Home field advantage was awarded to Chicago by virtue of the AL's 7–5 victory over the NL in the 2005 MLB All-Star Game.

The Astros were attempting to become the fourth consecutive wild card team to win the Series, following the Anaheim Angels (2002), Florida Marlins (2003) and Boston Red Sox (2004).

After starting the season on a tear, the White Sox began to fade in August, when a 15+1⁄2 game lead (for the AL Central division title) fell all the way to 1+1⁄2 at one point.

Slugger Frank Thomas was not on the post-season roster because he was injured, but the team honored his perennial contributions to the franchise during Game 1 of the Division Series against the Red Sox when he was chosen to throw out the ceremonial first pitch.

With the Astros on the verge of clinching their first ever National League pennant in Game 5, Albert Pujols hit a mammoth three-run home run off Brad Lidge in the top of the ninth inning to take the lead, and subsequently stave off elimination.

However, behind NLCS MVP Roy Oswalt, the Astros were able to defeat the Cardinals 5–1 in Game 6 and earned a trip to the World Series.

The Astros responded in the next inning when Lance Berkman hit a double, driving in Adam Everett and Craig Biggio.

On a cold (51 °F (11 °C)) and rainy evening, Morgan Ensberg's first-pitch home run off starter Mark Buehrle put the Astros on top in the second inning.

Houston's Lance Berkman tied the game on a sacrifice fly in the third after a one-out triple by Willy Taveras, then hit a two-run double in the fifth to give the Astros a 4–2 lead.

In the seventh, Dan Wheeler loaded the bases with a double by Juan Uribe, a walk to Tadahito Iguchi, and plate umpire Jeff Nelson's ruling that Jermaine Dye was hit by a pitched ball.

In the top of the ninth, Sox closer Bobby Jenks blew the save on a game-tying pinch-hit two-run single by José Vizcaíno.

The Oakland A's Jose Canseco (grand slam) and the Los Angeles Dodgers' Kirk Gibson (walk-off) in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series were the first to do it.

Before the game, it was ruled by Commissioner Bud Selig that the retractable roof would be open at Minute Maid Park, weather permitting.

Houston struck early on a Lance Berkman single after a Craig Biggio lead-off double in the bottom of the first off Chicago starter Jon Garland.

It was later shown in replays that the ball should not have been ruled a home run, hitting to the left of the yellow line on the unusual wall in left-center field.

After Houston starter Roy Oswalt had thrown four shutout innings, the White Sox rallied for five runs in the top of the fifth, true to their "Win Or Die Trying" mantra of 2005, starting with a Joe Crede lead-off homer.

Pierzynski hit a two-out double to Tal's Hill, driving in two runs, scoring Iguchi and Dye giving the Sox the lead.

However, Hermanson could not hold down the save when Lane doubled to score Ensberg, but did not allow many more runs by striking out Brad Ausmus.

Houston tried to rally to win in the ninth against Orlando Hernandez, but stranded Chris Burke at third, after he had walked, reached second on an error and stolen third.

Many records were set or tied besides time and innings: The teams combined to use 17 pitchers (nine for the White Sox, eight for the Astros), throwing a total of 482 pitches, and walking 21 batters (a dozen by Chicago, nine by Houston); 43 players were used (the White Sox used 22 and the Astros used 21), and 30 men were left on base (15 for each team), all new high-water marks in Fall Classic history.

The White Sox in the top of the seventh put runners at second and third, but Backe struck out shortstop Juan Uribe.

After Morgan Ensberg flew out to center, the White Sox manager Ozzie Guillén brought in Neal Cotts to finish the inning.

It was a bang-bang play as Paul Konerko caught the ball from Uribe at 11:01 pm CDT to begin the biggest celebration in Chicago since the sixth NBA championship by the Bulls, co-owned with the White Sox, in 1998.

Joe Buck provided play-by-play for his eighth World Series while analyst Tim McCarver worked his sixteenth.

Stirring major controversy, ESPN has, on at least two occasions, publicly failed to acknowledge the White Sox as the 2005 World Series champions.

For KTRH long time Astros voice Milo Hamilton provided play-by-play while John Rooney called the games for the White Sox.

Game 4 was Rooney's last call after 17 years as the radio voice of the White Sox, as he left to take the same position with the St. Louis Cardinals.

However, the White Sox would only make three postseason appearances since their 2005 championship (2008, 2020, 2021), and in 2024, the team set a new mark of baseball futility by losing an MLB-record 121 games.

[12] Astros' manager Phil Garner admitted in January 2010 on a Houston radio station that he used a corked bat against Gaylord Perry and "hit a home run" with it.

Aaron Rowand and Juan Uribe both won a second World Series title together as members of the 2010 San Francisco Giants.