Next inning, Steve Finley and Adam Kennedy hit back-to-back leadoff singles and advanced one base each on Chone Figgins's sacrifice bunt.

Wednesday, October 12, 2005 at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago, Illinois Then-Senator and future President of the United States Barack Obama threw out the ceremonial first pitch.

In the bottom of the first, Scott Podsednik reached second on an error, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt, and scored on Jermaine Dye's ground out.

Angel starter Ervin Santana walked Scott Podsednik and hit Tadahito Iguchi before Paul Konerko, after a disputed check swing on a 2–2 pitch, homered for the second straight game.

With men on first and third, Steve Finley hit a ground ball to second for an inning-ending double play, but argued that Sox catcher A. J. Pierzynski had interfered with his swing.

Chicago got that run back when Jermaine Dye reached on shortstop Orlando Cabrera's throwing error to first, stole second, and scored on Carl Everett's base hit.

Esteban Yan walked Everett to lead off the eighth, allowed a subsequent double to Aaron Rowand followed by Joe Crede's two-run single to put the Sox up 8−2.

García pitched the White Sox's third straight complete game, helping put them one win from their first World Series visit since 1959.

Sunday, October 16, 2005 at Angel Stadium of Anaheim in Anaheim, California Still on the road, Chicago struck first in Game 5 when Aaron Rowand hit a leadoff ground-rule double in the second off of Paul Byrd, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt, then scored on Joe Crede's sacrifice fly.

But the Angels tied it in the third when Juan Rivera hit a leadoff double, moved to third on pitcher Jose Contreras's pickoff attempt error, and scored on Adam Kennedy's single.

Contreras delivered the fourth consecutive complete game by a White Sox pitcher, retiring the Angels in order in the ninth.

[10] 2005 ALCS (4–1): Chicago White Sox over Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Doug Eddings' controversial call in Game 2, when he ruled that a strikeout to A. J. Pierzynski by Kelvim Escobar had not been legally caught (an uncaught third strike) by catcher Josh Paul but made no audible call that the ball hit the ground, proved to be the most pivotal point in the series.

At the team's ten-year anniversary in 2015, White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf acknowledged that losing home-field advantage and going down 0-2 in a best-of-seven series would have been too difficult of a hole to climb out of.