Chicago ? The ninth inning was over.

And then it wasn’t.

And then Joe Crede gave the White Sox what is sure to go down as one of the most disputed victories in playoff history.

Given a second chance when plate umpire Doug Eddings called strike three – but not the third out – Chicago beat the Los Angeles Angels, 2-1, Wednesday night to even the best-of-seven AL championship series at a game apiece.

In a sequence as bizarre as any imaginable on a baseball field, A.J. Pierzynski struck out swinging against Angels reliever Kelvim Escobar, appearing to end the bottom of the ninth inning with the score tied at 1.

Escobar’s low pitch was gloved by backup catcher Josh Paul – replays appeared to show he caught it cleanly just before the ball would have hit the dirt. And behind him, Eddings clearly raised his right arm and closed his fist, signaling strike three.

“When he rings him up with a fist, he’s out,” Los Angeles manager Mike Scioscia said.

Being a catcher, like Scioscia was, Pierzynski knew to play it all the way through – just in case. He twirled around and hustled to first.

“I thought the ball hit the ground and he didn’t tag me,” Pierzynski said. “I didn’t hear him say out, Josh didn’t tag me.”

In fact, Eddings was silent.

Chicago's A.J. Pierzynski, right, looks at home-plate unpire Doug Eddings as Eddings makes a non-call on a ninth-inning pitch as Los Angeles catcher Josh Paul heads to the dugout. Paul rolled the ball to the mound, but Eddings ruled the pitch hit the dirt, and Pierzynski went to first. The White Sox won, 2-1, Wednesday night in Chicago.

“I did not say, ‘No catch,'” said Eddings, a major-league umpire since 1999 who is working his third postseason assignment. “I’m watching Josh Paul, seeing what he’s going to do.”

Sure the inning was over, Paul rolled the ball out to the mound with the Angels already coming off the field, so Pierzynski was easily safe.

“Customarily, if the ball is in the dirt, say if we block a ball for strike three, they usually say, ‘No catch, no catch, no catch.’ And I didn’t hear any of that,” Paul said. “That’s why I was headed back to the dugout.”

Then everybody stopped, including the umpires. When they let Pierzynski stay at first, Scioscia came out of the dugout to argue. The umpires huddled and upheld the call after a delay of about four minutes. Last year’s postseason was marked by umpires consulting and drawing praise for getting key calls correct – even if it meant overturning the original ruling.

When it looked as if play was about to begin again, Scioscia came out again, and Eddings conferred with third-base umpire Ed Rapuano.

Again the call stood, and the White Sox capitalized.

“I didn’t do anything,” Pierzynski said. “I struck out.”

Pinch-runner Pablo Ozuna quickly stole second, and Crede lined an 0-2 pitch into the left-field corner for a game-winning double.

Mark Buehrle pitched a five-hitter for the first complete game of this postseason, and the White Sox bounced back from a tight loss in the opener.

“Do we feel lucky? No,” Pierzynski said. “Did they feel lucky when they won last night?”

After the game, Eddings saw several replays and stood by his call.

“We saw it on a couple of different angles, the ball changes directions,” Eddings said. “I had questions. I didn’t have him catching the ball.”