Now it's time for Game 1 of the second American League Division Series from the Rogers Centre in Toronto, The date is Thursday, October 7.:
Blue Jays 1st: Center fielder George Springer led off with a double into the left center power alley. Second baseman Marcus Semien followed with a base hit to right center that scored Springer and gave the Jays a 1-0 lead. First baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. made it three straight hits with a single to left; Semien moved to second. Shortstop Bo Bichette forced Guerrero at second for out number one, with Semien moving to third. White Sox starter Lance Lynn struck out right fielder Teoscar Hermandez swinging for out number two, but designated hitter Lourdes Gurriel Jr. walked to load the bases and bring up left fielder Corey Dickerson, who swung at the first pitch he saw and hit a shallow fly to right that was caught by Adam Engel for the final out. The Jays have left the bases loaded, but they still lead the White Sox 1-0 after one.
White Sox 3rd: Shortstop Tim Anderson led off with a slow roller to first, By running full speed out of the batter's box, he managed to beat Guerrero to the bag for an infield single. Third baseman Yoan Moncada struck out swinging for out number one, which brought first baseman Jose Abreu to the plate. Here's Kenny Albert with the count one ball and one strike:
"This was another huge year for Abreu, as he hit thirty home runs and finished with 117 RBIs. Last year, of course, he was the MVP of the American League in the pandemic-shortened season, as he drove in sixty runs in sixty games. The White Sox failed to make it out of the Division Series, though, as thy lost a thriller to the Twins in five games. Ryu checks Anderson at first, and here's the one-one pitch......HIGH FLY BALL TO DEEP CENTER FIELD! BACK GOES SPRINGER, HE'S AT THE WALL, BUT IT'S GONE! A two-run homer for Jose Abreu that figures to be the first of many in this series, and the White Sox take a 2-1 lead."
Buck Martinez: "Hyun-Jin Ryu got this pitch a little too far up in the strike zone, and you can't do that when you're dealing with someone as powerful as Abreu He just lands all over this pitch and hits it to the deepest part of the ballpark, It has to be well over four hundred feet."
Albert: "438 feet, according to StatCast, And there will almost surely be more where that one came from."
Catcher Yasmani Grandal took a called third strike for out number two, but center fielder Luis Robert kept the inning alive with a base hit to left. Left fielder Eloy Jiminez's fly to left center was caught by Springer to end the inning, but the Pale Hose have taken the lead thanks to Abreu's dinger. After two and a half, it's White Sox 2, Blue Jays 1.
White Sox 4th: First baseman Gavin Sheets led off with a lined single to right. Right fielder Adam Engel's base hit to left center put two men one, Second baseman Leury Garcia went down swinging for out number one, but Anderson stroked a base hit up the middle to score Sheets and make it 3-1 Chicago, Moncada banged a double off the wall in right to score Engel and Anderson and put the Sox up 5-1, and Abreu's sizzler into the left center power alley allowed him to change places with Moncada ad gave the visitors a 6-1 lead. That was all for Ryu; Francisco Berrios came out of the bullpen to face Grandal, who smacked the first pitch he saw into right for a base hit that put runners at the corners. But the new Jays pitcher retired Robert on a pop to short and Jimenez on a popup to second to end the inning, The Sox have expanded their lead by scoring four runs on six hits. They also left runners at the corners, but as we go to the bottom of the fourth in Game 1 they lead the Blue Jays 6-1.
Blue Jays 4th: Third baseman Santiago Espinal led off with a base hit to left center. but catcher Reese McGuire struck out swinging for out number one. Springer was next, and here's Kenny with the count one ball and one strike:
"Springer was limited to seventy-eight games this season, but he still managed to hit twenty-two home runs and provide a spark at the top of the Blue Jays' lineup. This is probably Lynn's last inning, as he's getting close to the eighty-pitch mark. Garrett Crochet is throwing in the Chicago bullpen. One-one to Springer is HIT HIGH AND DEEP TO CENTER! BACK IS ROBERT, LOOKING UP, BUT IT'S GONE!.......Abreu hit a home run to the deepest part of the park for the White Sox earlier, and now George Springer does it for the Jays to make this a 6-3 game."
Martinez: "Lynn's getting a bit tired and starting to leave his pitches out over the plate, and that's how Springer got a hold of this one, He has tremendous power, and once he gets hold of a mistake it's headed out of the park, (Sox manager) Tony LaRussa doesn't look pleased, and Crochet's really starting to bear down in the bullpen,"
Semien was called out on strikes, but Guerrero singled up the middle to keep the inning alive. Bichette beat out a bouncer to short for an infield single to put two men on, and a walk to Hernandez loaded the bases and ended Lynn's day. Crochet got Gurriel to ground to short on the second pitch, and the Jays had left the bases loaded. They've crept a bit closer thanks to the dinger from Springer; after four, it's Chicago 6, Toronto 3.
White Sox 5th: Sheets led off with a walk against Berrios, which brought Engel to the plate. Here's Kenny:
"In the leadup to this series, LaRussa wanted nothing to do with the idea of a curse. He said that whether the Sox haven't won a championship in a hundred and four years or a thousand and four years has no bearing on the series whatsoever. He's right, of course, but we'll see how his team reacts as the pressure mounts throughout the postseason. First pitch to Adam Engel is HIT HIGH AND DEEP TO CENTER! BACK GOES SPRINGER, TO THE TRACK, TO THE WALL, AND IT IS GONE!,,,,,,,,That's three home runs tonight, all hit to the deepest part of the park, and Engel's blast has extended the White Sox' lead to 8-3 here in the fifth."
