It’s funny, given the guys that started the game (Clemens, Contreras), you would have expected much more of a pitchers’ duel between these two. In fact, both pitchers were knocked around pretty early; after two innings, the score was 3-3, and find me an oddsmaker who thought that would happen. The difference, though, was that Clemens left after the 2nd with a hamstring injury, and Contreras stayed on until the 8th.
The truth is, as much catch-up ball as Houston played (Lance Berkman’s 2RBI double silenced the Comiskey faithful, at least for a little while), this was Chicago’s game to lose, and they knew it. As soon as Clemens left the game, the Sox were in control. Wandy Rodriguez walked way too many people, and the Houston bats sure as hell didn’t have an answer for the Sox bullpen. They had runners on first and third, with nobody out, and didn’t score. Strikeout, strikeout, strikeout. That’s pathetic. I don’t care if Jenks can throw 100 mph. So could Kyle Farnsworth, and people have never had any problem hitting him.
The funniest part about the game was the fact that Jeff Bagwell, starting his first postseason game this year, was the one who was plunked twice. Not Craig Biggio, the one who holds the MLB record for most plunks. No, it’s his fellow Killer B, the much larger Bagwell, who is hit twice. Well, if he’s not going to get a hit, I suppose getting hit somewhat balances it out.
