5 reasons Sox still alive
Here are five subtle instances when Sunday's Game 3 nudged closer to the White Sox' win column:
1. Thome double
The situation: After striking out in his first at-bat on nothing but fastballs in the high 90s from Matt Garza, Jim Thome digs in to lead off the fourth with the score 1-1.
The result: Garza guns in his first pitch at 96 mph, and Thome anticipates it. He lines it off the blue POSTSEASON 2008 padding in center and cruises into second to ignite a 3-run inning.
The quotes: "He was throwing 97," Thome said. "There was really only ONE pitch to look for. He's got a very good arm - very good arm."
"I just missed the spot," Garza said. I throw that ball in, he maybe pops it up. I throw that ball right down the middle, and he hits it off the wall."
2. Griffey's tag-up
The situation: Bases loaded with nobody out in the fourth. Alexei Ramirez comes to the plate with the score still tied at 1-1.
The result: Ramirez lofts a flyball to medium-deep center field. When B.J. Upton catches the ball, Jim Thome tags up and scores while Paul Konerko tags and heads to third.
When Upton fires the ball in to cutoff man Jason Bartlett at short instead of throwing directly to second, Ken Griffey tags up and just sneaks into second ahead of Bartlett's throw.
That's huge because Dewayne Wise follows with a 2-run double that wouldn't have scored Griffey otherwise. He would have finished the inning stranded at third.
The quote: "I know there's not a shot at the plate, and it's going to be tough to get him at third base, too," Upton said. "My thing right there is to hit the cutoff man and see what happens.
"That's heads-up baserunning by Griffey. In playoff baseball, the little things win ballgames. That was one of the little things."
3. Crawford's whiff
The situation: After walking Evan Longoria leading off the sixth, John Danks falls behind Carl Crawford 2-0. If he walks him, the tying run comes to the plate.
Ozzie Guillen comes out to the mound to "more or less" encourage Danks to throw strikes.
The result: Danks battles back and strikes out Crawford on a 3-2 fastball that barely, if at all, grazes the inside corner of the plate. The Rays are upset with the call, but Danks gets back on track and finishes the inning unscathed.
The quote: "The ball crossed the plate, but I missed A.J. (Pierzynski) by however wide the plate is, 18 inches or whatever," Danks said with a smile. "He was set up outside and the ball ran in. Luckily I got the call."
4. Longoria's whiff
The situation: The Sox are on the run. B.J. Upton hits a 2-run homer to cut the lead to 5-3. Carlos Pena hits a two-out single to chase John Danks. Octavio Dotel comes in to face cleanup man Evan Longoria.
The result: Longoria checks his swing on the first pitch, but first-base umpire Jeff Kellogg says he didn't on the appeal. Replays reveal he did. In any case, that changes the at-bat completely and Longoria winds up striking out looking on a pitch that appeared a little high and outside.
As soon as "God Bless America" ends during the stretch, Longoria starts kvetching to Pena while standing in the infield.
The quote: "That's just the way the game is," Longoria said. "Umpires make mistakes, and I don't know if he did or he didn't, but I definitely thought some of them were borderline calls."
5. Jenks' escape
The situation: With two outs in the ninth, B.J. Upton rips a single to bring Carlos Pena, he of the 31 regular-season home runs, to the plate as the tying run.
The result: Jenks throws two fastballs right down the middle that Pena fouls straight back, then he freezes him with a perfect curve to end the game. Did Jenks mean to throw those fastballs where he did?
The quote: "Heck, no, those were (bleep) shots right there," Jenks said with a laugh. "Pitches like that - mistakes - those are how you lose ballgames. I was just lucky enough he fouled 'em off.
"I threw the curve where I wanted. One out of three."