The Astros Blanked The Red Sox 5-0 To Reach The World Series For The Third Time In Five Years

 

    The improbable 2021 postseason ride for the Red Sox ended abruptly tonight at Minute Maid Park as the Astros shut them out 5-0 in Game 6 of the ALCS. Houston advances to their third World Series in five years so it's safe to say that the better team ultimately won. It was quite a turnaround after the Sox led the ALCS 2-1 with their offense seemingly firing on all cylanders. Since then, they were blown out 9-2 in Game 4 after giving up seven runs in the ninth inning and they were embarrassed 9-1 in Game 5. Are you sensing a pattern here? Boston's bats went completely silent one last time as they could only manage two total hits and two walks against rookie Luis Garcia (5.2 IP, 1 hit, 7 Ks, 1 BB) and four Astros relievers. Houston will face either the Braves or the Dodgers in the World Series starting on Tuesday night, Atlanta currently leads the NLCS 3-2 with Game 6 tomorrow night (8:08, TBS). 

    With Boston sports fans high expectations, any season that doesn't end in a championship is always a disappointment but if we take a step back, you have to remember where these Red Sox were coming from after last year's nightmare Covid-19 season. They overachieved and it is pretty remarkable that they got this far with all their obvious issues and shortcomings. Let's hope this run inspires Boston's chief robot nerd Chaim Bloom to invest some money in starting pitching, relievers and even a few veteran utility players. This group can no longer sneak up on anyone and likewise, their expectations for next season will be way higher so the Red Sox will have to find more talent because the gap between them and the Astros was sizable as the three straight losses to close the series proved. 

    There were signs right away that this wouldn't be Boston's night as center fielder Kike Hernandez (who was incredible in the playoffs) dropped a long fly ball by DH and ALCS MVP Yordan Alvarez (4-for-4, 2 runs, 2B, 3B, RBI) in the first inning that scored Houston third baseman Alex Bregman. Red Sox starter Nathan Eovaldi (4.1 IP, 1 ER, 4 Ks, 1 BB) pitched well enough in a very tough spot but his teammates completely let him down. Hernandez barely missed another home run by mere inches in the sixth inning as his triple hit just below the yellow line on the left center field wall. Unfortunately, there were already two outs so the next batter-third baseman Rafael Devers-popped up to strand Kike at third base with Boston's best scoring chance of the evening.

    Alvarez scored on a double play ball in the bottom of the sixth inning for a 2-0 Houston lead and the Astros officially sealed it in the eighth inning when right fielder Kyle Tucker hit a three-run bomb to left field off Boston reliever Adam Ottavino that plated Alvarez and shortstop Carlos Correa. It was such a crazy season for the Red Sox in terms of some awesome highs and many terrible lows. However, I think the lasting memory from this year's club is that they helped bring (some) people back to the team. Particularly in October, they were wildly entertaining and hopefully this season will serve as a springboard for future campaigns and more titles. The Patriots (2-4) are not winning a Super Bowl anytime soon, the Celtics (0-2) appear to be regressing and the Bruins (2-1) are good but they will fold in the playoffs as usual so believe it or not, I think the Sox are the closest Boston team to a title (unless you count the Revs but who really does?). Baseball will never be what it once was in terms of popularity both here and in other markets but at its core, Boston is still a baseball city when the Red Sox are at least competitive. 

The Red Sox Took A 2-1 Series Lead After A 12-3 Demolition Of The Astros In Game 3 Of The ALCS

 

    So it turns out even in the weird time of openers and starting pitchers being less coveted than ever in MLB that they actually do still matter more than the analytics nerds want you to believe. Just ask the Astros who currently are in full scramble mode without hardly any legitimate starters left to turn to in the ALCS. The result is that the Red Sox destroyed them 12-3 tonight in Game 3 at Fenway Park. For those keeping track, Boston has outscored Houston 21-8 in Games 2 and 3 to take a 2-1 series lead with the next two games also at Fenway the following two nights. 

