A Remarkably Close Sweep

The White Sox have swept the Astros and won their first World Series Championship in 88 years. Game 7 was a brilliantly pitched, very well-played game, on both sides. It was a joy to watch.

And--are the Cubs next?

It was a remarkably close sweep. The Sox outscored the Astros by only 6 runs in the four games. And in every game, the Astros had the lead runs on base late in the game, but failed to score.

In Game 1, they had runners on second and third in the 8th. In Game 2, they tied the score (6-6) in the ninth, and had a runner in scoring position. In Game 3, they had the winning run on base, and often in scoring position, in the 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, and 13th. In the bottom of the 14th, they had the winning run at the plate. In Game 4, they again had the winning run at the plate when the game ended.

Both teams had excellent relief pitching, with the Sox showing up somewhat better. Every game was close throughout, every play mattered. A wonderful series, with a deserving winner.