Chicago claims AL title in 6-3 win

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Not since Shoeless Joe Jackson have the Chicago White Sox caused this much of a commotion.\nWorld Series, here they come for the first since 1959.\nA.J. Pierzynski came out on the right side of yet another umpiring ruckus, Jose Contreras pitched Chicago's fourth straight complete game and the White Sox beat the Los Angeles Angels 6-3 to win the AL championship series in five games.\nThe White Sox will take on either Houston or St. Louis, starting at home Saturday night. After nearly a half-century of ho-hum baseball, the White Sox will get a chance at their first title since 1917.\nAnd it will also give them a shot at some long overdue redemption -- they lost the most infamous World Series ever, when Shoeless Joe and his "Black Sox" threw games against Cincinnati in 1919 and gave the sport a black eye.\nThe 46-year gap between Series appearances is the longest in major league history. The Chicago Cubs will end up with an even longer one, if they ever back -- they last made it in 1945.\n"It finally puts us above the Cubs, because they've been getting all the credit," said bench coach Harold Baines, who played more than 13 of his 22 seasons with the White Sox.\nWhoa Nellie!\nThe last time the Windy City's South Side team made it this far, it was all about Nellie Fox and his Go-Go Sox.\n"We're in the World Series!" White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf hollered in his suite after the final out.\nReinsdorf once said he would trade all six NBA titles won by his Chicago Bulls for one World Series championship, and his opportunity is coming.\n"I still can't believe it," he said, heading to the clubhouse to celebrate with his team. "I'm numb right now. Honest to God, it hasn't sunk in. I think something really good is happening, but I'm not sure what it is."\nIt's pitching, that's what.\nManager Ozzie Guillen's team became the first club to pitch four complete games in a single postseason series since the 1956 New York Yankees got them from Whitey Ford, Tom Sturdivant, Don Larsen (his perfect game) and Bob Turley against the Brooklyn Dodgers.\n"Our pitching has set the tone for us from day one," leadoff man Scott Podsednik said. "They don't have words to describe what our starting staff has gone out and done this series."\nPitching in drizzle on an un-Californialike night, Contreras retired his final 15 batters and pitched a five-hitter, following Mark Buehrle's five-hitter in Game 2, Jon Garland's four-hitter in Game 3 and Freddy Garcia's six-hitter in Game 4.\n"You might call it lucky, you might call it great, but we stepped it up," Contreras said through a translator.\nIt was complete domination -- Chicago's bullpen got just two outs in the entire series.\nChicago held the Angels to 11 runs in the series -- the fewest in an ALCS of five or more games. Los Angeles had just 27 hits -- the fewest in any LCS going five games or longer.\n"We found a way to get it done. This team is amazing," Pierzynski said. "We find just enough hits."\nLos Angeles was leading 3-2 when Joe Crede hit a leadoff homer in the seventh against loser Kelvim Escobar.\nEscobar struck out four in a row, and five overall, before walking Aaron Rowand with two outs in the eighth.\nThen, Pierzynski found himself in the middle of another contested call.\nIn Game 2, he struck out with two outs in the ninth but reached when umpires ruled catcher Josh Paul didn't catch the ball. Crede followed with a winning double that tied the series.\nIn Game 4, Pierzynski admitted his mitt nicked the bat of Steve Finley, who hit into an inning-ending double play that ended an Angels' rally attempt as umpires failed to make the call.\nThis time, he hit a comebacker to Escobar, who instead of throwing to first ran to toward the foul line to make a tag play. He tagged Pierzynski with his glove -- but the ball wasn't there, it was in his bare right hand.\nPierzynski initially was called out, but Guillen argued, umpires conferenced and reversed the call, bringing Angels manager Mike Scioscia for a dispute.\n"They got the call right," Scioscia admitted.\nLos Angeles then brought in closer Francisco Rodriguez to face Crede. K-Rod threw a 1-2 breaking ball that the crowd thought was strike three but was called a ball by plate umpire Ed Rapuano. Rodriguez threw another ball and Crede hit a grounder up the middle.\nSecond baseman Adam Kennedy dived on the shortstop side to stop it and threw home from a half-sitting position, but the throw was off-line and late, and Rowand scored the go-ahead run.\nALCS MVP Paul Konerko added an RBI double in the ninth and Rowand boosted the margin with a sacrifice fly.\nIt was the sixth AL pennant for the White Sox, who have won the Series just twice.\nChicago took the initial lead for the fourth straight game, on Crede's second-inning sacrifice fly off starter Paul Byrd.\nKennedy's RBI single tied the score in the third, but Jermaine Dye made it 2-1 Chicago with an RBI double in the fifth that chased Byrd.\nThe Angels then brought out that scoreboard Rally Monkey who became famous during their run to the 2002 World Series title -- and the monkey business worked.\nChone Figgins, hitting just 1-for-15 in the series, doubled into the right-field corner and Kennedy, who was at first, was allowed to score because a fan reached over the low wall and touched the ball. Garret Anderson's sacrifice fly put Los Angeles ahead 3-2.