Angels Take Game 1 of ALCS Over White Sox


CHICAGO - The Los Angeles Angels were playing in their third time zone in three days after yet another overnight flight. Still, they looked plenty fresh on the field thanks to Paul Byrd and a couple of reliable relievers. Byrd pitched effectively in a pinch and Garret Anderson homered as the Angels edged the Chicago White Sox 3-2 on Tuesday night in the opener of the AL championship series.

"These last 48 hours have been a blur," Los Angeles manager Mike Scioscia said. "We were fortunate to hold on."

The Angels were supposed to be more than a little jet-lagged. Sunday night, they were on the East Coast, playing the Yankees. Monday night, they were back on the West Coast, beating New York. Now, they're in the Midwest, with no off-day until Thursday.

"We're all tired from the last three days, but we put all that behind," closer Francisco Rodriguez said. "How are you going to feel tired, especially in the playoffs?"

Seeking their first World Series berth in 46 years and first championship since 1917, the White Sox got another outstanding outing from Jose Contreras but couldn't manage much offense.

The Cuban right-hander worked into the ninth inning, but lost for the first time since Aug. 15, ending his nine-start winning streak.

Chicago had won eight in a row dating to the regular season, but fell short against a travel-weary Los Angeles team.

"As I said before the game, I don't believe they would be tired. As soon as you put a uniform on, you forget about pains," White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said. "It was to our advantage, all the traveling stuff, but they showed us and they showed everybody that that's not the truth."

Recovering from strep throat, Jarrod Washburn is slated to pitch Game 2 of the best-of-seven series for the Angels on Wednesday night against All-Star starter Mark Buehrle.

Scot Shields, who was so tired he had to splash water on his face just to stay awake in the bullpen, retired slugger Paul Konerko with two on to end the eighth. Rodriguez worked around third baseman Chone Figgins' error to begin the ninth and struck out Joe Crede to close it out.

The Angels won Game 1 for the first time in six postseason series under Scioscia. They'll have plenty of time to rest soon, but right now they're too busy winning to worry about all that.

"We've had a couple of redeye flights and guys haven't really complained. I don't know if we're delirious or what," Byrd said.

The 34-year-old righty walked only 28 batters all season and his throwback delivery, with arms rocking back behind him like a right-handed Whitey Ford, belongs in a flickering old cut of black-and-white film footage.

A 12-game winner during the regular season, Byrd got the Game 1 start because he was the only option left. The first-round series took a toll on Los Angeles' pitching staff, and ace Bartolo Colon was left off the ALCS roster because of a shoulder injury.

Working on only three days' rest after a short outing in Game 3 against the Yankees, Byrd held Chicago in check for six-plus innings to earn his first postseason victory.

He departed after hitting Aaron Rowand with a pitch to begin the seventh, but Shields got six outs to set up Rodriguez for his third save of the postseason.

"I can't say enough about our bullpen coming in and picking me up," said Byrd, who downplayed the short rest. "I'm a control pitcher, so I don't rely on great velocity anyway. It wasn't a big deal for me. I was able to move the ball around a little bit and got away with a few pitches."

The White Sox attempted all sorts of tricks — No. 3 hitter Jermaine Dye tried to bunt leading off the sixth, but popped up to Byrd. Catcher A.J. Pierzynski took off from first in the seventh on what he thought was a hit-and-run, but was caught stealing.

"It's the way we played all year. We're aggressive," Konerko said. "An aggressive mistake when you are playing to win, no one has a problem with that. Against those guys at the end of the game you've got to try to make things happen."

Playing before a revved-up crowd of 40,659, the well-rested White Sox had been waiting at home since Saturday after sweeping defending champion Boston in the first round. With their pitching rotation lined up perfectly, they were supposed to have an edge early in this series, but the AL Central champs were the ones who looked weary in the early going.

Anderson led off the second inning with his third homer of the postseason — he had a team-best seven RBIs in the first round.

Orlando Cabrera added an RBI infield single in the third, and another run scored when Chicago failed to complete a double play. Crede homered in the bottom half, and Pierzynski's two-out RBI single in the fourth cut it to 3-2.

"This game, with its twists and turns, could have gone either way," Scioscia said. "This is the way the series is going to be."

Notes:@ The White Sox are 0-6 in ALCS games at home. ... The Angels also won the last four meetings of the regular season, including a three-game sweep in Chicago from Sept. 9-11.