There were no tears and few excuses, almost as if the Boston Red Sox realized a better team had dethroned them.
If the pounding in the opening game of the American League Division Series and the comeback victory in the second game didn’t convince them, then the White Sox’s 5-3 demolition Friday did because it came at Fenway Park.
The World Series champions will not repeat, perhaps replaced by a team that is doing right now what the Red Sox did a year ago.
“They got the big hit and we couldn’t. They got the big out and we couldn’t do it,” Boston general manager Theo Epstein said.
“They deserve it. They were able to finish off the rallies in three games, we weren’t able to.”
On Friday, the White Sox took a 2-0 lead, then broke a tie to make it 4-2. When the Red Sox closed to within a run, the White Sox added a perfectly executed squeeze play, a statement run if there ever was one.
“This was the best of five and they outplayed us,” Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. “They pitched, hit and ran the bases better than us. They outplayed us. That’s why they won.”
With the sweep, the White Sox have an eight-game winning streak, including the last five of the regular season against Detroit and what had been a hot Cleveland team.
“They’re good, they’re a very good team and they pitch good,” losing pitcher Tim Wakefield said. “From top to bottom, they do all the things right. I like their chances.”
And then Wakefield added the necessary disclaimer: “I think we had the better team. It’s not always the better team that wins, but the one that’s hotter.”
Actually, the White Sox may be both because they made the world champions look like just another team because they played nearly flawless baseball offensively and defensively. Then there was that pitching, including a sixth inning Friday that left the Red Sox stunned.
With the bases loaded and nobody out, Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez made a rare relief appearance. He got Jason Varitek to foul out, got Tony Graffanino to pop up on the 10th pitch of his at-bat and then fooled leadoff man Johnny Damon for a strikeout. It was the turning point of an exciting game.
“We had three good hitters coming up,” Damon said. “I would have bet we would have gotten at least one across 95 times out of 100. I felt like after those guys made two outs, I was going to pick them up. Unfortunately, I just didn’t recognize the [slow] pitch.
“He threw the right pitch at the right time.”
Graffanino kept fouling off Hernandez fastballs until he finally popped one up to shortstop Juan Uribe.
“It was the first real slow pitch he threw to me,” he said. “I was thinking maybe he would throw me a sinker or another fastball. But he went with a slow curve. That takes a lot of guts.”
Varitek said: “I had a chance to tie the ballgame. I’ll put the blame on my shoulders.”
The Red Sox ended the regular season as the most feared offense in the American League, leading in almost every category. But leadoff hitter Damon batted only .231 with no RBIs, ditto for second hitter Edgar Renteria.
That helped White Sox pitchers survive the Murderers’ Row of David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez. Neither had hit a home run until they did it back-to-back in the fourth inning Friday. The point is that both were solo shots, as was Ramirez’s to lead off the sixth. The two combined for three homers and just five RBIs in the series.
“I wish we could have been on base little more,” Damon said.
And so the much-chronicled Reverse the Curse was a one-year phenomenon. And the Red Sox surely will look different next season because such key players as Damon are free agents.
“This whole clubhouse could be different,” Damon said.
“We put our heart and soul into this season. It’s starting to sink in right now. Tomorrow we come in and pack up our bags.”
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dvandyck@tribune.com
