Houston hits Blackjack in 13th Inning against White Sox

After blowing a seven run lead and using two key members from the bullpen, the Houston Astros hit the pot and took the win in the 13th inning. The Chicago White Sox didn't play bad, just not good enough. Jim Thome went without a hit all night going 0-6 striking out big in the 13th inning. Tides changed for the Astros when Adam Everett shot a fly ball to right field, Ross Gload made a diving attempt to grab the ball, unsuccessfully. As he dove into foul territory the ball went off his glove into foul terrintory. A fan picked up the ball then after realizing the fault threw it back in the field, but Everett, running the whole time, was awarded third base. Willy Taveras then singled, breaking the tie and giving the Astros the one run needed to win.

Batting Chicago White Sox:
2B: Konerko (15, Oswalt), Mackowiak (8, Oswalt).
HR: Konerko (19, 7th inning off Oswalt, 0 on, 0 out), Iguchi 2 (8, 8th inning off Springer, 2 on, 0 out; 9th inning off Lidge, 3 on, 2 out).
TB: Podsednik 2; Iguchi 8; Konerko 6; Pierzynski; Crede; Ozuna; Uribe; Mackowiak 2; Cintron 2.
RBI: Podsednik (29), Konerko (60), Iguchi 7 (37).
2-out RBI: Podsednik; Iguchi 4.

Tadahito Iguchi hit a three-run homer off Russ Springer in the eighth. In the ninth, Iguchi came to the plate with the bases loaded and hit a grand slam off Brad Lidge, tying the game at 9.

The Astros allowed a grand slam in each game at U.S. Cellular Field, a first for the Houston franchise.

Source

• http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/gameday_recap.jsp?ymd=20060625&content_id=1523349&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

Date

Sun 06/25/06, 9:57 pm EST

ASwaffAll-American

1255 days ago

Score 3

First of all, I have to give a big congrulations to Chad Qualls. After totally blowing it Saturday afternoon, he came out and pitched 2.1 huge innings for the Astros before Nieve could come on and pick up the win. Secondly, I have to apologize to LaRussa. I called him stupid for saying the White Sox were stealing signs, but I'm sold. Three grand slams in three days? Iguchi coming into the game with six homers on the season and then hitting two in two innings? That's absurd.

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All~In~ChicagoVarsity

1255 days ago

Score 0

I don't even know anymore. Every team has stolen a sign from some time or another, but you are right, 3 GSlams is alot. I'm sick of going to the games in Cellular Field and hearing people bitch the whole time about Ozzie or stealing signs. And suprisingly it's the Sox fans (bandwagoners I would bet). How about some serenity in the sport for awhile

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All~In~ChicagoVarsity

1255 days ago

Score 0

I would also like to add that the issue with the homer and grand slam yesterday was nothing more than very poor pitching by the Astros. No exuse for them to let the Sox rally that many runs.

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ASwaffAll-American

1255 days ago

Score 0

I think it also has to do with good offense by the White Sox. But, their offense isn't THAT good. They needed some help from some very poor pitching to do what they did. Like that hanging slider from Qualls. I think I could have taken him deep on that pitch.

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FornelliTee-Baller

1255 days ago

Score 0

Stealing signs!? How freaking hard is it to know that when you come up to the plate with the bases loaded the last thing a pitcher wants to do is throw a ball. So you sit there and look fastball and if you see it you hit it. WHen Iguchi had a 3-2 count does he need to be stealing signs to know that the pitcher is going to try to throw a strike in this situation? I mean come on, have you never played baseball? The simple fact is that the Astros bullpen is horrible, and the White Sox offense is amazing. They lead the league in homers and runs scored, and guess what!? They DO IT AT HOME AND ON THE ROAD. Three grand slams is a lot, thats true, but with the White Sox lineup, if you load the bases 3 times you face the prospect of giving up three slams. If the Sox were stealing signs explain why it is that Roy Oswalt had them on complete lockdown the entire game? By accusing a team of stealing signs you take away from the fact that Oswalt was just spectacular last night. The White Sox are an extremely powerful offensive team, and they have been really hot the last few weeks, in a zone like state, and that is ALL that is going on.

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ASwaffAll-American

1255 days ago

Score 0

Chill, Fornelli. I was just playing around. I don't actually think they were stealing signs. Calm down.

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FornelliTee-Baller

1255 days ago

Score 1

Sorry. Just as a Sox fan and Chicagoan I've had to subject myself to a whole lot of BS with Ozzie this week, and allegation of stealing signs just added to it. That and I love my White Sox and get extremely defensive over people trying to demean anything they do. Didn't mean to go off like that, but there are still people out there who echo exactly what you just said, and mean it. So in case any of them read this I wanted to get my point out. It does get annoying that it seems nobody wants to give this team any credit. Nobody ever did it last year, and then they won the World Series, and have continued at the same pace this season, but still nobody quite believes they're just better than everybody else. When the Yankees do it it's cuz they're the Yankees, when the White Sox do it it's cuz they're crazy manager is a cheat.

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