    This one was over fast since the Sox scored six runs in the second inning keyed by first baseman Kyle Schwarber's grand slam (the MLB record third of the playoffs for the Sox and his first HR of this round) that came on a 3-0 pitcher from Astros starter Jose Urquidy who had last appeared on Oct. 3 vs. Oakland-the regular season finale. Boston tacked on three more runs in the third inning and cruised from there as their starter Eduardo Rodriguez (6 IP, 3 ER, 5 hits, 7 Ks, 0 BBs) was superb except for a harmless three-run bomb allowed to Houston's promising young right fielder Kyle Tucker in the fourth inning when his team trailed 9-0. 

    The first two runs for the Red Sox came on an RBI single by catcher Christian Vazquez that plated left fielder Alex Verdugo then DH J.D. Martinez came around to score on a ground out. Vazquez added another RBI single in the third that scored right fielder Hunter Renfroe then second baseman Christian Arroyo hit a line drive that just cleared the Green Monster for a two-run homer (his 1st of the series). No matter what scrub reliever that Astros manager Dusty Baker used (and he inserted five of them after Urquidy was done in the second inning), it hardly mattered as Boston scored more runs off of four of them. 

    Martinez crushed a two-run homer (his second of the series) of his own that went over the Monster in the sixth inning which scored third baseman Rafael Devers. Raffy put the final exclamation on an evening full of fireworks with an opposite field shot over the Monster in the eighth inning-also his second home run of the series. That vaunted Houston offense never really showed up in Game 3 as a trio of Red Sox relievers-Hansel Robles, Martin Perez and Hirokazu Sawamura-each pitched scoreless frames on 12 pitches or less. You can't overstate how important E-Rod's performance was in terms of saving the bullpen for other games.   

    I don't believe it's hyperbole to say that Game 4 tomorrow night (8:08, FS1) is basically a must-win for the Astros. Their pitching is in shambles therefore I can't see them reeling off three consecutive wins against Boston's on fire offense. Nick Pivetta gets his first start of the postseason for the Red Sox against the ghost of Zack Greinke who like Urquidy before tonight's beating hasn't appeared yet in the playoffs. Haha what could possibly go wrong there? Improbably, the Sox are only two wins away from the World Series and if they take care of business at Fenway these next few games, they won't even have to return to Houston.

Red Sox Earn The Split In Houston With A 9-5 Victory In Game 2 Behind A Pair Of Grand Slams

 

    Coming into the ALCS, we were all fearful of Houston's lethal offense and for good reason: they are deep and loaded with playoff experience. At the same time, we also have to recognize that Boston's lineup is just as dangerous as illustarted by today's 9-5 win by the Red Sox in Game 2 at Minute Maid Park. With that important victory, the series heads to Boston tied 1-1 with the next three games at Fenway Park. The final score is a bit misleading since Boston was up 8-0 in the second inning after a grand slams by DH J.D. Martinez and third baseman Rafael Devers (the first time in MLB history that a team hit two grand slams in the same playoff game) in consecutive frames. Boston's center fielder Kike Hernandez continued to be the hottest hitter on the planet as he crushed his fifth home run of the postseason (tying a Red Sox record for most HRs in an entire postseason) and Nathan Eovaldi (5.1 IP, 3 ER, 5 hits, 3 Ks, 1 BB) gave the Sox another solid outing.

    Houston's rookie starting pitcher Leury Garcia was no match for Eovaldi as he only lasted 1+ inning before he was pulled with a fake injury (right knee discomfort). Former Rays great Jake Odorizzi followed Garcia and he also got knocked around as he allowed four earned runs and seven hits in four innings. Martinez's grand slam went to the opposite field as it scored first baseman Kyle Schwarber, Devers and Verdugo. Devers' grand slam in the next inning landed in a similar spot down the right field line and it plated catcher Kevin Plawecki, second baseman Christian Arroyo and Hernandez. Both of those memorable blasts were the first home runs of the series for Martinez and Devers while Hernandez already has three in the first two games against the Astros following his solo shot to left field in the fourth inning. 

