A few short days after clinching their first AL Central title since 2000, the 2005 White Sox began their postseason journey. The first task, however, would not be easy, as the White Sox welcomed the defending World Series champs to the South Side. The Red Sox had just made history in 2004, becoming the first team to ever come back from a 3-0 deficit in a baseball playoff series, and they rode the momentum of the improbable ALCS comeback to the World Series win. The Red Sox looked to carry over the playoff magic for another year, while the White Sox were looking to prove they belonged with the big dogs.
The White Sox handed the ball to Jose Contreras to kick off the ALDS, and he’d be facing Red Sox all-star righty Matt Clement. The runs came early and often for the White Sox, as Clement’s two hit batters in the first inning both came around to score. An RBI groundout by Paul Konerko and an RBI single by Aaron Roward set up the big blast: a three-run homer off the bat of A.J. Pierzynski. In total, the White Sox scored five runs in the first inning, setting the stage for a Game 1 blowout. Paul Konerko’s first blast of the postseason tacked on another in the third.
White Sox topple Red Sox's year-over-year momentum in Game 1 of 2005 ALDS
Contreras ran into his first bout of trouble in the fourth, after a pair of leadoff singles led to a run on a wild pitch and an RBI double by Kevin Millar. The White Sox got the runs right back in the bottom half of the fourth, and a two-run homer by Juan Uribe made it an 8-2 game and spelled the end of the line for Matt Clement.
The White Sox could’ve stopped there, but instead, they kept piling on. A run-scoring single by Uribe in the sixth, followed by Scott Podsednik’s first homer all season, put the White Sox lead into double digits. A.J. Pierzynski added his second homer of the day for good measure, and the White Sox laughed their way to a 14-2 victory in Game 1.
Contreras pitched into the eighth inning, and his strong performance would be a foreshadowing of things to come for the White Sox staff. The White Sox headed home happy, but knew the series was far from over, and they’d need to bring it tomorrow against Red Sox starter David Wells. Join us tomorrow as we recap 2005 ALDS Game 2.