Konerko delivers another blow

? What a week for Paul Konerko.

He was the MVP of the AL championship series, became a father for the first time and Sunday night delivered a grand slam that sent U.S. Cellular Field into delirium in the Chicago White Sox’s 7-6 victory over the Houston Astros.

Now, he’s two victories away from celebrating a World Series title.

“Not too many times are you going to hit a grand slam in the World Series, and that would be the second-best thing that happened all week,” Konerko said. “I had a baby born Tuesday night. That’s first for the week. That one (grand slam) is second.”

His seventh-inning, bases-loaded shot gave Chicago a 6-4 lead Sunday. Rookie closer Bobby Jenks couldn’t hold it in the ninth, but Scott Podsednik sent the White Sox to Texas with a 2-0 lead with a ninth-inning homer.

Konerko’s was the 18th grand slam in World Series history, the first for a White Sox player.

With mist falling and their offense misfiring, the White Sox appeared headed to Texas with the series tied at 1. Then came the seventh, and it all changed. First, a disputed call. Then Konerko’s grand slam.

Chicago's Paul Konerko, center, is congratulated after his grand slam against Houston. Konerko's slam gave Chicago a 6-4 lead, and the White Sox won, 7-6, Sunday in Chicago.

Jermaine Dye got hit with a pitch – or did he? That was the ruling, one disputed by Houston manager Phil Garner, that loaded the bases and set the stage for Konerko.

Trailing 4-2, Juan Uribe’s second double, this one with one out, got it started. With two outs, Tadahito Iguchi worked Dan Wheeler for a walk, and the fans, many wearing rain slickers on a night more suited for football, began to sense a rally.

It got even louder as No. 3 hitter Dye, who’d homered in Game 1 and singled in the first inning Sunday, came to the plate. Wheeler’s pitch came inside, and the ruling was that Dye was hit with the pitch. Garner thought otherwise, insisting it hit his bat.

With the bases loaded, Garner came to the mound and sent Wheeler to the dugout. In came reliever Chad Qualls and up came Konerko.

One pitch was all it took.

Konerko’s drive to left was his fifth homer of the postseason, and he pumped his fists as he rounded the bases, later stepping up in the dugout for a curtain call.

“I wasn’t thinking home run. I was thinking base hit to drive in two runs,” Konerko said. “He’s nasty. I hadn’t taken a swing all night. I took one swing all night, and that was on that pitch.”