White Sox reach first World Series since 1959

By Dan Whitcomb

ANAHEIM, California (Reuters) – Joe Crede broke a 3-3 tie
with a two-out infield single in the eighth inning on Sunday to
send the Chicago White Sox to their first World Series since
1959, with a 6-3 victory over the Los Angeles Angels.

With the Game Five victory, Chicago grabbed the team’s
first American League pennant in 46 years with a 4-1 victory in
the best-of-seven league championship series and earned the
chance to play for their first world title since 1917.

They will host the opening game of the World Series on
Saturday against the winner of the National League Championship
Series between the Houston Astros and the St Louis Cardinals.

The Astros lead that best-of-seven series 3-1.

The White Sox, who dropped the first game of the series
before roaring back to win four straight, three of them on the
road, celebrated on the field in Anaheim.

They were cheered on by about 1,000 die-hard fans who
shrugged off a steady rain to support a team that has not
brought home a championship in almost 90 years.

“Understand that a lot of people, generations, have come
and gone and not seen their team win the World Series,” White
Sox general manager Ken Williams said in a champagne-soaked
clubhouse.

“It’s got to be great back there in Chicago. I’m happy for
all of them.”

Crede tied the game in the seventh inning on a solo home
run, then drove in the game winner after Angels reliever Kelvim
Escobar failed to make the final out at first base on a soft
grounder by A.J. Pierzynski.

‘HAD EYES’

Though the Angels — who had already run off the field,
believing that they had ended the inning — argued the call
with umpires, television replays clearly showed Escobar tagging
Pierzynski with his glove while holding the ball in his bare
right hand.

Crede came up with two outs and slapped a grounder up the
middle that Los Angeles second baseman Adam Kennedy attempted
to stop.

But Kennedy’s throw to the plate was too late to get the
streaking Aaron Rowand, who scored from second.

“It just had eyes,” Crede said of his single, adding that
Angels closer Francisco Rodriguez had hung a curveball over the
plate “and I was fortunate enough to get enough wood on it to
get it up the middle.”

The White Sox added two more runs in the ninth on series
MVP Paul Konerko’s RBI double and a sacrifice fly by Rowand.

Starter Jose Contreras got the win after hurling the fourth
consecutive complete game for White Sox pitchers, a league
championship record and the first time that feat has been
accomplished in the post-season since the Yankees did it in
1956.

It was the second time in the series that the White Sox won
after a disputed call, both plays involving Pierzynski and
followed by a game-winning hit from Crede.

After the 1917 victory, Chicago returned to the title
series in 1919, but eight players conspired with gamblers to
lose in what became known as the Black Sox scandal.

They made it back to the World Series in 1959, but lost to
the Dodgers in six games.

Only the cross-town Chicago Cubs have waited longer between
World Series championships, having last won in 1908.