ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Same inning. Same count. Same location.
Same quick start.
Paul Konerko's repeat performance helped the Chicago White Sox
move within one victory of their first World Series since 1959.
Konerko homered in the first inning for the second straight game
to get the Chicago White Sox rolling and they coasted to an 8-2 win
Saturday night for a 3-1 lead over the Los Angeles Angels in the AL
championship series.
On Friday night, Konerko had a two-run homer in the opening
inning as Chicago also scored three runs en route to a 5-2 victory.
On Saturday night, he delivered a three-run shot. In both games,
first base was open, but the Angels decided to pitch to Chicago's
top run producer.
And he made them regret it. Both homers came on a full count and
both flew over the fence in left center.
And both homers served the same purpose -- they gave the White
Sox an early lead, gave a starting pitcher, in this instance Freddy
Garcia, a cushion and quieted a potentially noise crowd at Angel
Stadium.
Following the leads of Mark Buehrle and Jon Garland, Garcia
pitched Chicago's third straight complete game. Remarkably,
Chicago's bullpen has pitched only two-thirds of an inning in the
four games against the Angels so far.
Konerko has four postseason homers after hitting 40 in the
regular season.
No wonder general manager Ken Williams said before Saturday's
game that his top priority once the season is over -- one way or the
other -- is to re-sign Konerko.
That the White Sox waited this long instead of doing it in
spring training will mean that Konerko will most certainly get
attractive offers from other teams. He's 29 and in the prime of his
career.
"I told Paul that I could see him one day sitting in Ozzie's
chair or my chair. I think that much of him," Williams said
Saturday.
Konerko has a lot of playing time ahead of him first.
He has six RBIss in the last two games, both in Anaheim, as the
White Sox continue to demonstrate why they had the best road record
in the majors (52-29) this season.
And with a starting staff that is either throwing complete games
or doing deep into them, they are in a position to make a run at
their first World Series title since 1917.
First, of course, they must polish off the Angels, who've never
seemed to recover from a devastating 2-1 loss in Game 2 when White
Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski reached first after striking out when
umpire Doug Eddings ruled that Los Angeles catcher Josh Paul didn't
catch a low third strike. Chicago then scored the winning run on
Joe Crede's double and seized the momentum.
Pierzynski was back at it Saturday night. He hit a long homer to
center and was involved in another disputed play when the Angels
Steve Finley apparently told umpires his bat was hit by the
catcher's glove as he was swinging and hitting into a double play
in the second.
And Chicago's winning formula also included a big night from
leadoff hitter Scott Podsednik, who has been a catalyst all season.
Podsednik walked three times, scored twice and also tripled.
The White Sox won the final five games of the regular season,
swept Boston in the division series and with three wins in four
attempts against the Angels have now won 11 of their last 12
overall.
A good time to get hot.