White Sox Stop Indians

Put simply, the Chicago White Sox needed this. With their lead in the AL Central shrinking, with a back-and-forth game and the score tied in the 10th inning, Joe Crede delivered.

Crede’s home run leading off the 10th -- his second of the game -- lifted Chicago to a 7-6 victory over the Cleveland Indians on Tuesday night.

Chicago increased its lead in the AL Central to 3 1/2 games over the Indians and ended Cleveland’s six-game winning streak. The three-game series ends tonight.

Crede turned on a 1-and-0 pitch from David Riske (3-4), sending it an estimated 422 feet to left for his 19th homer. It was the fifth game-ending homer of Crede’s career, his first since last September against Kansas City.

“I’ve had other walk-off home runs, but they’ve either been earlier in the season or we were out of it,” Crede said.

Dustin Hermanson (2-4) pitched a scoreless 10th inning for the win.

The White Sox have been in first place all season, but a lead that was 15 games on Aug. 1 was down to 2 1/2 before this one. And until Crede homered, they were staring at the possibility of it dwindling to half a game before Cleveland leaves town.

“Two and a half, 1 1/2 , we just can’t worry about that stuff,” Cleveland left fielder Coco Crisp said. “Whether we’re playing the White Sox or Kansas City, we just have to win.

“This was one of the best games I’ve ever played in.”

Teammate Aaron Boone agreed.

“When we came in here after the game, there were smiles on our faces,” he said.

The White Sox scored three runs in the seventh to take a 6-5 lead, but Cleveland tied it against Bobby Jenks in the ninth.

Jenks walked Jhonny Peralta leading off the inning and gave up Victor Martinez’s RBI double to center with one out on a ball that Aaron Rowand misjudged.

“The toughest road is a line drive right at you, especially when it’s hit off a 98-mph fastball,” Rowand said.

Paul Konerko and A.J. Pierzynski singled with one out in the bottom of the ninth, and Riske hit Rowand in the back with a pitch to load the bases with two out. But Juan Uribe flied to right.