2008 Woodie Awards
White Sox close playoff deficit to 2-1
Rick Gano, AP
Issue date: 10/6/08 Section: Sports
CHICAGO (AP) _ Thanks to John Danks and the White Sox, Chicago still has one team standing.
Danks pitched another big game to save the season and well-traveled DeWayne Wise delivered a two-run double as the White Sox beat Tampa Bay 5-3 Sunday, trimming the Rays' lead in their AL playoff series to 2-1.
Game 4 in the best-of-five matchup is Monday in Chicago, with Gavin Floyd facing Tampa Bay's Andy Sonnanstine.
Less than 24 hours after the Cubs were swept out of the playoffs by the Dodgers, dashing Chicago's hopes for a crosstown World Series, the White Sox avoided elimination before a black-shirted, white towel-waving crowd of 40,142 in their home park.
"At least we play tomorrow," White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said. "Like I say, we played against the wall before and came out of it."
Danks, who beat Minnesota 1-0 last Tuesday in the tiebreaker for the AL Central title, shut down the Rays for 6 2-3 innings.
"I was more nervous going into the Minnesota game than this game," he said. "Guys try to approach it like a game in June. I think that helps take pressure off us."
The 23-year-old lefty gave up five hits and a run before B.J. Upton hit a long, two-run homer with two outs in the seventh that made it 5-3.
After a single by Carlos Pena, Octavio Dotel threw a third strike past Evan Longoria.
Bobby Jenks pitched the ninth, striking out Pena with a nasty curveball with a runner on for his fifth postseason save. He had four in 2005, including two in the World Series victory over Houston.
The Rays are only the second team in major league history - first in the AL - to make the postseason after having the worst record in the majors the previous season. Tampa Bay went from 96 losses to 97 victories and was trying to become the fifth team to sweep its first postseason series.
After the Rays won 6-4 and 6-2 at home, the White Sox were revived at U.S. Cellular Field, where they were 54-28 this season.
Danks pitched another big game to save the season and well-traveled DeWayne Wise delivered a two-run double as the White Sox beat Tampa Bay 5-3 Sunday, trimming the Rays' lead in their AL playoff series to 2-1.
Game 4 in the best-of-five matchup is Monday in Chicago, with Gavin Floyd facing Tampa Bay's Andy Sonnanstine.
Less than 24 hours after the Cubs were swept out of the playoffs by the Dodgers, dashing Chicago's hopes for a crosstown World Series, the White Sox avoided elimination before a black-shirted, white towel-waving crowd of 40,142 in their home park.
"At least we play tomorrow," White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said. "Like I say, we played against the wall before and came out of it."
Danks, who beat Minnesota 1-0 last Tuesday in the tiebreaker for the AL Central title, shut down the Rays for 6 2-3 innings.
"I was more nervous going into the Minnesota game than this game," he said. "Guys try to approach it like a game in June. I think that helps take pressure off us."
The 23-year-old lefty gave up five hits and a run before B.J. Upton hit a long, two-run homer with two outs in the seventh that made it 5-3.
After a single by Carlos Pena, Octavio Dotel threw a third strike past Evan Longoria.
Bobby Jenks pitched the ninth, striking out Pena with a nasty curveball with a runner on for his fifth postseason save. He had four in 2005, including two in the World Series victory over Houston.
The Rays are only the second team in major league history - first in the AL - to make the postseason after having the worst record in the majors the previous season. Tampa Bay went from 96 losses to 97 victories and was trying to become the fifth team to sweep its first postseason series.
After the Rays won 6-4 and 6-2 at home, the White Sox were revived at U.S. Cellular Field, where they were 54-28 this season.
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