    Houston got on the board in the fourth with an RBI double from right fielder Kyle Tucker that scored DH Yordan Alvarez. First baseman Yuli Gurriel followed with a two-run single that brought in shortstop Carlos Correa and Tucker. Red Sox manager Alex Cora's bullpen was good at first as Northeastern's Adam Ottavino got the last two outs in the sixth inning before the superb Garrett Whitlock pitched two scoreless innings with a pair of strikeouts. Lefty scrub Darwinzon Hernandez came on in the ninth inning with a 9-3 advantage but it was not nearly enough as he gave up solo home runs to Gurriel and pinch hitter Jason Castro. This forced Cora to bring in Ryan Brasier who retired Astros second baseman Jose Altuve on a deep fly ball to center field to end it. Whew. 

    I'm not saying it's going to happen since I believe that Houston is a better team than Tampa Bay but the Rays did win Game 1 of the ALDS before losing Game 2 at home and coming to Boston where they lost Games 3 and 4 to get eliminated from the playoffs. With three games in three days at Fenway starting on Monday night (8:08, FS1), the Sox have a wonderful opportunity to take control of this series and put themselves in a great position to reach yet another World Series. Including the Wild Card game vs. the Yankees, Boston is 3-0 at home this postseason and it should be an awesome atmosphere for these pivotal ALCS contests against a budding rival.

Red Sox Punch Ticket to Their 3rd World Series in 10 Years

The Red Sox are going to face the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2013 World Series, a rematch of 2004, after Boston knocked out Detroit in six truly thrilling games. Tonight at Fenway Park, the Red Sox beat the Tigers 5-2 thanks to a clutch grand slam by Shane Victorino in the seventh inning that put them ahead 5-2. Craig Breslow got a 1-2-3 eighth and ALCS MVP Koji Uehara pitched a scoreless ninth with two strikeouts for his third save of the series (plus 1 win). Game 1 of the World Series is Wednesday (8:07, Fox) at Fenway.

The themes built up over the previous five games continued one more time: Max Scherzer (0-1) was excellent (6.1 innings, 3 earned runs, 4 hits, 8 strikeouts, 5 walks) but his bullpen was not. Boston's bullpen was superb, well other than Franklin Morales who allowed a two-run single to Victor Martinez that temporarily put Detroit ahead 2-1 in the sixth. I don't blame Morales as much as John Farrell for that mind-numbing move since Morales is terrible. Oh well, no reason to worry about that blunder too much now. Haha let's just hope Morales isn't on the World Series roster.

Clay Buchholz (5 innings, 2 earned runs, 4 hits, 4 strikeouts, 2 walks) pitched at a snail's pace but he was better than Game 1. After Morales failed, Brandon Workman (who should have been the first reliever) got five outs and Junichi Tazawa (1-0) retired Miguel Cabrera for the third time in the ALCS, in this instance there were runners on first and second with two outs.

Compared to Prince Fielder though, Cabrera had the greatest ALCS in history. Prince proved what a dog he is by hitting .182 in six games with no RBIs. He's gone 20 postseason games without a homer or RBI, how's that even possible? His series was best summed up by him getting caught too far off third then belly flopping five feet short of the bag for a soul-crushing double play.

Jacoby Ellsbury drove in budding superstar Xander Bogaerts (double, two runs, two walks) for a 1-0 Red Sox lead in the fifth. The rookie also drew a key walk vs. Scherzer in the sixth that led to him getting pulled a few batters later and Victorino's memorable grand slam over the Monster. Bogaerts will start every game in the World Series and deservedly so. I'd love to see Will Middlebrooks at third base and Bogaerts at third but Stephen Drew's excellent dive and throw to first likely earned him more leeway despite him being 1-for-20 (even Prince thinks that's bad) with nine strikeouts in the ALCS.

