There will be no back-to-back for the Boston Red Sox. With a 5-3 win at Fenway Park, the Chicago White Sox swept Boston out of the playoffs and moved on to the ALCS to face either New York or Los Angeles.
I picked Boston to win this series, but I also said that if Boston didn't show up with their bats, they were going home, and if Chicago didn't show up with their pitching, they were going home. I was right about that. I just got the delivering team wrong.
Chicago kicked Boston's asses. Just absolutely kicked their asses for three games. Boston was never in this series, and the White Sox deserved a sweep because they pretty much completely outplayed the Red Sox. I'll admit I was wrong about Chicago. Their pitchers showed up, and they got it done. If they play like that in the ALCS and maybe the Series (and they've done it all year, with me doubting them pretty much the whole way), there isn't a lot that can stop them.
And who made the final out? Edgar Renteria, of course.