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Chicago wins with pitching, offense

Venezuelan starter Freddy Garcia of the White Sox pitches against the Angels during Game 4 of the AL Championship Series in Anaheim, California, Saturday. Garcia pitched a complete game as Chicago defeated Los Angeles 8-2 to take a 3-2 lead in the series. PHOTO: AFP

Freddy Garcia became the latest White Sox ace to pitch a gem, Paul Konerko homered in the first inning again and Chicago beat the Los Angeles Angels 8-2 to lead the American League championship series 3-1 on Saturday.

Chicago can wrap up the AL pennant today, when Jose Contreras pitches against Paul Byrd in a rematch of Game 1 starters.

Garcia pitched a six-hitter, following up on Mark Buehrle's five-hitter and Jon Garland's four-hitter. The White Sox became the first team to pitch three straight complete games in the postseason since 1973.

A.J. Pierzynski also homered for the White Sox, his third of the postseason. That was more than enough offense for Chicago -- its pitchers have given up just eight runs in the series and 17 in seven postseason games.

While the Windy City team found its power stroke on the West Coast, some of Los Angeles' leading lights have flamed out: Vladimir Guerrero, the 2004 AL MVP, is hitting .063 (1-for-16), with cleanup hitter Garret Anderson at .133 (2-for-15) and Bengie Molina at .154 (2-for-13). The trio have combined for three RBIs and Guerrero, who grounded out four times, was repeatedly booed.

Joe Crede of the White Sox hits a two-run RBI single against the Angels at Angels Stadium in Anaheim, California, Saturday. LA plays in Chicago on Tuesday. PHOTO: EPA

With two on in the first, Konerko checked his swing on a 2-2 pitch in the dirt, and first-base umpire Ed Rapuano ruled he didn't go around. Konerko, whose two-run homer sparked Chicago on Friday, deposited Ervin Santana's next offering into the left-field seats for a 3-0 lead.

Los Angeles closed to 3-1 in the second on Molina's soft RBI single and had runners at the corners with one out when Steve Finley pulled the ball between first and second. Pointing toward the plate as he ran up the first-base line, Finley claimed Pierzynski's mitt nicked his bat.

But plate umpire Ron Kulpa didn't call it, and Chicago turned an inning-ending double play, with shortstop Juan Uribe's relay just beating Finley to the bag. Angels manager Mike Scioscia and Finley argued in vain, though a replay appeared to show the bat hit the glove.

After Scot Shields relieved in the fifth, his pickoff attempt appeared to beat Scott Podsednik at first. Rapuano ruled the runner slid in ahead of Darin Erstad's tag. Scioscia, in the dugout, shook his head.

Podsednik swiped second and scored on Carl Everett's two-out single for a 6-2 lead.

Roger Clemens held the St. Louis Cardinals in check with six gritty innings, Mike Lamb homered and the Houston Astros won 4-3 in Game 3 of the National League championship series on Saturday.

Brad Lidge finally allowed a run against the Cardinals, but got David Eckstein to fly out with a man on second to close it out. The Astros took a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series and need only two more wins to reach the first World Series in the franchise's 44-year history.

With two games left at Minute Maid Park, they can wrap it up at home, too. Game 4 is on Sunday, with Brandon Backe scheduled to face the Cardinals' Jeff Suppan.

The banged-up Cardinals, already playing without left fielder Reggie Sanders, lost third baseman Abraham Nunez to a knee injury.

Third-stringer Hector Luna made a key error, and the Cardinals dropped their second game in a row after taking the opener at home.

Missing his most overpowering stuff, Clemens struck out only one -- matching his lowest total of the season, also against St. Louis on July 17. But he kept the ball down and minimized the damage in the fifth and sixth, allowing six hits and walking two overall.

Chad Qualls pitched two scoreless innings, even jumping to elude So Taguchi's bat when it slipped out of his hands after a foul ball in the seventh. Lidge worked the ninth for the save.

Losing pitcher Matt Morris, who won the clincher in a first-round sweep of San Diego, matched Clemens until the fourth inning, when he issued a leadoff walk to Morgan Ensberg. Lamb then lifted a 2-1 pitch to the opposite field over the short porch in left, his second homer of the postseason.

For St. Louis, Eckstein's sacrifice fly scored Yadier Molina in the fifth, and Larry Walker's sac fly scored Albert Pujols to tie in the sixth.

Jason Lane followed with a go-ahead single in the bottom half of the inning, and scored on an error to give Houston a 4-2 lead.
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