You can't say enough about the importance of not going seven games with Detroit. The Cardinals eliminated the Dodgers last night so they don't have much of a headstart on Boston plus thanks to the stupid All-Star Game, the Red Sox have homefield advantage. Both teams are gunning for their third World Series crown in the last decade and Boston swept St. Louis in 2004 (you might have heard about that). Anything can happen in the World Series but I expect it to be extremely competitive, think ALCS, but the Cardinals are deeper and more fundamentally sound than the Tigers who self-destructed much like the Rays in the ALDS.

This is the 11th time in franchise history that the Red Sox have made the World Series (6-4) and fourth time it is against St. Louis: Cardinals beat them in seven games in 1946 and 1967 before Boston returned the favor nine years ago. Four more wins!

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Tigers Dominate Game 4, 7-3, to even ALCS at Two Games Apiece

After three one-run games in a row, the 2013 ALCS was due for a blowout. Unfortunately, the Red Sox found themselves on the wrong side of that equation as they lost 7-3 to the Tigers in Game 4 this evening at Comerica Park. The all-important Game 5 is tomorrow night (8:07, Fox) back in Motown. This victory ensured that there will be another game(s) at Fenway in the series: Game 6 on Saturday afternoon (4:37, Fox).

The series is even at two now with Detroit's win which truthfully wasn't all that competitive. The Tigers went up 5-0 in the second inning and added two runs in the fourth before the Red Sox scored in baseball's equivalent of garbage time. Jake Peavy (0-1) just didn't have it in the biggest start of his MLB career although who knows how things would have gone if Dustin Pedroia had turned an inning-ending double play (that he usually makes in his sleep) when it was 1-0?

The two main takeaways from this are that Boston has to do something about the bottom of its batting order: Stephen Drew was 0 for 4 with two strikeouts and Will Middlebrooks struck out in both of his plate appearances. To plead his case on the field, rookie Xander Bogaerts had a pinch hit double in the ninth and scored a run. Manager John Farrell admitted after the game that Bogaerts could very well be in the lineup for Game 5. Please do that!

Also, the media will prepare a tongue bath for Tigers manager Jim Leyland after he changed his lineup: having Torii Hunter (double, run, 2 RBIs) bat leadoff and Austin Jackson (2 hits, 2 RBIs, walk, run, stolen base) move to eighth couldn't have possibly worked out any better.

Doug Fister (6 innings, 1 earned run, 8 hits, 7 strikeouts, 1 walk) wasn't as sharp as his numbers suggest but he was helped out by a Red Sox offense that went 2 for 16 with runners in scoring position. Boston had 12 hits including five extra base hits but they left 10 men on base.

One of the main positives for the Red Sox to take out of his mostly lifeless loss is that Jacoby Ellsbury (4 for 5, double, run, RBI), Mike Napoli (2 for 4, double, run) and Jarrod Saltalamacchia (2 for 4, RBI) all broke out of their respective slumps at the plate. And yes, I remember Napoli's home run in Game 3.

Detroit's first two runs came on Jackson's bases loaded walk and a fielder's choice. Hunter's two-run double and Miguel Cabrera's RBI single (2 hits) made it 5-0. When Jackson's infield single scored another run and Cabrera added his second RBI single in the fourth for a 7-0 lead, you knew the Red Sox were done given their struggles at the plate by and large in this series.

Boston did show plenty of pride (no surprise there) with Salty's RBI single in the sixth, Shane Victorino's RBI double in the seventh and Ellsbury's RBI triple in the ninth. Leyland threw his embattled closer Joaquin Benoit out there in the ninth and he had to throw 21 pitches before retiring David Ortiz (irony) on a fly ball to right for the third out. Benoit should be tired or at least shaky if he gets used in Game 5 (ala Game 2).

Game 5 is a rematch of Game 2 as Jon Lester (0-1) faces Anibal Sanchez (1-0). As far as I'm concerned, it's easily the biggest game of the season thus far for the Red Sox. Going up 3-2 and heading home would be a great scenario to find themselves in. Either way, at this time tomorrow one of these teams will be one out away from advancing to the World Series.

