BOSTON - Tony Graffanino quickly discovered why the Red Sox are the defending champions. They don't worry about how deep the hole is, they just start climbing.

Boston did that last year when it lost the first three games of the AL championship series to the New York Yankees, then won the remaining four and kept going by sweeping St. Louis in the World Series.

Today, te Red Sox need another comeback from a 2-0 deficit against the Chicago White Sox, who can finish them off at Fenway Park in the best-of-five division series.

"This team doesn't focus on yesterday," Graffanino said. "There's nothing we can do about being down 2-0. We just have to be ready to win the next three ballgames, and the attitude in here is that's exactly what we're going to do."

He sensed that attitude after becoming Boston's starting second baseman when he was traded by Kansas City on July 19. It's helping him leave behind his damaging error in the fifth inning Wednesday when Chicago won 5-4 after trailing 4-0 in Game 2.

"If I focus on it, it's going to consume me and affect the way I play tomorrow and I don't want that to happen," Graffanino said Thursday. "I wish it never happened, but it did. But in my mind, I have to make believe it didn't happen."

The sure-fielding Graffanino let the potential inning-ending double-play grounder roll through his legs. Tadahito Iguchi then hit a three-run homer off 42-year-old David Wells for the 5-4 lead.

It will be up to another veteran, 39-year-old Tim Wakefield, to get Boston off to a good start Friday. The Red Sox had the best home record in the majors, but Chicago starter Freddy Garcia has been exceptional on the road with a 10-3 record and a 3.40 ERA.

"That's why I picked Freddy to pitch in the road trip," Chicago manager Ozzie Guillen said. "Hopefully, he continues to do what he's been doing all year long."

Wakefield had an outstanding second half and finished at 16-12 with a 4.15 ERA, although he struggled in his final start on three days' rest Saturday. He lost to the Yankees, who clinched the AL East title with the victory.

The Red Sox were 8-1 during the past two seasons in games in which they could have been eliminated. One of those came in Game 5 of the 2004 ALCS against the Yankees when Wakefield threw three scoreless innings to finish Boston's 5-4 win in 14 innings.

"We've been in this situation before," the knuckleballer said. "Now that we're back at home playing in front of our home crowd, there's still a chance."

But the White Sox's 52-29 road record tied the Los Angeles Angels for best in the majors.

ATLANTA - Not long after Brian McCann was called up from the minors, John Smoltz took the rookie catcher under his wing.Their relationship paid off big for the Atlanta Braves in the NL playoffs.Smoltz picked up where he left off in 1999, throwing seven strong innings against Houston to reclaim exclusive rights to the title of baseball's winningest postseason pitcher. The offense was provided by his personal catcher, with McCann hitting a three-run homer on his first postseason swing - off Roger Clemens, no less.The Braves pulled away for a victory on a drizzly Thursday night, pulling even in the best-of-five series at one game apiece. Game 3 is Saturday in Houston.