9 is the Magic Number

By Benjy Lipsman in News on Sep 21, 2005 4:43PM

Wow! What a game played last night between the White Sox and Indians. A game that saw 5 lead changes and 10 innings ended with a walk-off home run by Joe Crede to win the game. The game was full of surprises, from Crede's two homer performance, to Uribe's incredible throw to end an inning and save a run to Rowand's uncharacteristic misplay in center field that allowed the tying run to score. The atmosphere from first pitch to the end of the 10th was electric like playoff baseball. Maybe it's a little more fun that there actually is a race for the division.

Last night's win gives the Sox a little breathing room in the standings. The White Sox now hold a 3 1/2 game lead over Cleveland with 12 games left to play. That's sure a lot more comfortable than 1 1/2 games had they lost. A win tonight is still key, however, both psychologically and in the standings. The Sox clearly have the more difficult schedule the rest of the way, including having to face the Twins' Johan Santana tomorrow night. Meanwhile, the Tribe face off against Runelvys Hernandez in Kansas City. A win can give the Sox the boost they need to finish strong.