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Just as We All Expected: Lackey Outdueled Verlander in Game 3 of the ALCS

We're only three games into what could be a lengthy 2013 ALCS but already I'm struggling to find ways to describe all these bizarre events. Today in Game 3 at Comerica Park, Boston beat Detroit 1-0 to take a 2-1 lead in the series. John Lackey (6.2 IP, 4 hits, 8 strikeouts, 0 walks) submitted his best start as a Red Sox while Justin Verlander (0-1) was his typical unhittable self: 8 innings, 4 hits, 1 earned run, 10 strikeouts, 1 walk.

Made fun of by everyone (myself included), Mike Napoli decided to make contract for once and boy did it pay off. His seventh inning solo home run turned out to be the only run of the entire contest. By reversing the score on Game 1, Boston ensured that there will at least be one more game this season at Fenway Park. The question is if that will be Game 6 of the ALCS or Game 1 of the World Series?

The Red Sox bullpen, which has proven to be one of its biggest strengths this postseason, had a chance to shine yet again. Craig Breslow got two outs, Junichi Tazawa got one important out (striking out Miguel Cabrera with runners on first and third) while Koji Uehara was called on for a four-out save. No problem, after striking out the very unclutch Prince Fielder to end the eighth, he allowed a single to Victor Martinez (2 hits) to lead off the ninth but settled down for a scoreless ninth with a double play ball from Jhonny Peralta and another strikeout. After recording the win in Game 2, he picked up his more customary save.

The Tigers had six hits, Torii Hunter was 2 for 4 but Detroit went 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position. Just like you know they'll start getting more runs, you can pretty much bank on the fact that Boston's neutered lineup will do something more than it has (7 runs in 3 games) to this point against an incredible pitching staff.

Game 4 is tomorrow night (8:07, FOX) and it pits Jake Peavy against Doug Fister. Detroit knows Peavy well from his years with the White Sox but on the other hand, he was great against Tampa Bay in the clinching Game 4 of the ALDS. The pressure has shifted squarely on the Tigers since they can't afford to go down 3-1 to this team that is clearly their equal (if not a little superior).

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Red Sox Pull Off a Comeback for the Ages: Rallying to Beat Tigers 6-5 in ALCS Game 2

Let me just get this out of the way first since honestly, I hate humblebrags: I was lucky enough to attend my first Red Sox playoff game tonight, as a fan not a sportswriter. Wouldn't you know that ALCS Game 2 vs. Detroit turned out to be an unforgettable experience as Boston rallied from down 5-0 to tie it in the eighth on David Ortiz's grand slam then win it in the ninth on Jarrod Saltalamacchia's walk-off single.

The Red Sox evened the series at one, sending it to Detroit for three games in three days beginning on Tuesday (4:07, Fox) afternoon. Being there first-hand, I can admit a few things: 1) plenty of people left when it was 5-1 heading to the bottom of the eighth (who leaves a playoff game during a long weekend?), 2) nobody could have expected this since the Red Sox had one hit in the first 15.2 innings and 3) Ortiz could be the most clutch player in MLB history.

It was hard to fathom after Detroit came two outs away from a no-hitter the night before in Game 1 but Max Scherzer (7 innings, 1 earned run, 2 hits, 13 strikeouts, 2 walks) was even more locked in than Anibal Sanchez since the latter walked six batters. Clay Buchholz (5.2 innings, 5 earned runs, 8 hits, 6 strikeouts, 0 walks) on the other hand, came completely unraveled in the sixth.

Detroit had gone up 1-0 on Alex Avila's (2 hits, run, walk) RBI single in the second inning. They pushed four across in the sixth on Miguel Cabrera's solo homer, Victor Martinez's (2 doubles, 2 runs) RBI double and a two-run bomb by Avila. Brandon Workman (scoreless IP) and Felix Doubront (scoreless 1.1 IP) settled things down as the bats finally woke up.

