Neither Chicago White Sox starter RHP Jose Contreras nor Angels starter RHP Paul Byrd allowed their competition to reach base in the first inning of Game 1 of the American League Championship Series. Leading off the top of the second, LF-L Garret Anderson put Los Angeles on the board, sending a solo shot soaring into the right field stands. However, Contreras needed only five pitches to retire the Angels next three batters, quashing the momentum of the home run.

After Byrd retired the White Sox's side in order in the bottom of the second, CF-L Steve Finley led off the top of the third with a ground ball single into right field. 2B-L Adam Kennedy then bounced a grounder into left field for a single that moved Finley to second. With Kennedy and Finley at second and third after a sacrifice bunt by 3B-S Chone Figgins, SS-R Orlando Cabrera sent his first pitch hopping down the third base line. Running in to field the ball, 3B-R Joe Crede chose to throw to first in an attempt to retire Cabrera rather than trying for the out at home. Cabrera beat out the throw and Finley crossed the plate to put Los Angeles up 2-0 with runners at first and third. Up next, DH-R Vladimir Guerrero spiked a pitch into the dirt in front of home plate. Contreras fielded the one-hopper on the mound and relayed the ball to second, retiring Cabrera. Attempting to turn two, 2B-R Tadahito Iguchi threw the ball over 1B-R Paul Konerko's head, allowing Guerrero to safely reach first and Kennedy to score. The game proceeded to the bottom of the third after a ground out by Anderson.

One out into the bottom of the inning, Crede narrowed the gap, sending a solo dinger into the first row of fans in left-center. Following a fly out by SS-R Juan Uribe, LF-L Scott Podsednik hit a flyball softly into shallow centerfield for a single. Iguchi then sent a liner up the middle for a single, giving the White Sox runners at first and second. Nevertheless, the Angels held onto their 3-1 lead as 1B-L Darin Erstad successfully tracked a Jermaine Dye pop up, making the catch as he toppled over the low wall in front of the Los Angeles dugout.

Contreras re-established himself in the top of the fourth, sliding one-two-three through the Angels' order. With one down in the bottom of the fourth, DH-S Carl Everett knocked a grounder into centerfield for a single. Up next, CF-R Aaron Rowand hit a hard infield grounder to the left of first base, where Erstad struggled to make the stop, causing him to settle for the out at first rather than going for a double play. With Everett now at second, C-L A.J. Pierzynski hit a line drive to deep right field for an RBI single, narrowing Los Angeles's lead to 3-2. Bowing to the law of averages, Crede struck out to end the inning before Chicago could tie the game.

After another trio of Angels fell to Contreras in the top of the fifth, Podsednik took the first walk of the game in the bottom of the inning. However, he graciously erased himself from the basepaths with a failed attempt to steal second, allowing Byrd to exit the inning having faced a minimum of batters. Neither team managed a baserunner in the sixth inning.

With one down in the top of the seventh, Erstad dropped a flyball into the middle of centerfield for a single, as Rowand was playing too deep to make the catch. During RF-R Juan Rivera's plate appearance, Erstad stole second, which is where he remained while Rivera hit a foul pop out and Finley struck out to end the top of the inning. While Byrd took the mound to open the bottom of the seventh, RHP Scot Shields took over after Byrd's first pitch connected with the middle of Rowand's back. Following the pitching change, Pierzynski hit a grounder to Kennedy, who threw to Cabrera for the force at second. However, a take out slide by Rowand prevented Cabrera from turning two. Like Podsednik in the fifth, Pierzynski tested C-R Ben Molina's arm and was caught attempting to steal second, so the inning ended when Crede flew out to right.

One out into the top of the eighth, Figgins sent a grounder bounding down the first base line. Crossing behind first base, Konerko stretched his non-glove hand up to knock down the ball, allowing him to hold Figgins to a single. Figgins merely waited for Contreras's first pitch to Cabrera before stealing second despite the pitchout. Even so, his efforts did not enable Los Angeles to increase their lead as Cabrera and Guerrero left him stranded at second.

Leading off the bottom of the eighth, Uribe hit a broken bat grounder up the middle. Kennedy fielded an unexpected hop barehanded and then side-armed the ball toward first. The ball went wide left of Erstad but bounced back toward the field, holding Uribe to a single. Two outs later, RF-R Dye glided a line drive into right for a single that moved Uribe to second. The White Sox continued to trail going into the ninth, as Konerko flew out to center to end the eighth.

Contreras remained in the game to retire Anderson, but after he gave up a single to Molina on a line drive to centerfield, Chicago brought in LHP Neal Cotts from the bullpen. Following the pitching change, Erstad hit a grounder to short, where Uribe relayed to second to retire Molina. Erstad beat out the double play, but Rivera popped out to send the game into the bottom of the ninth.

Angels stopper Francisco Rodriguez took the mound to close the game, but Figgins quickly piled additional drama onto the situation, boldly falling down in front of the grounder hit to third by Everett, allowing the tying runner to reach base on his error. However, he redeemed himself on the following play, cleanly fielding Rowand's telegraphed bunt and making the throw to second to retire Everett. Pierzynski hit a long line drive to deep right field for out number two, and Crede fell victim to KRod's namesake out, sealing a 3-2 win for Los Angeles.