañez hits .571 against Freddy Garcia. It was all too familiar being on the other side of that equation, though now the Mariners of course don't have Freddy Garcia.
TOP 1ST
Ichiro popped the second pitch to Mackowiak in shallow leftcenter. Jose Lopez popped high to left. Raul Ibañez smacked a 2-0 single to leftfield. Richie Sexson had the hitters' counts but grounded the full-count pitch to short. Garcia threw 15 pitches.
BOTTOM 1ST
Scott Podsednik walked on a 3-1 high pitch. Tadahito Iguchi was ahead 2-0 and watched Podsednik get picked off of first by Meche. Iguchi singled to leftfield shortly after. Jim Thome chopped a 1-2 pitch to Sexson to start a 3-5-1 double play (Beltre was shifted). Meche threw 13 pitches.
TOP 2ND
Carl Everett fell behind 0-2 and rolled the 1-2 pitch to second. Adrian Beltre was ahead 3-0 before lining a full-count laser into the glove of a diving Crede at third. Matt Lawton bounced the first pitch to second. Garcia threw 12 pitches and had 27 through two.
BOTTOM 2ND
Paul Konerko took a 1-2 pitch over the inside corner. AJ Pierzynski bounced the second pitch to Sexson at first (3-1 putout). Joe Crede was ahead 2-0 before rolling to second. Meche threw ten pitches and had 23 pitches through two.
TOP 3RD
Kenji Johjima tapped a 2-0 pitch back to the mound. Yuniesky Betancourt was ahead 2-0 before popping high to Iguchi in shallow center. Ichiro chopped the second pitch to first. Garcia threw nine pitches and had 36 through three.
BOTTOM 3RD
Rob Mackowiak nubbed the second pitch slowly to the right side, where the ball passed Meche and Lopez barehanded the ball and threw it to Sexson just in time as he fell to the ground. Juan Uribe flew out to Lawton in deep center. Russ Gload was ahead 3-0 before flying out to Lawton in leftcenter on a 3-1 pitch. Meche threw ten pitches and had 33 through three.
TOP 4TH
Lopez was plunked in the jersey as he tried to evade a pitch. Ibañez laced a first-pitch single into centerfield, moving Lopez to second. Sexson nubbed the second pitch on top of the plate and it stayed there, and Pierzynski got the ball and tagged Sexson in the box as there was some confusion as to what went on. However, Lopez and Ibañez moved to third and second. Everett popped high to Gload in rightfield to score Lopez. Gload's throw went to third to hold Ibañez at second.
»» MARINERS 1, WHITE SOX 0
Beltre was ahead 3-1 before reaching on a full-count pitch and rolling to short. Garcia threw 15 pitches and had 51 through four.
BOTTOM 4TH
Podsednik chopped to Sexson on a full count (3-1 putout). Iguchi thought his 3-1 pitch was up and in and then grounded hard to first. Thome had the hitters' counts before walking on a full-count pitch inside. Konerko got ahead 2-0 before bouncing to third for a 5-4 fielder's choice. Meche threw 23 pitches and had 56 through four.
TOP 5TH
Lawton grounded hard to first. Johjima popped the first pitch to Podsednik on the track in leftcenter. Betancourt rolled an 0-2 pitch to first. Garcia threw seven pitches and had 58 through five.
BOTTOM 5TH
Pierzynski ripped the first pitch to right for a single. Crede fell behind 0-2 before flying out to a running Lawton in shallow leftcenter. Mackowiak flew out to Lawton in deep leftcenter on a full count as Pierzynski held at first. Uribe fell behind 0-2 before chopping a 1-2 pitch to a charging Beltre, who made the off-balance throw to first, as he often does. Meche threw 17 pitches and had 73 through five.
TOP 6TH
Ichiro rolled up the middle to Iguchi, ranging to his backhand side to make the play. Lopez punched the first pitch through the left side for a single. Ibañez bounced the second pitch right to Iguchi to start a 4-6-3 double play. Garcia threw seven pitches and had 65 through six.
