KND Report: Ichiro hits walkoff single in extra innings against Chicago White Sox

September 18, 12:19 AMAsian-American Sports ExaminerMichael Street

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Ichiro is mobbed by teammates after his game-winning hit.
(AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

Five hits after breaking a 100-year-old record, Ichiro Suzuki collected his 205th hit of the 2009 season, knocking in the winning run in the 14th inning of tonight's game between Seattle and Chicago.

Catcher Kenji Johjima was also involved in the final inning of the extra-inning victory, but Ichiro was the hero tonight, denying the White Sox the chance to gain ground in the AL Central.

Chicago looked to have the game in hand after John Danks gave them eight strong innings, holding Seattle hitless for the first 3.1 innings, and only giving up four hits and one run, on a solo homer by Adrian Beltre in the bottom of the seventh.

But Chicago held its 3-1 lead until the ninth, when closer Bobby Jenks came to the mound.

He'd only blown five saves in 34 chances this season, and Jenks started things off badly, surrendering a home run to Jose Lopez on the second pitch of the frame.

But then he got groundouts from both Mike Sweeney and Beltre, before Bill Hall stepped to the dish and cranked a solo shot of his own, which landed in almost the same spot as Lopez's had, just over the left field wall. All tied up, 3-3.

Jenks struck out Josh Wilson to end the ninth, but the damage had been done.

The two teams went back and forth in extras, and Ichiro gave the Mariners its first chance at a win in the 10th inning. He ripped a ground-rule double to deep center to put a runner in scoring position with two outs, but Franklin Gutierrez couldn't deliver and flied out to short left.

Kattobase Nijonjin Dairigaa!

The White Sox had their chance with runners at the corners and two outs in the top of the twelfth, but Jermaine Dye struck out.

In the Mariners' half of the frame, Ichiro again had a chance to end the game early when Adam Moore stood at first with two outs, but he struck out.

Seattle had an even better chance in the bottom of the thirteenth when Lopez and Michael Saunders reached on back-to-back singles with one out. But both Beltre and Hall whiffed, and the game went on.

The Ms finally delivered in the next inning against Scott Linebrink, as Ryan Langerhans singled with one out. Kenji Johjima pinch-hit for Adam Moore and moved Langerhans into scoring position when Linebrink plunked Johjima.

Ichiro came to the plate with the winning run in scoring position, and this time, he delivered. Linebrink dropped a 1-0 pitch in the bottom half of the zone, and Ichiro laced it into deep right center—though ultimately scored as a single, it was in the same spot as his previous ground-rule double, and he would have easily taken the extra base had it not been the last hit of the game.

Langerhans just as easily reached home on the hit, and the Mariners poured out of the dugout to maul Ichiro. Grinning broadly, he ran into the outfield to try to elude his teammates, eventually allowing them to catch him, surround him, and pound him on the back.

The win kept the White Sox 6.5 games back in the NL Central, remaining static after the Tigers also lost. That's their only shot at postseason contention, since they trail Boston by 15 games. Interestingly, the Mariners have a better chance at the Wild Card, only 11 games back.

Chicago's about as unlikely to get to the playoffs as Ichiro is to reach 100 runs for the ninth straight season (he stands at 81 right now, with 17 games to play), but tonight may foretell good things to come for next year.

If nothing else, it gives Ichiro another night of jubilation towards the end of another excellent season.