Technical difficulties plagued yesterday's Redux. We'll cover both weekend games here. Sorry.

Not since Mrs. O'Leary's cow had its legendary bout with Restless Legs Syndrome has Chicago been so utterly and completely flattened. But this time it wasn't fire, but the relentless bats of the Red Sox, woken from their August slumber, who pounded the Pale Hose into a pinstriped pulp. (We miss a day, we lay it on a little thick the next day. That's the deal.)

46-7 was the composite score of the four games. And the M.O. was fairly predictable; get a good-to-great start from the Red Sox pitcher, have him trade good innings with the White Sox starter, then wait until the Chicagoan tires, then whale on him and the White Sox' incompetent bullpen.

Saturday. Mark Buehrle is pitching well for Chicago, but Tim Wakefield is completely flummoxing the White Sox lineup. Kevin Cash is doing a great job catching him. The Fox guys talk about nothing but knuckleballs for five innings. My God, we love Tim Wakefield. Finally, Buehrle blinks in the sixth, surrendering four runs on five hits, including a memorable play where Bobby Kielty's single scores Manny from third, then Mike Lowell strolls home for a second run while the White Sox are leisurely throwing the ball in from the outfield.

But the sixth was just a warmup. Overmatched Ryan Bukvitch hit Cora and Cash to start the eighth, then the Red Sox tortured him and his bullpen cohorts for a 13-batter, 8-run inning. It got so bad that Terry Francona sent J.D. Drew to pinch-hit, just so he could strike out and end the inning.

Sunday was the return of Julian Tavarez, who we think is frozen in carbonite between starts. All he did was throw a two-hitter over seven innings. The game was 1-1 into the fifth (Jermaine Dye and J.D. Drew (!!!!!) traded solo homers), when Dustin Pedroia's two-run single and Ortiz' two-run blast signalled that the party had started. Bobby Kielty's first Red Sox home run was a highlight in the sixth, then the Sox added four insurance runs in the ninth. Papelbon, who had grown a layer of cobwebs through the series of blowouts, worked the ninth and incinerated three hapless South Siders to keep himself fresh.

Because, tomorrow night, the juggernaut rolls into the Bronx. Two weeks ago, we thought this may very well be the series that finished the Red Sox' run in first. Now, and we want to make it absolutely clear we are NOT predicting this, NOT expecting this, and NOT jinxing anything, the Sox have a fighting chance to bury New York for good. Tito's arranged the rotation just right, so Daisuke, Beckett, and Schilling will face off against Pettitte, Roger and Wang, respectively. Let's keep scoring in the double digits, boys, whaddya say?

To divert from baseball for a second, the Patriots will welcome back Asante Samuel today. Samuel has apparently decided that his holdout and future earning power won't be as exciting as joining this loaded Patriot team, a decision we applaud. Meanwhile, the Celtics have added James Posey to their roster. Posey's a 6-8 forward who played pretty good defense on Nowitzki and Josh Howard when his Heat beat Dallas for the title a couple of years ago. He also has a little nasty streak in him, but he's definitely not dead.

Image from Paper Lace, the hottest thing to come out of Nottingham since Robin Hood.