A big swing by Jim Thome, a strong throw from Ken Griffey Jr. and the marvelous pitching of John Danks helped the White Sox beat the Minnesota Twins 1-0 on Tuesday night to finally decide an American League Central winner.
The White Sox joined the crosstown Cubs in the postseason, the first time since 1906 that both Chicago teams made it. And just as the Cubs did when they clinched the National League Central crown, several White Sox players came back on the field after the final out and sprayed fans with champagne.
“Special. It just proves that Chicago is a great baseball city,” Thome said. “We’re so happy from our end that Sox fans get to enjoy this.”
Next up for the South Siders is a first-round matchup with the Tampa Bay Rays. Game 1 of their best-of-five series is Thursday at Tampa Bay, which won the AL East.
Round Rock product Danks pitched eight innings of two-hit ball on short rest, Thome broke a scoreless tie with a big homer and Griffey threw out Michael Cuddyer at the plate with a tough tag by A.J. Pierzynski as the White Sox won a 163rd-game tiebreaker.
“I was telling my wife before I left the house, ‘You know if we get in, I’m going to really cherish every moment of it,’” Thome said.
Thome’s long drive on a 2-2 pitch from rookie Nick Blackburn traveled an estimated 461 feet to center field to snap a scoreless tie in the seventh. It was the 541st homer for Thome, who raised his right fist as he rounded first base. He hadn’t been to the playoffs since 2001 with the Cleveland Indians.
Griffey, who came to the White Sox in a trade with the Cincinnati Reds so he could have a chance at playing in the postseason, cut down Cuddyer in the fifth. Griffey, who like Thome is 38, will make his first postseason trip since 1997 with the Seattle Mariners.
“He did a heck of a job,” Thome said. “I’m so happy for him, too.”
Bobby Jenks worked a perfect ninth for his 30th save. After replacing Griffey in center, Brian Anderson ended it with a diving catch of Alexi Casilla’s blooper.
“You never want to put 162 games all into one game, but that’s what ended up happening,” Twins slugger Justin Morneau said. “It’s going to hurt for a while.”
Soon after it was over, Pierzynski, Danks and Nick Swisher grabbed a microphone on the field and addressed the delirious crowd.
Former Texas Rangers first-round draft pick Danks, pitching on three days of rest for the first time in his career and with one win in his previous seven starts, held the Twins hitless through the first four innings on a 56-degree night. Cuddyer led off the fifth with a double and moved to third on Delmon Young’s flyout to center.
When Brendan Harris hit a fly to Griffey in shallow center, Cuddyer took off for the plate. He crashed into Pierzynski, who held onto the low, two-hop throw from Griffey while tagging Cuddyer for the out. Pierzynski then popped up and showed the ball as the crowd of 40,354 - mostly dressed in black - roared.
“That play, all I had to do was make a good throw. The credit is all A.J.,” Griffey said. “I put a two-hopper in there and he was able to get it and block the plate. That’s the key there. He put his body on the line for us.”
Danks (12-9) delivered in the biggest came of his brief career. He won a duel with Blackburn (11-11), who retired 13 of 14 before Thome led off the seventh with his long homer.
The White Sox hosted the game because they won a coin flip earlier this month and what an advantage it was: Chicago went 8-2 against the Twins at U.S. Cellular Field this season and 1-8 at the Metrodome.
“That’s a battle between friends,” Chicago manager Ozzie Guillen said, referring to the rivalry. “We just got the last laugh.”
It was the eighth one-game playoff in major league history and the first in the AL since 1995 when Seattle beat the California Angels 9-1 to win the AL West. Playing for the Mariners in that game was Griffey and Chicago bench coach Joey Cora.
Joe Mauer went 0-for-3 Tuesday night but still won his second AL batting title at .328.
The White Sox are the first team in major league history to win their final three games against three different opponents.