Shane Victorino recorded Boston's first hit then came around to score on a wall ball double by Dustin Pedroia. Still the Tigers were comfortably ahead 5-1 in the eighth but somehow things lined up for Ortiz with the bases loaded and two outs. Detroit manager Jim Leyland played to win, bringing in closer Joaquin Benoit for a four-out save but Ortiz hit a missile on his first pitch in the Red Sox bullpen. It was topped off by Torii Hunter flipping over the wall in vain trying to grab it.

I don't have fresh numbers from Carmine to prove it but I feel like teams that rally from big deficits in baseball usually win, meaning that Salty's hit was a formality. Albeit a very exciting one for the home crowd. Koji Uehara (1-0) had pitched a 1-2-3 ninth on nine pitches (8 strikes) including a strikeout.

Jonny Gomes led off the bottom of the ninth against Rick Porcello (0-1) and hit an infield single that Jose Iglesias threw wide of first. One-dimensional slugger Prince Fielder butchered it, why I think he should have been charged with an error and not Iglesias. After a wild pitch, Gomes moved to third then he scored on Salty's opposite field single to left. The Red Sox chased him to second base in celebration, it was truly one of the best sporting events I've ever been to in my life.

If anything, these two games have shown us how razor thin the margin is between these two great teams. I expect the series to come back to Boston for Game 6 and possibly Game 7 since it's hard to see either team rattling off three wins in a row. John Lackey gets the tall task (no pun intended) of trying to beat Justin Verlander on Tuesday. On paper, it's a bad matchup for Boston but after tonight, it's hard to count them out in any situation.

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Red Sox Nearly Get No-Hit, Fall 1-0 to Tigers in Game 1 of ALCS

Well I guess that we should at least be happy the Red Sox didn't get no-hit in Game 1 of the ALCS vs. Tigers, that would have been even tougher to take than tonight's 1-0 loss at Fenway Park. Anibal Sanchez (6 IP, 12 Ks, 6 BBs) was brilliant and three Detroit relievers got it to the ninth where Joaquin Benoit pitched a scoreless ninth with a strikeout for the win.

Obviously Jon Lester (6.1 IP, 6 hits, 1 ER, 4 Ks, 1 BB) gave Boston exactly the type of ace start that they needed. Jhonny Peralta (2 doubles) provided the only run of the game on an RBI single that scored Victor Martinez in the sixth.

Benoit recorded the first out in the ninth before Daniel Nava blooped it into center field for what turned out to be Boston's lone hit. All the lights out pitching by the Tigers (17 Ks, 6 BBs) made this super intense and nearly four hours (3:56) because the Red Sox were basically doing the same thing.

Common sense says that tomorrow night's (8:07, Fox) game is a must-win for the Red Sox. They are at home where they play so well and they cannot afford to go to Detroit down 2-0 in the series. It could be another low-scoring game in Game 2 because Max Scherzer (he of 21 wins during the regular season) takes on Clay
Buchholz.

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Goodnight Rays, Red Sox Advance to their 1st ALCS since 2008

It was not easy but the Red Sox survived Game 4 at Tropicana Field, defeating the Rays 3-1 to win the ALDS 3-1 and advance to their first ALCS since 2008 (10th in franchise history) with their 100th win of the season. Boston now awaits the winner of Game 5 between Oakland and Detroit, which takes place Thursday (8:07, TBS) in Oakland. Those teams are both excellent so I don't really have a preference about who I want Boston to face. Selfishly, I think it'd be more fun to see the A's since they have so many ex-Red Sox in unlikely starring roles.

Jake Peavy (5.2 IP, 5 hits, 1 run, 3 strikeouts, 0 walks) was very good, Craig Breslow (1.2 IP, 1 hit, 4 strikeouts) was incredible and Koji Uehara (4 outs, 2 strikeouts) bounced back from Game 3 to earn his second save of the series. Poor Jeremy Helickson lasted three batters into the second inning before crazy Joe Maddon pulled him out for a conga line (8!) of Rays relievers. Jake McGee (2 runs) and Fernando Rodney (1 run) were the only Tampa Bay pitchers to allow runs.

