Major League Baseball's defending World Series champion Boston Red Sox have been swept out of this year's playoffs.
The Chicago White Sox completed a three-game sweep of Boston with a 5-3 victory Friday. Chicago's Paul Konerko hit a two-run home run in the sixth inning to put the White Sox ahead, 4-2. The Red Sox cut the lead to just one run and had the bases loaded with none out in the bottom of the sixth, but Chicago relief pitcher Orlando Hernandez came in to retire the next three batters without allowing a run.
The post-season series win was the first for the White Sox since 1917. They will play for the American League championship next week against either the New York Yankees or Los Angeles Angels.
The Angels took a 2-1 lead in their best-of-five series against New York with an 11-7 victory in Yankee Stadium late Friday.
The Angels' batters chased Yankee star Randy Johnson from the mound after he gave up five early runs on a three-run homer by Garret Anderson in the first inning and a two-run shot by Bengie Molina in the third. The Yankees came back from that 5-0 deficit to take a 6-5 lead in the fifth inning, only to fall behind again in the sixth.
The Angels could wrap up the series Saturday, in New York.
The National League's divisional series resume Saturday with the defending NL-champion St. Louis Cardinals looking to complete a sweep of the San Diego Padres. The Atlanta Braves and Houston Astros are tied at one victory apiece going into Saturday's game in Houston.
Some information for this report provided by AP.
