ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) -- The sellout crowd at Angel Stadium roared

its approval after A.J. Pierzynski was hit by a Kelvim Escobar

pitch. Apparently, the hard feelings from last year's AL

Championship Series haven't cooled.

The incident in the second inning of Chicago's 2-1 victory over

the Los Angeles Angels stood out in another splendid performance by

White Sox right-hander Jose Contreras, who recorded his 12th

straight regular-season victory.

Contreras (4-0) threw 103 pitches in 8 1-3 innings, allowing

five hits and one run with one walk. The right-hander is 15-2 with

a 2.58 ERA in 20 starts since last year's All-Star break.

"Contreras dealt, and we got a win. That's the biggest thing,"

Pierzynski said. "The way he pitched, it's a shame that no one's

going to be talking about that tomorrow. They're going to be

talking about all this stupid stuff. But Jose deserves a lot of

credit. To go out there on this field against their lineup and go 8

1-3 with one run and pretty much dominate the game is pretty

impressive."

Contreras started the opening game in all three postseason

series last year for the defending World Series champions and was

the winning pitcher in the final game of the ALCS, beating the

Angels 9-4 with the fourth-straight complete game by the White Sox.

Jermaine Dye drove in Chicago's first run with an RBI single in

the fourth against Escobar (3-2), who came out after five innings

because of a blood blister. Jim Thome made it 2-0 in the sixth with

a first-pitch homer to center field against Brendan Donnelly,

eclipsing Frank Thomas' 1996 club record for homers in April.

Escobar allowed a run and three hits. He is 0-7 with a 5.64 ERA

in nine career regular-season starts against the White Sox, and

also lost two games in relief against them in the ALCS -- including

the Game 5 clincher.

Pierzynski once again found himself in the middle of the matchup

between the two teams. He is widely regarded by Angels fans as

Public Enemy No. 1 ever since three pivotal plays he was involved

in went against the Angels in the playoffs.

He was struck on the back of the right leg by an Escobar pitch

in the second inning -- resulting in a warning to both dugouts.

White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen and Angels counterpart Mike

Scioscia argued separately with plate umpire Paul Nauert about the

warning.

"People in this league think I'm a headhunter. Anytime one of

my players get hit, they warn me out of nowhere," Guillen said.

"I know the umpires have to protect the integrity of the game and

protect the players -- and they're right. But I'm getting tired of

them giving me a warning every time our guy gets hit. We get hit

more than any team in baseball. So if they think I'm a headhunter,

they've got the wrong guy."

Pierzynski is the only batter Escobar has hit in 29 innings this

season. But Pierzynski and Guillen absolved Scioscia of any the

blame and pointed to Escobar.

"I have no problem at all with Mike Scioscia," said

Pierzynski, who was booed by the crowd of 44,065 every time he

batted. "He seems like a class guy, a standup guy. He's a great

manager, he's had some great teams and he goes about his business

the right way, so I have nothing but the utmost respect for him."

Scioscia denied any intent regarding the pitch that struck

Pierzynski, and any inference that the Angels had a score to settle

with him.

"The umpire was telling me that it's well-documented, the

problem with Pierzynski -- but I'm not aware of any problem,"

Scioscia said. "We have no problem with Pierzynski, and we're not

about to throw at their guys or go about our business in that

manner. That misinformation from the umpires is disturbing -- very

disturbing."

Escobar was relieving in the ninth inning of Game 2, trying to

help the Angels take a 2-0 lead in the series, when Pierzynski

swung at a low pitch and plate ump Doug Eddings pumped his fist.

Escobar and rookie catcher Josh Paul both thought it was the third

out, and Paul rolled the ball back to the mound while Pierzynski

took off for first base.

Joe Crede drove in pinch-runner Pablo Ozuna later that inning

with a walkoff double that tied the series, and the White Sox won

the next three games at Anaheim to advance to their first World

Series since 1959.

"I don't know why he hit me," Pierzynski said. "I don't know

what I did. I didn't do anything to show him up. I just ran to

first. Maybe he should hit the guy who rolled the ball back to the

pitcher."

Escobar said, "I don't think he did anything to me last year.

He was doing his job. He ran to first base. It's too bad, because

they think I did it on purpose. I overthrew it. I wasn't trying to

hit him. I guess because of all the controversy from last year, it

got to that point."

Pierzynski was involved in two other controversial plays, one in

Game 4 by plate ump Ron Kulpa, who didn't call catcher's

interference on Pierzynski on Steve Finley's double-play grounder.

Then, in the eighth inning of the Game 5 clincher, Pierzynski

reached base after Escobar tagged him with his glove -- while the

ball was in the pitcher's other hand. A brief argument ensued after

Pierzynski was called out, and the decision was reversed.

Bobby Jenks got Edgardo Alfonzo to line out with two on in the

ninth inning for his seventh save in seven chances.Game notes
Anaheim's Casey Kotchman snapped an 0-for-17 drought with a

fifth-inning single, but was tagged out by Pierzynski in a rundown

between first and second on an aborted stolen base attempt. ...

Orlando Cabrera drove in the Angels' run with a sixth-inning

double. Opposing batters were 0-for-17 this season against

Contreras with runners in scoring position before that hit.