White Sox Win 5-4, One Win From Advancing

By Benjy Lipsman in News on Oct 6, 2005 3:12PM

While Wednesday's game was a lot closer than Tuesday's, the results were ultimately the same as the White Sox took a 2-0 series lead by beating the Red Sox 5-4.

The Red Sox jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning and extended their lead to 4 runs by the 3rd. The White Sox answered with a 5-run 5th inning, capped off by Tadahito Iguchi's 3-Run homer off David Wells. While Mark Buehrle looked a little shaky early on, he settled down and held the Red Sox scoreless during his final 4 innings of work. Rookie Bobby Jenks pitched the 8th and 9th innings, holding the one-run lead and recording a rare 6-out save.

The series now heads to Boston, where the Sox and Sox face off Friday and Saturday at Fenway Park. The White Sox have a chance to close it out and win their first playoff series since... well, since the last won the World Series in 1917. If fact, it's been so long since the White Sox last won a playoff series that even Arthur Valasquez was only 4 years old at the time.

Ninety year old Arthur, along with his his son Edward (55), Edward Jr. (28), and William (5) -- 4 generations of Valesquezes -- threw out the ceremonial first pitches before the game. While probably too young at the time to actually remember the 1917 world series victory, Arthur remembered seeing Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig play. The Yankees have won more than two dozen titles since then. Even the Red Sox have won twice (1918 and 2004) since the White Sox last won. Maybe this is finally our year.