With Vinny Capra and the White Sox falling victim to Clayton Kershaw on Wednesday night, giving him his 3000th career strikeout, I decided to take a look back at the historic games I’ve attended over the years. Here is part one, featuring six games where an individual hit a career plateau or a team clinched a division title.
June 30, 1998 – Diamondbacks 4, Cubs 3
Sammy Sosa had broken the June record for home runs nine days earlier, surpassing the fifteen previously reached by Babe Ruth, Bob Johnson, Roger Maris, and Pedro Guerrero. In the 8th inning of the final game of the month, Sosa connected against Alan Embree for his 20th home run of the month, setting the record not just for June, but for any month of the season.
September 27, 2003 – Cubs 7, Pirates 2
After winning the first game of a double header against the Pirates, the Cubs were in position to clinch at least a portion of their first Central Division title heading into the nightcap. After the second-place Astros lost their game, a victory would give the Cubs the championship. They jumped on Pirates starter Ryan Vogelsong early, scoring six runs in his 1 1/3 innings of work. Dave Veres induced former Cub José Hernández to ground into a double play to wrap up the victory.
July 26, 2005 – Giants 3, Cubs 2
Following a nearly three-hour rain delay, Greg Maddux took the mound against the Giants sitting on 2998 strikeouts for his career. In the third inning, Giants shortstop Omar Vizquel stepped up to the plate. With a 2-2 count, Maddux unleashed a sinker that Vizquel flinched away from, taking a third strike as the ball drifted back over the plate. Maddux, who finished the game with three strikeouts, became just the 13th pitcher to reach 3000 strikeouts and the ninth to also have surpassed 300 victories.
August 5, 2007 – Mets 8, Cubs 3
On a warm Sunday night in Chicago, Tom Glavine took the mound for the Mets, sitting at 299 career victories. The 41-year-old lefty tossed 6 1/3 innings, giving up just two runs to secure the win and his place in history. Glavine became only the 23rd pitcher, and just the fifth southpaw, to reach the 300-win plateau.
September 16, 2007 – White Sox 9, Angels 3
Sitting at 499 home runs, Jim Thome entered the Sunday series finale, which just so happened to be Jim Thome bobblehead day, looking to reach 500 in Chicago. With the score tied at seven in the bottom of the ninth, Thome came to the plate with a runner on first. Having gone 0-4 to that point, Thome took Dustin Moseley to a 3-2 count before launching the walk-off milestone home run. He became the 23rd major leaguer to reach the 500 home run mark and the third to do so in 2007. He was the first slugger to reach the milestone with a walk-off.
September 30, 2008 – White Sox 1, Twins 0
After winning a makeup game against the Tigers to force a tie in the AL Central after 162 games, the White Sox took the field against the Twins in a tiebreaker to determine who would move on to the playoffs. The Twins looked to strike first following a double by Michael Cuddyer to lead off the fifth inning, but a throw home by Ken Griffey Jr. nailed Cuddyer trying to score on a fly out to center field, ending the threat. The game remained scoreless until the seventh, when Jim Thome blasted a home run to straight away centerfield. Bobby Jenks came in to close down the game and the White Sox won their second division title in four years.
