CHICAGO — Fate keeps wearing a Chicago White Sox cap. With series-shaking hits. With umpires' friendly calls. With victories that keep coming one after another, by whatever method is required, as this October turns ever more golden.

It was Scott Podsednik's ninth-inning homer yesterday that settled another magical night for the White Sox. That gave them a 7-6 victory in Game 2 of the World Series. That gave them a 2-0 lead to take to Houston, while the Astros try to recover yet again from a postseason nightmare, and a victory that got away, against a team apparently blessed.

"It's 25 guys," Podsednik said, "pulling on the same rope."

Scott Podsednik. Who did not have a home run in 507 at-bats this regular season. Who hit one home run in the division series, and had it considered like a winning lottery ticket. It was he who ended the game by sending a 2-1 fastball from the suddenly infamous Brad Lidge over the centerfield wall.

"Clearly, everything they're doing right now is right," said Houston manager Phil Garner. "They can't do anything wrong."

"Pretty much indescribable," Podsednik said of his feelings.

On a rainy night when even the emotions seemed wind-blown, the Astros appeared to have won the game. Then lost it. Then saved it.

That was until Podsednik batted against Lidge, who was last seen giving up Albert Pujols' game-winning home run in the NLCS. "Let's just try to get on base," Podsednik told himself, thinking only base hit. But his blast was the last turn of a game that went every direction.

"That's when stuff is going your way," Chicago manager Ozzie Guillen said.

For that followed Houston's rally in the top of the ninth, when Jose Vizcaino's two-out, two-run single off closer Bobby Jenks suddenly tied the game at 6-6.

And that came after Paul Konerko's seventh-inning grand slam — aided and abetted by an apparent mistake by home plate umpire Jeff Nelson that loaded the bases. A shocking blow that changed a 4-2 Houston lead into a 6-4 Chicago advantage.

But no lead was safe this night. No reliever, either.

In the wet chill of an autumn evening that so horribly went against them at the end, Texas must have sounded like a great idea to the Astros. There will be no need to blow on the hands to keep them warm, no rain to wipe out of the eyes to keep them dry, no winds to turn fly balls into adventures.

And there, perhaps, they will find a way to stop the White Sox.

For Chicago, it brought the glory of long ago even closer. The White Sox have not had a two-game lead in the World Series since 1917. They are now 9-1 in the postseason, and have won six straight.

For the Astros, it sent them home desperately needing a victory in Game 3 tomorrow. Roger Clemens vanquished in Game 1, his hamstring possibly finishing him for the year. The bullpen beaten in Game 2. Paging Roy Oswalt. STAT.

"We know we haven't accomplished anything yet," Podsednik said.

"We came back (before) and we'll come back in Houston," Craig Biggio said. "This will be a long series."

The Astros thought they had pulled even yesterday. Ahead 4-2 in the seventh inning, with the game in the hands of their impeccable bullpen, having been handed a lead by the six innings of grit by Andy Pettitte.

But Dan Wheeler loaded the bases, helped by Nelson. A 3-2 pitch to Jermaine Dye hit something and bounced away. Replays suggested it was the end of his bat. Nelson ruled it was Dye's body. He sent Dye to first.

Out came Garner for a short and futile discussion. All he could do, finally, was wave for Chad Qualls.

Qualls had retired all 14 St. Louis batters he faced in the NLCS. He had pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings Saturday.

It took one pitch. Konerko got all of it. Every bit of it.

"He threw it right where I was looking," said Konerko, who added he did not feel right at the plate all night. "It's the last thing on your mind. That's when they usually happen, when you're not trying to."

An umpire's decision had directly led to a huge White Sox hit, and somewhere the Los Angeles Angels were smiling joylessly at their television sets.

"Kind of an out-of-body thing," Konerko called it. "The second best feeling I've had all week."

His first child was born Tuesday.

But the game's drama had hardly started. Jenks had been unhittable in Game 1, but put runners on base with a single and walk. Then came Vizcaino.

"We'll come back. Don't worry about it," catcher A.J. Pierzynski said to Jenks as Guillen relieved him.

The early heroes of the night were Pettitte and Lance Berkman.

Pettitte had given Chicago two early runs and no more, withstanding some shaky defense behind him in the second inning when the Astros — perhaps bothered by the breeze — misplayed two balls in the air.

Berkman had tied the game with a sacrifice fly after Willy Taveras' triple in the third, and doubled in two runs for a 4-2 lead in the fifth.

For one night, they thought they had figured out the White Sox.

But so far this month, no one has.