BOTTOM 6TH
Gload took Ibañez to the leftfield track on a 2-0 pitch. Podsednik lined the first pitch off of Meche's glove, but it rolled to Lopez, who threw to first. Iguchi got ahead 2-0 before bouncing a 2-2 pitch back to the mound. Meche threw nine pitches and had 82 through six.
TOP 7TH
Sexson lined out to left. Everett popped the second pitch to right. Beltre whiffed on an 0-2 breaking ball off the plate outside. Garcia threw eight pitches and had 73 through seven.
BOTTOM 7TH
Jeremy Reed came in to play centerfield for Lawton. Thome cranked a 2-1 pitch high and foul and ended up walking on a full-count pitch inside. Konerko doubled on the fly into the leftfield corner for a double, moving Thome to third, the first time Chicago put a baserunner past first base in the game. Pierzynski was intentionally walked to load the bases with nobody out as George Sherrill and Rafael Soriano warmed up in the bullpen.
Rafael Soriano came in for Meche. Crede mashed a belly-high first-pitch fastball just over the wall in leftcenter. Ain't that some sh*@. Meche was visibly upset in the dugout. Better there than on the mound.
»» WHITE SOX 4, MARINERS 1
Mackowiak took a 1-2 slider for strike three. Uribe lined the first pitch right to Betancourt at short. Gload grounded a 3-1 pitch hard to Lopez, who tried to backhand it but it jumped over his glove and into rightfield. Podsednik watched the first pitch as Gload took second. Podsednik ended up fouling a 1-1 pitch to a cameraman in the press box before popping the next pitch to Lopez in shallow center.
Meche's line: 6 innings, 3 runs, 3 hits, 4 walks, 1 strikeout, 96 pitches (49 strikes)
TOP 8TH
Mackowiak moved to rightfield as Brian Anderson came in to play center. Reed doubled to the wall in rightcenter. Johjima served a single into rightcenter to plate Reed. Roberto Petagine was announced to hit for Betancourt.
»» WHITE SOX 4, MARINERS 2
Matt Thornton came in for Garcia. Willie Bloomquist, hitting for Petagine, who never hit, worked an 0-2 count full before punching a seeing-eye single on the ninth pitch of the at-bat to move Johjima to second. Ichiro chopped a 1-2 pitch to a charging Iguchi, who went to first for the out on Ichiro. Johjima and Bloomquist advanced to third and second.
Cliff Politte came in for Thornton. Lopez slapped an 0-2 pitch through the right side for a single to score Johjima and Bloomquist, and Lopez took second when the throw went all the way home.
»» WHITE SOX 4, MARINERS 4
Ibañez was intentionally walked. Sexson got ahead 2-0 and chopped a 2-2 pitch to third, where a 5-4 fielder's choice was completed, but Iguchi threw well over first after the takeout slide by Ibañez, who was out on the play. Lopez scored and Sexson ended up on second at the end of it all.
»» MARINERS 5, WHITE SOX 4
Everett was intentionally walked. Beltre grounded the 1-2 pitch to short for a 6-4 forceout.
Garcia's line: 7 innings, 3 runs, 5 hits, 0 walks, 1 strikeout, 79 pitches (51 strikes)
Thornton's line: 1/3 inning, 1 run, 1 hit, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts, 14 pitches (10 strikes)
Politte's line: 2/3 inning, 1 run (unearned), 1 hit, 2 walks, 0 strikeouts, 20 pitches (9 strikes)
BOTTOM 8TH
Bloomquist stayed in to play short. Iguchi took a full-count pitch over the inside corner.
George Sherrill came in for Soriano. Thome rolled the 1-2 pitch to Lopez in shallow right.
JJ Putz came in for Sherrill. Konerko fell behind 0-2 before whiffing on a 2-2 fastball.
