Flashback 2005: White Sox sweep Astros, win World Series

Jermaine Dye's clutch single drove in the only run and propelled the White Sox to the team's first World Series title in 88 years

After nearly seven long months, the 2005 season drew to a close, and this season is one that White Sox fans will remember for the rest of their lives.

Heading into the night with a 3-0 series lead, the White Sox had room for error. However, although they four opportunities to finish off the Astros, the White Sox did not need any more chances, as they sealed the deal with a sweep.

Houston starter Brandon Backe was phenomenal in this game, holding the White Sox's bats in check for seven innings. Fortunately, Freddy García countered by continuing his dominant postseason run with an excellent performance of his own. In fact, García went toe-to-toe with Backe, and their pitching lines turned out to be mighty similar. Both starters threw seven scoreless innings, striking out seven. Backe finished with a game score of 74, while García fell just shy, with 73.

In those first seven innings, the White Sox put a runner on third base twice, and the Astros managed to do that only once. Neither team managed to put a runner on third base with fewer than two outs, however.

In the top of the third, Scott Podsednik tripled to right, but Tadahito Iguchi grounded out to end the inning. Houston threatened to score in the sixth, when Willy Taveras singled, and Lance Berkman walked. After Morgan Ensberg made the second out of the inning, Taveras and Berkman executed a double steal, and García intentionally walked Mike Lamb to load the bases. Jason Lane put up a fight, as he fouled off four pitches from García, but he ultimately struck out to end the threat. The following half-inning, Aaron Rowand singled with two outs and nobody on. Then, Joe Crede barely missed a homer but settled for a double to put runners on second and third. But, Juan Uribe struck out to end the threat and bring us to the seventh inning stretch. Interestingly, Rowand slowed down as he rounded second base on Crede's double. Would Rowand have been able to score if he didn't slow down? We'll never know for sure. 

In the top of the eighth, Backe finally departed, and Brad Lidge took over on the mound for Houston. Willie Harris led off with a single, and Podsednik bunted Harris over to second. Then, Ozzie Guillén called on Carl Everett to pinch-hit for Iguchi, and Everett grounded out to the right side to advance Harris to third.

Up to the plate stepped Jermaine Dye, who already had two hits in the game. In this scoreless tie, scoring opportunities were hard to come by, and the White Sox already had wasted a couple. However, the World Series MVP was not going to let this one fall by the wayside. With a single up the middle, Dye drove in Harris to give the White Sox a 1-0 lead.

In the bottom of the eighth, Cliff Politte took over for García. Politte faced four batters, and he retired two of them, but he was responsible for leaving runners on the corners, when Guillén turned to Neal Cotts. Meanwhile, José Vizcaíno, who hit a two-run single with two outs in the ninth to tie Game 2, came on to pinch-hit. Cotts fell behind 2-0, but he fought back to even the count before getting Vizcaíno to hit a harmless ground ball to second.

In the ninth, the White Sox threatened to add an insurance run when A.J. Pierzynski led off with a double. However, Pierzynski was stranded right there, and we headed to the bottom half, with Sox still leading by just one.

Bobby Jenks came on to pitch, and things did not get off to a good start, as Jason Lane singled to left. In stepped Brad Ausmus, who bunted Lane over to second. Then, Juan Uribe made a pair of plays that White Sox fans will never forget.

Chris Burke hit a 2-2 breaking ball to the left side, and it was unclear if the ball would stay in play. Normally, that ball would have settled into the seats for a foul ball, the count would have remained the same, and Burke would have had another chance. But, Uribe ended up among the fans, as he made an outstanding catch for the second out of the inning.

Runner on second, two outs. Bobby Jenks vs. Orlando Palmeiro. 

Pitch No. 1: Ball
Pitch No. 2: Foul
Pitch No. 3: Foul
Pitch No. 4: In play, out(s)

Palmeiro hit a high chopper that the 6´4´´ Jenks could not get a glove on. If anyone was going to be able to make the play, it was Uribe. Uribe had to make yet another great play, and luckily, he did. He read the ball correctly, charged it, and made a strong throw to first for the final out, beating Palmeiro by about a half-step.

And just like that, the White Sox were world champions. Soak it in, White Sox fans, because the South Siders are World Series champions for the first time since 1917!