Martinez: "There must be a magnet out in center field that's pulling balls toward it or something, Kenny. As you just said, this is the third home run of the night, and they've all been no doubters over that fence out there. This one looked to be longer than Abreu's, and that one was a moon shot."
Albert: "We have a new leader in the clubhouse, as Engel's homer traveled 444 feet according to StatCast."
Berrios settled down to retire the next three batters in a row. Garcia grounded to second, Anderson tapped to first, and Moncada flew to Hernandez in right. But the Pale Hose have regained their five-run lead thanks to Engel's homer, and halfway through Game 1 they lead the Blue Jays 8-3.
Blue Jays 6th: Guerrero led off against new White Sox pitcher Aaron Bummer. Here's Kenny with the count two balls and no strikes:
"Guerrero certainly lived up to his pedigree and reputation this year, as he hit forty-nine home runs, including one in the one-game playoff in St. Petersburg on Monday, He's certainly one of the main candidates for MVP of the American League as well, and the Blue Jays need him to come through here in the last of the sixth. Bummer's two-ball pitch........HAMMERED DOWN THE LINE IN LEFT, JIMENEZ OVER NEAR THE FOUL POLE, DOES HE HAVE A CHANCE, IT'S STAYING FAIR......Left field umpire Greg Gibson says it's a home run, and Tony LaRussa looks like he wants to challenge this one,"
Martinez: "He's going to lose, Kenny. This ball was fair from start to finish. There was never a hook; it was a straight-up missile off the bat of Vlad Guerrero, and they've talked LaRussa out of the challenge over on the White Sox bench, which is a good thing because that review would have taken about five seconds."
Bummer got the next two outs easily, as Bichette popped to Garcia at second and Hernandez grounded to second. Gurriel singled up the middle to keep the inning alive, and Dickerson's single to right put two men on. But Espinal's fly to Jimenez in left ended the threat. Guerrero's two-run homer has the Jays within one-swing distance, but as we go to the seventh the Sox still lead 8-4.
White Sox 7th: Engel led off with a double into the left field corner against new Jays pitcher Adam Cimber. Garcia's liner was gloved by Semien for out number one, but Engel moved to third om Anderson's fly to deep left and scored on Moncada's double to right, which gave the Sox their ninth run, Abreu went down swinging to end the inning, but the visitors have added another run on two hits while leaving a runner at second. As we stretch north of the border, it's Chisox 9, Bluebirds 4.
White Sox 8th: Jimenez singled to left center with two out against new Toronto pitcher Tim Mayza. Sheets singled up the middle to put two men on, and Engel brought both runners home with a double off the top of the wall in right to put the Sox in double digits. Garcia's two-hopper to short ended the inning, but the Soc have scored a pair of runs on three hits while leaving Engel at second. But Adam's driven in four runs today, and he's a big reason why the Sox lead 11-4 after seven and a half.
Blue Jays 8th: With one out against Sox reliever Matt Foster, Bichette drew a walk. Hernandez hit a grounder to short that should have been a double play, but Anderson couldn't find the handle, which allowed Teoscar to reach. Gurriel's fly to right for the second out allowed Hernandez to move to third and brought Dickerson to the plate. Here's Kenny with the count no balls and a strike:
"The only other time that these franchises have met in the postseason was in 1993, when the Blue Jays defeated the White Sox in the American League Championship Series four games to two on their way to the franchise's only world championship so far. The Sox haven't been to the World Series since 1964, when they lost to the Reds in six games. Dickerson is one for four with a single in the sixth, AND HE DRIVES FOSTER'S ONE-STRIKE PITCH DEEP TO RIGHT CENTER! BACK IS ROBERT, HE LEAPS AT THE WALL, BUT THIS ONE IS GONE!.....Corey Dickerson absolutely crushed that ball! A no-doubt home run. and the Jays' deficit is down to 11-7."
Martinez: " This pitch was supposed to fool Dickerson low and outside, but Foster left it too high, and it was right over the middle of the plate where Dickerson could get to it with no trouble. Perfect home run swing right there, and the Jays are back to within four."
Espinal struck out swinging to retire the side, but Dickerson's blast has cut into the Sox' lead; as we head to the ninth, they're in front of the homestanding Jays 11-7,
That was all the scoring; the Jays put runners at the corners in the bottom of the ninth on a walk to Springer and a single by Semien, but closer Liam Hendriks came out of the bullpen in a non-save situation to strike out Guerrero looking and Bichette swinging to end the game. Final score: White Sox 11, Blue Jays 7, and the White Sox lead the best-of-five series one game to none.
Engel was named Player of the Game by FS1, He was four for four plus a walk with a home run, three runs scored, and four RBIs. Abreu was four for five plus a walk with a home run and three RBIs, and Moncada was two for five plus a walk and three RBIs. Sheets was three for four plus a walk and scored three runs, and Anderson was two for six with an RBI and two runs scored.
For the Jays, Guerrero was three for five with a home run to lead the offense. Dickerson was two for five with a three-run homer, and Springer was two for five plus a walk with a two-run homer. Espinal was three for five and scored a run, Semien was two for six and drove in a run, and Bichette was two for five and scored a run. Starting pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu lasted just three and a third innings, giving up six runs on nine hits while walking two and striking out five. He was charged with the loss.
Final totals: Blue Jays 11-18-1, White Sox 7-16-0.
W- Crochet (1-0)
L-Ryu (0-1)
HR- CWS: Abreu (1), Engel (1)
TOR: Springer (1), Guerrero (1), Dickerson (1)
The series will continue with Game 2 tomorrow night here at the Rogers Centre. First pitch is scheduled for shortly after 8PM Eastern. with Lucas Giolito pitching for the White Sox and Robbie Ray taking the hill for the Blue Jays.
Next: We look at Game 2.
Thoughts?