Soriano's line: 1 1/3 innings, 1 run, 2 hits, 0 walks, 2 strikeouts, 23 pitches (14 strikes)
Sherrill's line: 1/3 inning, 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts, 4 pitches (3 strikes)
Putz' line: 1/3 inning, 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 walks, 1 strikeout, 6 pitches (4 strikes)
TOP 9TH
Neal Cotts came in for Politte. Reed bunted the first pitch to the side of the mound, where Cotts made a diving stop and threw in time to first. Johjima had the hitters' counts and lined a full-count pitch into leftcenter but was robbed by Anderson on a full-extension diving catch. Bloomquist doubled off the base of the wall in leftcenter. Ichiro bounced a 3-1 pitch to Iguchi in the right-side hole. Cotts threw 16 pitches.
BOTTOM 9TH
Eddie Guardado came in for Putz. Pierzynski whiffed on a 1-2 slider low off the plate outside. Crede rolled over a pitch outside and bounced to short. Pablo Ozuna, hitting for Mackowiak, busted out the wedge and deposited the ball three rows or so back into the leftfield seats for his first homer in the Majors.
»» WHITE SOX 5, MARINERS 5
Uribe whiffed on a 2-2 pitch inside.
Guardado's line: 1 inning, 1 run, 1 hit, 0 walks, 2 strikeouts, 13 pitches (9 strikes)
TOP 10TH
Ozuna stayed in to play right. Lopez rolled a 2-2 pitch to third. Ibañez took Anderson to fairly deep center on an 0-2 pitch.
Bobby Jenks came in for Cotts. Sexson smoked a line drive directly into Konerko's glove at first.
Cotts' line: 1 2/3 innings, 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts, 25 pitches (15 strikes)
BOTTOM 10TH
Sean Green came in for Guardado. Anderson walked on a 3-1 pitch way inside. Podsednik got ahead 2-0 and pitching coach Rafael Chaves came out to the mound for a visit. Podsednik bunted the next pitch barely in front of the plate as Johjima pounced on it and got Anderson (lead runner) at second. Iguchi lined out to Ibañez on the leftfield track.
Jake Woods came in for Green. Thome walked on a 3-1 pitch low and away. Konerko rolled the second pitch to second. Woods threw seven pitches.
Green's line: 2/3 inning, 0 runs, 0 hits, 1 walk, 0 strikeouts, 11 pitches (4 strikes)
TOP 11TH
Everett rolled the first pitch to Iguchi in the hole on the left side. Beltre laced a 2-0 pitch into centerfield for a single. Reed bounced the first pitch right to third for a 5-4 fielder's choice that Reed beat out. Johjima grounded the second pitch to Konerko, who played it to his backhand side but had the ball go off his glove into rightfield (error), allowing Reed to go to third and Johjima to reach base. Bloomquist bounced the second pitch to Crede down the third-base line, who made a strong throw in time to first.
Jenks' line: 1 1/3 innings, 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts, 13 pitches (9 strikes)
BOTTOM 11TH
Pierzynski reached the sky with the second pitch, but it landed in Ichiro's glove on the rightfield track. Crede popped to Ichiro in fairly deep rightfield. Ozuna bounced a 1-2 pitch up the middle but no one was covering second and Reed was playing back, and Ozuna was able to stretch it to a double. Uribe blooped a single into shallow leftcenter just out of Reed's reach.
»» WHITE SOX 6, MARINERS 5
Woods' line: 1 inning, 1 run, 2 hits, 1 walk, 0 strikeouts, 20 pitches (12 strikes)
---
Gameball: Gil Meche.
Goat: Eddie Guardado.
Yr W-L Pct GB Stk
2001 22-7 .759 -- L1
2002 20-9 .690 2 W2
2003 18-11 .621 3 W1
2000 16-13 .552 6 L1
2005 12-17 .414 10 L6
2004 12-17 .414 10 W2
2006 12-17 .414 10 L2
Hernandez. Contreras. Thursday.
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