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Posted: Monday, 29 September 2008 5:53PM Record Rookie Slam and
Another Elimination Avoided WBBM NewsRadio 780.com Reporting

CHICAGO — Alexei Ramirez took the first pitch he saw in the sixth
inning into White Sox history. The grand slam put the Sox ahead to
stay in an 8-2 elimination game win over Detroit. The fourth slam for
the rookie is a Major League Baseball record. The 12th as a team is a
franchise record. The only record that matters today is 88-74, which
both the white Sox and the Twins have earned. The White Sox survived
at home for the second straight game, this time in a must-win game
Monday evening. By closing Detroit’s season a day after ending
Cleveland’s season, the Sox earned a chance to win the Division
with a third straight elimination game against Minnesota, at home
tonight. The three straight elimination game in three nights against
different foes is also a Major League Baseball record, headed for the
Hall of Fame. Tonight, the winner takes the Central Division and moves
into the American League playoffs this Thursday at Tampa. John Danks
starts for Chicago on three days’ rest against Nick Blackburn. The
division champ begins the playoffs at Tampa Bay on Thursday. “It’s
only about one game and that’s great,” White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen
said. “A good feeling.” . The White Sox are 7-2 at home against the
Twins his season When Guillen told Ramirez to relax before batting
with the bases loaded, the 27-year-old infielder made a promise. “I
told Ozzie to have confidence in me. I’m going to go out and get these
runners home somehow,” he said. His time with the Cuban national team
taught him about big games. “My team in Cuba was always in the
playoffs and I played in the Olympics and international games. I’ve
been in tougher situations, I feel,” he said through a translator.
Washed out earlier this month, Chicago and Detroit waited through a
rain delay of more than three hours before starting. Floyd (17-8) won
on three days’ rest — short rest has been successful trend for many
teams in the stretch. The loss left the Tigers in last place, capping
a season they began with hopes of reaching the World Series. “It’s
been a tough year,” manager Jim Leyland said. “Today pretty much sums
up what’s gone on all year, really. It hasn’t been a very good year
and it wasn’t a very happy ending.” Detroit, with nothing really to
play for, took a 2-1 lead into the sixth. But former White Sox ace
Freddy Garcia, who’d allowed only two hits to that point, had to leave
with tightness in his right shoulder with a runner on second and no
outs. When Garcia left, things got wild. Leyland summoned Armando
Galarraga (13-7) — the team’s best starter this season — and he
threw two wild pitches that allowed the tying run to score. After
Jermaine Dye walked, Bobby Seay relieved and threw Detroit’s third
wild pitch of the inning. Jim Thome struck out, but after an
intentional walk to Konerko, Seay also walked Ken Griffey Jr. to load
the bases. Ramirez sent the first pitch from Gary Glover, another
former White Sox pitcher, into the left-center field bleachers,
setting off a happy trip around the bases for the rookie whose
nickname is “The Cuban Missile.” Floyd gave up five hits and one
earned in six innings. He struck out eight and walked two while
throwing 118 pitches. “He admitted he was nervous, which was good
because if you’re not nervous in that situation, there’s something
wrong with you,” White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski said. “He didn’t
have his best stuff but he battled and made pitches when he had to to
get through it.” Pierzynski added an RBI double during a two- run
eighth. Floyd’s error helped Detroit take a 2-1 lead in the sixth.
Miguel Cabrera doubled with one out before Marcus Thames hit a hard
liner that White Sox third baseman Juan Uribe snagged for the second
out. When Ryan Raburn hit a slow roller between the plate and mound,
Floyd bobbled the ball while reaching down to pick it up and threw
high past Konerko at first, allowing Cabrera to score. Chicago scored
in the first but had a much bigger inning brewing when the first three
batters reached against Garcia. He walked Orlando Cabrera and DeWayne
Wise before Dye hit an RBI single, but retired the next three batters.
Detroit tied it in the fifth as Raburn singled, stole second and
scored when Brandon Inge doubled to left over the leaping Wise. After
his early struggles, Garcia rebounded, retiring 11 straight before
Griffey singled with two outs in the fourth. Garcia was 40-21 with
Chicago from 2004-06 and won three games in the postseason of 2005,
including the clinching Game 4 of the World Series. He is close
friends with Guillen and they texted each other leading up to the
game. Guillen warned that the White Sox had better “be ready for
Freddy.” Garcia was traded to the Phillies after the 2006 season for
Gio Gonzalez and Floyd, and both of the starters wore jersey No. 34 on
Monday. Garcia, who had shoulder surgery in August 2007, signed a
minor league contract with the Tigers on Aug. 14 of this year and was
making his third start for Detroit.

