Not quite a proud exit for Sox
Indians appear to take pleasure in knockout blow INDIANS 14, WHITE SOX 1
CLEVELAND -- It was on display for everyone to see in early September.
Bad losses in Kansas City and Boston served notice that the White Sox just didn't have what it took to overtake the upstart Detroit Tigers or the ''Pir-ragnas'' from Minnesota.
Sure, they scattered in a few wins along the way, at least offering up a late-summer tease. But on Monday, the once-proud championship stallion finally was taken behind the barn -- or, in this instance, the woodshed -- and put out of its misery.
(AP)
Looking to exact some revenge for a season-ending sweep that cost them a playoff spot last year, the Cleveland Indians made sure there would be no repeat World Series title on the South Side, crushing the Sox 14-1 at Jacobs Field to officially eliminate them from playoff contention.
With the Sox losing and the Minnesota Twins beating the Kansas City Royals 8-1, the bubbly was flowing in the Twin Cities, while the Sox were left trying to figure out where it all went wrong.
''It's definitely disappointing,'' first baseman and team captain Paul Konerko said. ''But it's not like it just happened [Monday]. It's been a process over a month or two where we faded and the other two teams [the Twins and Tigers] kept playing well.''
But to go out in such a lopsided manner after winning their last two against the Seattle Mariners -- that's not how the Sox (87-70) envisioned the end coming.
''If you can't go out there and play a decent game, go out and get your [butt] kicked, it doesn't matter what [Minnesota] does,'' starting pitcher Jon Garland said. ''I'm embarrassed for myself because going out there and doing that is hard to do even if you're throwing fastballs down the middle. It looked like we came out unprepared, and I was the leader of the pack.''
By no means alone, however.
After the Sox put up a run in the first on Jim Thome's sacrifice fly, the Indians (72-84) completely took over.
An A.J. Pierzynski error helped pave the way for four runs in the first. Cleveland got two more in the fifth, courtesy of Brian Anderson misplaying a ball in center field and Juan Uribe botching the relay.
The sixth inning was really one for the archives as the Sox allowed a season-high eight runs, highlighted by Casey Blake's grand slam. It was the Indians' 14th grand slam this season, tying the 2000 Oakland Athletics for the major-league record.
Garland (17-7) allowed 12 runs (eight earned) on 12 hits in 5 1/3 innings.
Not that the sparse crowd of 15,913 didn't enjoy it. Besides the Jacobs Field scoreboard continually flashing the Minnesota lead over Kansas City, and the fact the Sox could be eliminated, manager Ozzie Guillen had to hear it from Indians fans who remembered Guillen making a choke sign at the end of last season.
Guillen maintained all along that it was a gesture to the Indians' mascot, ''Slider,'' who had been harassing him earlier in the game. But in clear view of Guillen behind the dugout Monday was a sign that read, ''Hey, Ozzie, who's choking now?''
''You go out there and you keep reading that scoreboard ... I feel a little weird,'' Guillen said after the loss. ''I did everything in my power, and I think the players, even though the season is not what they wanted, they did, too.''
He didn't get much sympathy from the Indians, though.
''It's not like it made our season,'' Blake said. ''They essentially knocked us out last year. If we kept them from getting in, great.''
As far as the inconsistencies that haunted the Sox all season, Konerko didn't have an answer as much as guesses.
''If we knew, we'd fix it,'' he said. ''The seasons kind of ran together. A lot of guys were banged up -- not that it's an excuse because I know a lot of teams have guys that are banged up. I guess you can say we just ran out of steam.''
Konerko confessed that he has been playing with a bad back since May and now likely will shut it down for the last week.
He won't be the only one to have a long winter, though.
''You can pinpoint a lot, but the bottom line is we're not going,'' Thome said. ''It will be a long winter to go home and reflect.''