Boston was 2 for 8 with runners in scoring position and left 10 guys on base. For a while, this felt like another gut-wrenching loss in the making since the Rays went up 1-0 in the sixth when David Dejesus singled in Yunel Escobar (3 hits, double). Never fear though, the Red Sox went ahead with two runs in the seventh: Jacoby Ellsbury (single, walk) stole second while Xander Bogaerts scampered home on a wild pitch. Shane Victorino's infield single scored Ellsbury who has been money all series (9 for 18, 7runs, 2 doubles, 2 RBIs, walk and 4 stolen bases).

The Red Sox added a key insurance run in the ninth as Dustin Pedroia knocked in Bogaerts with a sacrifice fly. Tampa Bay's lack of offense came back to bite them as it always does (6 hits). After he came on with two outs in the eighth-striking out Dejesus-Uehara had a 1-2-3 ninth that ended with a strikeout of Evan Longoria.

Over-the-top clubhouse celebration aside (everyone in MLB does it), this is a remarkable turnaround for Boston who became only the third team in MLB history to finish last one season then win their division series the next. The best part is that this was not a fluke by any means and they're not just happy to be here. They are the team to beat in the American League and MLB as a whole.

Not going back to Boston for a Game 5 vs. Tampa Bay is huge for many reasons: they get extra rest over Detroit and Oakland plus they can use Jon Lester on Saturday in Game 1 of the ALCS at Fenway Park. After back-to-back long nights of baseball and marathon games four out of the last five days, take a break the next few days and enjoy Cardinals-Pirates Game 5 tomorrow night (8:07, TBS) then A's-Tigers Game 5 on Thursday. The Red Sox are four wins away from the 2013 World Series and eight wins away from their third World Series title in 10 years.

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We're going back to the World Series

Three years after breaking 86 years of misery, the Boston Red Sox find themselves back in the World Series. No comeback will ever top the 2004 ALCS but the 2007 Red Sox submitted a pretty nice comeback of their own. Down 3-1 to the Cleveland Indians, Boston roared back, winning the last three by a combined score of 30-5.

Game 7 actually was pretty tight for a while. The Sox scored single runs in the first three innings off Indians starter Jake Westbrook but it could have been much worse as they grounded into three double plays (they set a playoff record with 14). Dice-K came out and retired the first eight men he faced. The Tribe struck back with a run in the fourth and one in the fifth to cut the lead to one. Dice-K left after five (two runs, six hits, three strikeouts) and gave way to Okajima, who pitched two scoreless innings of his own. The Indians squandered its chance when the 3rd base coach held Lofton on what would have been the tying run. Blake grounded into a double play on the next at bat.

Pedroia was the hero of the night as he hit a two-run homer into the monster seats in the seventh. He followed that with a three-run double in the eighth. Youk knocked him in with a bomb off the Coke bottles. Game over. Papelbon pitched the final two innings for the save.

This had to be the most predictable comeback in Red Sox history. They just seemed to have nothing going right in games 3-4. The Indians are a worthy team but they're too young and inexperienced in the playoffs to get the job done in the ALCS. Once Beckett won and the series shifted back to Boston, they were cooked. Their bats were silenced and the bullpen was taxed. Plus, Carmona and Sabathia produced zero wins between them in the series.

Beckett deservedly received the ALCS MVP but it also could have gone to Youkilis, who is smoking the ball or Manny. The World Series starts Wednesday at Fenway. Who knows what to expect from the Rockies? They're legit and they have that absurd run but predicting what'll happen in the World Series is nearly impossible. Beckett will start on normal rest in game one.

They're shipping up to Boston (whoooooaaaaaaa)!