John Danks pitched a gem. Jim Thome provided the run. And The Chicago
White Sox fans made the city’s baseball joy compelete as Soxtober
arrived on schedule. WBBM’s Lisa Fielding was in the middle of the
South Side party.

Daley Plaza was filled with Cubs fans eager to celebrate the beginning
of the post-season with a noontime rally. WBBM’s Steve Miller was
there.

WBBM’s Mike Krauser has been talking with a prominent local economist
who sees danger in the bailout.

Among the stories: The man behind the $700 billion bailout plan,
Secretary of the Treasury Henry Paulson. A look at the state of Iraq.

In a bold bid to revive President Bush’s multibillion-dollar financial
rescue plan, Senate leaders scheduled a vote for Wednesday night.

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Vazquez sox game in jim thome career stats

An Central title, anyone? After blowing chances to seize first place
on consecutive nights with the knowledge that Minnesota had lost, the
will get another shot to force at least a makeup game if they win
Sunday or the Twins lose to the Royals again. “I don’t know how to
describe it — lucky or nobody wants to take it,” manager said
Saturday night after a 12-6 loss to the Indians, their fifth in a row.
“For us to take it, we have to want it and fight through it. I’m not
going to say I’m not seeing that because I am seeing that. “But from
somewhere, I’m not saying we have to get better because it can’t be
worse than this, but I want to see us get it done.”

They will have to do it with left-handed ace struggled with Saturday
for the second time this season. Even with the knowledge that a
victory would give the Sox the upper hand in the division race,
Vazquez was knocked out during a six-run fifth inning. The Sox made a
late push with four runs in the eighth as ‘s two-run homer off Jensen
Lewis that cut the Sox’s deficit to 8-6. But the damage before and
after the late rally was too much for the Sox, who remained a half-
game behind the Twins. The Indians pulled away with a four-run ninth.
The Sox’s bullpen has surrendered 12 earned runs in its last 132/3
innings over three games. After allowing a bases-clearing double to
Jamey Carroll and expressing some animated words with catcher that
were caught on television cameras, Vazquez (12-16) was showered with
boos as he left his latest debacle. “I’m not going to talk about it,”
Vazquez said. “After the inning, it’s done for me. It’s between me and
A.J.” Pierzynski was unavailable after the game. Vazquez is 0-3 with a
13.50 ERA in his last three starts — certainly not statistics
the Sox would feel confident with if Vazquez starts the first game of
the American League playoffs Thursday at Tampa Bay. “It has nothing to
do with three days’ rest,” Vazquez said. “I didn’t make my pitches.”
As of now, the only way the Sox wouldn’t play Monday is if Minnesota
beats Kansas City and the Sox lose to Cleveland, thus completing an
ugly end to a promising season. The Sox’s game losing streak is their
longest since dropping seven straight in late April and early May. And
there are few signs of a revival, as the pitching staff gave up six
runs in an inning for the second straight night. “I always say
pitching sets the tone, not just Vazquez,” Guillen said. “It’s how you
play that night. And obviously we’re not setting the tone for the
week.” The Sox are 3-6 in their last nine home games. “The bottom line
is we have to look at each other and say we have the three biggest
games of the year and they have to go for it,” Guillen said. “That’s
the only way we’re going to do it.”