The Chicago White Sox clinched the American League Central title over the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday, just one night after pummeling the Detroit Tigers 8–2 in a rain-delayed makeup game.
Tuesday’s game at Chicago’s U.S. Cellular Field marks the eighth time in history that a tiebreaker decided baseball’s final postseason spot.
ChiSox lefty pitcher John Danks matched up against the Twins’ Nick Blackburn in what turned out to be a solid pitching duel.
Second-year starter Danks was the fourth successive White Sox starter to pitch on only three days rest. He didn’t give up a hit until the fifth inning. He threw 103 pitches into the eighth inning and only allowed one more hit before being relieved by Bobby Jenks, matching his longest outing of the year.
Twins rookie Nick Blackburn put up a valiant effort to match Danks, allowing no runs and only four hits in 6.1 innings of work.
After six scoreless innings, Chicago slugger Jim Thome belted his 541st career homer off of Blackburn, giving the ChiSox a one-run lead after seven. It would turn out to be the difference in a game that would see only two hits by the Twins and five by the White Sox.
The ChiSox, now 89–74, move on to face the AL East champion Tampa Bay Rays (97–65) in a best-of-five series that starts on Thursday at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, FL. The Rays have a 57–24 home record, which should give them some comfort, but the White Sox’s momentum of three straight wins, all under pressure, is very strong right now.
Now both Chicago’s South and North Sides have something to cheer for in the battle for the World Series. The Chicago Cubs (97–64) face off against the L.A. Dodgers (84–78) on Wednesday in a National League encounter.
Tuesday’s game at Chicago’s U.S. Cellular Field marks the eighth time in history that a tiebreaker decided baseball’s final postseason spot.
ChiSox lefty pitcher John Danks matched up against the Twins’ Nick Blackburn in what turned out to be a solid pitching duel.
Second-year starter Danks was the fourth successive White Sox starter to pitch on only three days rest. He didn’t give up a hit until the fifth inning. He threw 103 pitches into the eighth inning and only allowed one more hit before being relieved by Bobby Jenks, matching his longest outing of the year.
Twins rookie Nick Blackburn put up a valiant effort to match Danks, allowing no runs and only four hits in 6.1 innings of work.
After six scoreless innings, Chicago slugger Jim Thome belted his 541st career homer off of Blackburn, giving the ChiSox a one-run lead after seven. It would turn out to be the difference in a game that would see only two hits by the Twins and five by the White Sox.
The ChiSox, now 89–74, move on to face the AL East champion Tampa Bay Rays (97–65) in a best-of-five series that starts on Thursday at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, FL. The Rays have a 57–24 home record, which should give them some comfort, but the White Sox’s momentum of three straight wins, all under pressure, is very strong right now.
Now both Chicago’s South and North Sides have something to cheer for in the battle for the World Series. The Chicago Cubs (97–64) face off against the L.A. Dodgers (84–78) on Wednesday in a National League encounter.
