ANGELS GET CAUGHT DISPUTED CALL HELPS CHISOX SQUARE SERIES CHICAGO 2, ANGELS 1.

Byline: Joe Haakenson Staff Writer

CHICAGO - Nineteen years ago to the day, the Angels sustained a loss that lingered for years. But on the anniversary of Dave Henderson's home run and the Angels' infamous Game 5 loss to the Boston Red Sox, the Angels took a loss that won't soon be forgotten.

Joe Crede's two-out double in the bottom of the ninth scored pinch runner Pablo Ozuna from second base to give the Chicago White Sox a 2-1 victory in Game 2 of the American League Championship Series Wednesday night in front of 41,013 at U.S. Cellular Field, tying the best- of-seven series at one game apiece.

But it was what happened earlier in the inning that had the Angels in an uproar that continued as they packed up their belongings and boarded a flight home to Southern California.

With two out and nobody on base, Angels reliever Kelvim Escobar threw strike three past the White Sox's A.J. Pierzynski, who swung and missed. Home-plate umpire Doug Eddings raised his arm and made a fist, signaling ``out.''

But as catcher Josh Paul rolled the ball back toward the pitcher's mound and his Angels teammates ran toward the dugout, Pierzynski ran toward first base and reached safely.

Replays appeared to indicate Paul caught the ball cleanly, without it hitting the dirt. But Eddings said he believed it bounced into Paul's glove. And the ``out'' call, Eddings said, did not mean ``out.''

``My interpretation is that's my strike-three mechanic, when it's a swinging strike,'' Eddings said. ``If you watch, that's what I do the whole entire game.''

Angels manager Mike Scioscia made the rounds, talking with crew chief Jerry Crawford, who was umpiring the right-field line. He also argued with Eddings, and asked Eddings to appeal to third-base ump Ed Rapuano. It was to no avail, and there are no grounds for the Angels to field a protest.

``It was a swing, our catcher caught it, Doug Eddings called him out, and somewhere along the line because the guy ran to first base, he altered the call,'' Scioscia said. ``He called him out, that's what's disappointing. When an umpire calls a guy out and you're the catcher, and I've caught my share of them, he's out. He didn't call 'swing,' he rang him up with his fist and said 'You're out.' ''

Paul said there was no reason for him to tag Pierzynski because he caught the ball. Asked why he didn't tag Pierzynski anyway, Paul said: ``Because I had caught the ball, and when you catch the ball, it's strike three.''

Umpire supervisor Rick Reiker said the umpires reviewed the video and believe the ball hit the dirt.

``We've looked at it in the truck, we've blown it up,'' Reiker said. ``We have some technology, and there was definitely a change in direction there. At this point I would say at best it's inconclusive. I wouldn't totally agree that the ball was caught, but there was a change in direction there that we saw.''

Paul said there was no indication given to him by Eddings that the ball hit the dirt.

``Customarily with a ball in the dirt, they'll say 'No catch, no catch, no catch,' '' Paul said. ``I didn't hear any of that.''

The Angels still had a chance to get out of the inning, but Ozuna stole second with Crede at the plate when Paul couldn't get a good grip on the ball. Escobar got ahead of Crede 0-2 in the count before Crede ripped a line drive into the left-field corner.

``I just made a bad 0-2 pitch,'' said Escobar, who was nearly unhittable before that pitch.

The White Sox headed to Anaheim late Wednesday night with new life, and manager Ozzie Guillen said he'd ``rather be lucky than good.'' Not all of the White Sox felt the same way, though.

``Do we feel lucky? No. Do they feel lucky they won (Tuesday) night?'' Pierzynski said. ``This is two really good teams battling each other, and every pitch counts. It's amazing how much rides on every pitch in this series.''

White Sox starter Mark Buehrle pitched a complete game, allowing only a solo homer to Robb Quinlan in the fifth. The White Sox scored only an unearned run off Angels starter Jarrod Washburn in the first inning.

In the end, the pitch to Pierzynski was all anybody could talk about.

``You know what's funny?'' Angels first baseman Darin Erstad said. ``How many times does that play happen during the course of a season? Playing first base, I never look at the umpire after a swinging strike three, but for whatever reason, I saw him do it, raise his arm and make a fist. I always thought that means you're out.''

Washburn had 10 days between starts and his rust showed. Not on his pitches, but when he tried to throw out Scott Podsednik at first base leading off the first inning. Washburn had plenty of time, but his throw sailed over Erstad's head.

Podsednik took second on the error and went to third on Tadahito Iguchi's bunt. Jermaine Dye's groundout to shortstop drove in Podsednik for a 1-0 White Sox lead.

While the White Sox got a gift run in the first, they gave one back in the second. Aaron Rowand led off with a double into the right-field corner. Vladimir Guerrero had trouble with the ball and was charged with an error. Rowand went to third. Guerrero's throw got past cutoff man Orlando Cabrera and Quinlan scrambled from his spot at third base into shallow left field to retrieve the ball.

Rowand took the unexplainable risk of trying to score with nobody out, and Quinlan's throw to catcher Jose Molina was in time to nail Rowand as he slid headfirst.

Washburn worked his way through the fourth inning, but after Quinlan tied the game in the top of the fifth with a solo homer, Washburn found trouble in the bottom of the fifth.

The White Sox had two on and two out when Washburn hit Iguchi with a pitch, loading the bases. Washburn was finished, replaced by Brendan Donnelly, who needed three pitches to strike out Jermaine Dye and get out of the inning.

Joe Haakenson, [phone]

joe.haakenson(at)sgvn.com

CAPTION(S):

3 photos, 3 boxes

Photo:

(1 -- color) )Darin Erstad, right, argues when Chicago's A.J. Pierzynski reaches first base safely after swinging at a third strike.

Seth Perlman/Associated Press

(2) A.J. Pierzynski swings at a called third strike, but made it to first safely after it was ruled the strike was dropped by Josh Paul.

Nam Y. Huh/Associated Press

(3) Mike Scioscia, right, argues the dropped-third-strike call.

Jeff Roberson/Associated Press

Box:

(1) STORY LINES

(2) AMERICAN LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES, BEST-OF-7; SERIES TIED 1-1

(3) GAME RECAP