Sox mismatched in sweep

BOSTON — Say it IS so, Chicago: The White Sox swept away the champion Red Sox, and now they'll try to purge the memory of the notorious Black Sox.

Orlando Hernandez pitched out of a bases-loaded, none-out jam, and Paul Konerko hit a tiebreaking homer as Chicago beat Boston 5-3 Friday to sweep the defending World Series champs out of the playoffs and win a postseason series for the first time since Shoeless Joe Jackson's team won it all the way back in 1917.

Two years later, Jackson's "Black Sox" took payoffs from gamblers to throw the Series. Eight men were out — banned from baseball for life — and every White Sox player since has lived with a longer but lesser-known "curse" than the supposed one the Red Sox busted when they ended their 86-year drought last season.

"Finally, we make another big step," manager Ozzie Guillen said. "They have waited a long time for this moment. And this team is making it happen this year."

The White Sox, who let Cleveland erase most of a 15-game lead in the AL Central, will have home-field advantage in the AL championship series against the New York Yankees or Los Angeles Angels.

"We're not done. I don't think we're satisfied," Konerko said. "I think we match up well in this next series with anybody."

Boston had hoped for its first repeat titles since 1915-16, but for the second time in three years its season ended thanks to a Tim Wakefield knuckleball that went over a left-field wall.

"Everybody that was on that team can take that to their grave," Wakefield said, referring to Boston's improbable run last October.

The Red Sox cut it to 4-3 when Manny Ramirez led off the sixth with his second homer of the game, then they loaded the bases — still with none out. But Hernandez got pinch-hitter Jason Varitek and Game 2 goat Tony Graffanino to pop up to the infield, then Johnny Damon struck out on a check swing to end the inning.

"He's probably got the most heart of any pitcher I've ever been around. That's the story of the night for me," Konerko said. "Bases loaded, no outs against the best offense in the major leagues and he comes out of it."

Graffanino, whose error before Tadahito Iguchi's three-run homer was the difference in a 5-4 loss on Wednesday night, fouled off four pitches with two strikes; Damon also worked the count full, but Hernandez got him on a pitch in the dirt.