Blum Fires White Sox to the Brink

Geoff Blum hit a home run at the top of the 14th inning as the Chicago White Sox took a commanding 3-0 lead in the World Series with a 7-5 victory over the Houston Astros, in what was the longest game in the contest's history.

Chicago can now clinch their first world championship since 1917 tomorrow, when Freddy Garcia takes to the mound against Brandon Backe.

The White Sox are in that position thanks to late home runs from a pair of unexpected sources. Scott Podsednik, who did not homer in 507 at-bats in the regular season, ended Game Two with a winning blast off Brad Lidge.

And last night Blum smashed a 2-0 fastball from Ezequiel Astacio, the seventh pitcher used by Houston, into the right-field seats to break a 5-5 tie.

"Words can't explain what it feels like," said Blum. "I guessed fastball and was fortunate to get a barrel on it.

"It's the stuff that dreams are made of. I've had about a hundred of these at-bats in my backyard with my younger brother, but to do it on this stage, in this situation makes this year incredibly remarkable."

The game lasted five hours, 41 minutes, easily surpassing the previous mark of 4 hours, 51 minutes in Game One of the 2000 World Series between the New York Yankees and Mets.