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Chicago strikes out Houston in World Series Game 1

Posted on: Saturday, 22 October 2005, 23:28 CDT

By Emily Kaiser

CHICAGO (Reuters) - The Chicago White Sox called on their bullpen for the first time in five games, and the seldom-used relievers stepped up with three crucial strikeouts to lift Chicago to a 5-3 victory over the Houston Astros in Game 1 of the best-of-seven World Series Saturday.

Joe Crede homered and made several sparkling defensive plays to rob the Astros of at least two runs as Chicago drew one step closer toward what would be its first world championship since 1917. It was the first time the White Sox had won a World Series game since 1959, when they beat the legendary Sandy Koufax 1-0.

"You've got to give Crede credit," Astros Manager Phil Garner said. "We hit some balls a foot one way or another, it might be a different ball game. But it wasn't. They made the plays."

It didn't start out as the pitching duel that many had expected, with Roger Clemens lasting just two innings for Houston and Chicago forced to call on its bullpen for the first time since Game 1 of the American League Championship Series.

The teams combined to hit three home runs, while the vaunted pitching staffs gave up a combined five walks and hit three batsmen.

But Chicago's bullpen delivered. With runners at first and third and no one out in the 8th inning, the Sox clinging to a one-run lead, lefty Neal Cotts struck out Morgan Ensberg and Mike Lamb -- who had homered earlier in the game -- before turning it over to rookie closer Bobby Jenks.

Jenks, who hadn't pitched since the Division Series against the defending champion Boston Red Sox, struck out Astros slugger Jeff Bagwell on a pitch clocked at 100 miles per hour. He got the last three outs in the 9th for the save, bringing the screaming crowd of 41,206 to its feet.

NO REST, NO RUST

There had been some concern that the relievers would be rusty after so many days off, but Guillen said they stayed loose by playing catch and throwing simulated games.

"I don't have any worries about my bullpen," White Sox Manager Ozzie Guillen said. "We win a lot of ballgames because of them."

Indeed, Guillen was so relaxed that when he signaled for Jenks to come into the game, he stretched his hands out wide in reference to Jenks's girth -- something he had done for a laugh earlier in the season, but it came as a bit of a surprise in such a clutch situation with millions of spectators around the world watching.

"I think it's pretty funny, calling the big guy in," Jenks said about Guillen's gesture. "I know he does a lot of things out of humor. He doesn't mean anything by it. I'm taking the smile with it."

Future Hall of Famer Clemens, 43, left after two innings with a strained left hamstring -- an injury that has plagued him down the stretch. He gave up three runs on four hits, striking out just one.

White Sox starter Jose Contreras pitched 7-plus solid innings for the win, giving up three runs on six hits, but he ended Chicago's streak of four consecutive complete games. Sox relievers pitched just two-thirds of an inning during the entire ALCS.

Houston needed three pitchers to get through just the first six innings Saturday.

Right fielder Jermaine Dye got the White Sox on the board early with a 383-foot solo home run off Clemens in the first, but Houston quickly tied it up in the second with first baseman Mike Lamb's 405-foot homer to center.

Back-to-back singles by Carl Everett and Aaron Rowand put the White Sox back in the lead in the bottom half of the second. Everett scored on a ground ball by catcher A.J. Pierzynski, who later came around to score on a double by shortstop Juan Uribe.

But Contreras, who was dominant in Sunday's pennant-winning victory over the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim, couldn't hold the lead for the second time. Left-fielder Lance Berkman tied it up in the third with a two-run double in the third.

Crede, the ALCS hero for twice driving in the game-winning runs, homered in the fourth to put the Sox ahead for good. Chicago tacked on an insurance run in the 8th on an RBI triple by speedster Scott Podsednik.

Source: REUTERS

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