Riding the momentum of an ALDS sweep over the Boston Red Sox, the 2005 White Sox headed home to open the ALCS feeling in control. Their opponent, the Los Angeles Angels, had played the night before, wrapping up a five-game series win over the New York Yankees. After a late night of caffeine celebration, the Angels boarded a flight to head to Chicago with no off-day in between playoff series. Game 1 starter Paul Byrd was on short rest against a well-rested White Sox team, who felt they had the advantage going in. ALCS game 1 would turn out to be a wake-up-call for the White Sox, as the sleep-deprived Angels went into Chicago and gave the White Sox all they could handle.
Jose Contreras took the mound for the White Sox coming off his solid performance in the ALDS Game 1 victory. Contreras cruised through a scoreless first, but was greeted rudely in the top of the second, as Angels outfielder Garrett Anderson led off the inning with a home run to give the Angels a 1-0 lead. The Angels added on in the third after a pair of leadoff singles came around to score on a hit by Orlando Cabrera and a fielder’s choice by Vladimir Guerrero, and suddenly the White Sox faced their largest deficit of the postseason at 3-0.
White Sox get much-needed wakeup call in 2005 ALCS Game 1 vs. Angels
White Sox third baseman Joe Crede stepped up in the bottom of the third in an effort to answer the Angels early scoring barrage, and he got ahold of a mistake by Byrd to launch his first home run of the postseason. A two-out hit by A.J. Pierzynski in the bottom of the fourth brought home Carl Everett to narrow the deficit to 3-2, and Jose Contreras rebounded from some early trouble to pitch into the ninth inning. Unfortunately for the White Sox, the Angels pitching staff was locked in, and even when Byrd left the game in the seventh, the White Sox struggled to put together a rally.
The bottom of the ninth came around with the White Sox still trailing by a run, and into the game came All-Star closer Francisco Rodriguez, whose 45 saves in the regular season tied for the American League lead. An error on Angels third baseman Chone Figgins gave the White Sox the leadoff man aboard, but an Aaron Roward sacrifice bunt attempt was thwarted as the Angels were able to get the force at second. A.J. Pierzynski flew out to right, and Joe Crede went down on strikes to finish the ballgame, and the White Sox fell in Game 1 at the hands of the Angels.
A game 1 loss at home was a tough pill to swallow for the White Sox, who now faced a must-win situation in Game 2. Going down 0-2 and losing both games at home would be a massive mountain to climb, so it made winning Game 2 even more crucial, and as they did many times throughout his career, the White Sox would turn to Mark Buehrle to get the job done. Join us tomorrow as we recap 2005 ALCS Game 2.