CHICAGO - Tadahito Iguchi hit a bases-loaded single in the bottom of the 19th inning Sunday and the Chicago White Sox beat the Boston Red Sox 6-5 in a 6-hour, 19-minute marathon - the longest by innings in U.S. Cellular Field history.
The White Sox loaded the bases with one out in the 19th off Rudy Seanez (2-1), the eighth Boston pitcher, using consecutive singles by Alex Cintron, Rob Mackowiak and Scott Podsednik.
Iguchi then singled between shortstop and third base to end a game that started in sunshine but finished with the lights on. Looking weary and happy, Iguchi was mobbed by his teammates at first base.
Cliff Politte (2-2), the eighth White Sox pitcher, worked the top of the 19th for the win. It was the longest game by both innings and time in the majors this season.
It was Boston's longest game by innings since going 19 innings on Aug. 1, 2000, against Seattle and the White Sox's longest since playing 19 at Milwaukee in May 1991. U.S. Cellular Field opened in 1991.
With the victory, the White Sox avoided a three-game sweep against the Red Sox in the matchup of the last two World Series winners.
Jermaine Dye hit a two-out homer in the ninth off Boston closer Jonathan Papelbon - the first run the rookie has given up on the road all season - to tie it at 3.
Mark Loretta's two-run, two-out single in the top of the 11th gave Boston the lead again, but the White Sox tied it in the bottom half, despite some crazy baserunning.
Jim Thome doubled, went to third on Paul Konerko's single and scored on Dye's double to right-center to make it 5-4.
Pinch-runner Ross Gload held at third on the double and then the Red Sox walked A.J. Pierzynski intentionally to load the bases. When Joe Crede hit a liner to right-center, Trot Nixon made a running catch.
Gload wasn't sure whether to tag or run and when he finally went back to the bag, Dye had already arrived there thinking Crede's ball would drop. Dye raced back to second and Gload had to stay at third.
Cintron then hit what could have been a game-ending double-play grounder to second, but he beat the relay throw to first for a fielder's choice to tie the game again.
Reliever Matt Thornton struck out Nixon with the bases loaded in the top of the 13th.
Chicago's Brandon McCarthy allowed one hit in 4 1-3 scoreless innings of relief and Boston's Julian Tavarez gave up one hit in four shutout innings.
Dye's 25th homer bailed Jose Contreras out again and kept his 17-game regular-season winning streak dating to last Aug. 15 intact. It is the third time in his last five starts that Contreras got a no-decision after leaving the game with Chicago trailing.
Red Sox starter Curt Schilling worked six strong innings, allowing two runs and five hits, including a line-drive RBI single by Jim Thome that hit him in the right elbow in the sixth. He left with a 3-2 lead and his elbow was starting to swell.
Contreras allowed only four hits in six innings, but struggled with his control, walking five and throwing a pair of wild pitches.
David Ortiz delivered a run-scoring single in the first after Youkilis drew a leadoff walk and moved up on a wild pitch. Lowell hit his 11th homer in the fourth and Boston went up 3-0 when Contreras hit Loretta with a bases-loaded pitch.
Iguchi's 10th homer made it 3-1 in the bottom of the inning.
Chicago's Brian Anderson doubled to lead off the sixth. One out later, Iguchi walked before Thome sent a hard liner up the middle that hit Schilling in the right side and ricocheted into the outfield for an RBI single to make it 3-2. Iguchi raced to third but was stranded when Konerko flied out to shallow center and Dye struck out.
Notes:@ Pittsburgh beat Houston 8-7 in 18 innings on May 27. The game lasted 5 hours and 49 minutes and was the majors' longest game this season by innings and time before Sunday. ... Trot Nixon went 0-for-9 for the Red Sox. ... Papelbon, who entered the game with a 0.41 ERA, has now given up just three runs all season. ... Schilling's start was the 400th of his career.
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