White Sox edge Twins to reach playoff

CHICAGO: For the first time in more than a century, Chicago has two teams in the Major League Baseball playoffs.

The Chicago White Sox beat the Minnesota Twins 1-0 on Tuesday in a one-game playoff to break the tie in the American League Central division standings, putting them into a five-game AL division series against the Tampa Bay Rays.

John Danks pitched eight innings of two-hit ball on short rest, Jim Thome broke a scoreless tie with a mammoth homer and Ken Griffey Jr. threw out a runner at the plate with a tough tag by catcher A.J. Pierzynski.

The White Sox joined the crosstown Cubs in the postseason - the first time since 1906 that both Chicago teams made it. Back then, before the expansion of the playoff system, the two teams from the Windy City topped the American and National Leagues, and the White Sox beat the Cubs 4-2 in the World Series.

"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."

Thome's long drive to snap a scoreless tie in the seventh inning traveled an estimated 461 feet. It was the 541st career homer for Thome, who hadn't been to the playoffs since 2001 with Cleveland.

Griffey, who came to the White Sox in a trade with the Cincinnati Reds mid-season so he could have a chance at the playoffs, cut down Michael Cuddyer with a nice throw in the fifth. Griffey, who like Thome is 38, will be making his first postseason appearance since 1997 with Seattle.

"He did a heck of a job," Thome said. "I'm so happy for him, too."

Danks, pitching on three days' rest for the first time in his career and with just one win in his previous seven starts, held the Twins hitless through the first four innings. Cuddyer led off the fifth with a double and moved to third on a flyball to centerfield.

Another flyball came to Griffey in shallow center as Cuddyer took off for home 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 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 delivered in the biggest came of his brief career. He won a duel with Minnesota's Nick Blackburn, who retired 13 of 14 batters before Thome led off the seventh with his long homer.

The White Sox hosted the game because they won a coin toss earlier this month, and what an advantage it was: Chicago went 8-2 against the Twins at home this season but only 1-8 at Minnesota.

"Our expectations are to get to the playoffs and go to the World Series every year," Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire said. "It just was a night where we couldn't score any runs. It's really tough right now and we'll just have to live with it."

It was the eighth one-game playoff in major league history and the first in the AL since 1995 when Seattle beat the Angels to win the AL West - a game in which Griffey played for the Mariners.

In the other AL division series, the Los Angeles Angels will take on the Boston Red Sox. In the National League division series, the Cubs meet the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Philadelphia Phillies face the Milwaukee Brewers.

Agencies

(China Daily 10/02/2008 page11)