In the playoffs, things change quickly. The Sox rolled in game one vs. Cleveland and looked poised to win game two after Manny and Lowell went back-to-back. Things turned in game two as the Indians came back and finally won in 11 innings. They beat Dice-K on Monday and knocked around Wakefield and Delcarmen on Tuesday to go up three games to one.
I would have written a blog before last night's game but I forgot/didn't want to jinx things/was too depressed. Now, after watching Beckett pitch another gem, the series is coming back to Boston for the last two games (if necessary). After last night, I think you can say without a shadow of a doubt that Josh Beckett is the most dominant starting pitcher in baseball right now. It's not even close really. Who else is up there? Peavy, Webb, Zambrano, Hamels, Wang, Sabathia, Carmona? Those guys all had solid regular seasons but almost all of them have faltered in the playoffs while Beckett has been just filthy (1.17 ERA in three postseason starts). Don't forget, he was also the only 20-game winner in baseball this year. If he doesn't win the Cy Young this year, it's a joke.

Sabathia has had three straight bad starts in the playoffs (one against the Yankees and two vs. the Sox). What's the deal with him? Not a good clubhouse spread? Or maybe that's the problem, it's really good and he is daydreaming about all the food he is going to dominate when he hits the showers. Whatever the case, ole' C.C. hasn't done anything special when it's counted. He throws hard but he's lost his control and he also doesn't seem to have secondary pitches to lean on. Major league hitters will eventually catch up to a fastball, no matter how hard it is.
Youkilis got things started with a solo homer in the first but Cleveland came back with one in the bottom of the first to tie it up. It was the first time all series that the Sox had scored first. Still, things didn't look promising as the Sox couldn't get any bounces to go their way: Manny missed hitting another home run by inches and Lowell hit a sure double that just went foul. The Sox finally scored two in the top of the seventh off Sabathia, who was shaky all night but somehow managed to make it to the seventh. Pedroia hit a double then Youk got a triple that Sizemore and Gutierrez misplayed in the outfield. Boston added three in the eighth to make the final score, 7-1.

The key to game obviously was Beckett, who went eight innings and only allowed five hits while striking out 11-which tied a playoff career high. The other most important factor was that Pedroia had two hits and Youk had two hits while Kielty, Varitek, Lugo and Drew all had a hit. Our lineup had been seriously exposed in the series as nobody outside of Youk, Ortiz, Manny or Lowell-to a lesser degree-could do anything. Drew, Crisp, Lugo and Varitek have pretty much been automatic outs. The media and fans freaked out about Francona pitching Dice-K (who had no shot) in game 4 over Beckett. The other main concern was not shaking up the lineup which had completely fallen apart. Ellsbury had played so well in limited time, why not throw him in there? He's not much of a drop-off defensively from Coco.

We'll have to wait and see 'til game six if stubbornly loyal Tito changes anything. It's Schilling against Carmona on Saturday night (a rematch of game 2) at Fenway. Should be a classic. Schilling didn't have much last time out so odds are that won't happen again. Oddly enough, you'd have to say the pressure lies on the Indians now. They're a great team and they proved that by jumping out the 3-1 lead. However, you get the feeling that they were playing over their heads a bit during the three game win-streak while the Sox were barely treading water. We're not unbeatable but I think we resemble last night's performance more than the garbage on display in game 3 and 4. The bottom line is that the Sox need a starting pitcher other than Beckett to last longer than 4.2 innings. If we can decent outings out of Schilling and Dice-K (holding my breath) in a possible game seven, then you have to like our chances. No question, Cleveland did not want to come back to Fenway for another game(s). Tomorrow night should be fun, first pitch is at 8:21 pm.

Cleveland rocks indeed

After Beckett shutdown the Indians in Game 1, what bias Sox fan didn't see the Sox rolling in five games? Well it ain't going down like that son. The Indians outlasted the Sox on Saturday night, putting up seven in the painful 11th inning at Fenway against a bunch of ineffective Sox relievers. The Indians proceeded to beat Dice-K and the BoSox, 4-2 on Monday to go up 2-1 in the series.

Things have turned so quickly. Tomorrow night: Tim Wakefield vs. Paul Byrd is basically a must-win for Boston. Down 3-1 to the Indians and having to beat Carmona and Sabathia again is nearly impossible. Nobody knows what to expect from Wakefield, who has had cortisone shots in his back and been very erratic since he was on fire for most of the year (17 wins).

Manny and Ortiz got on base all ten times they came up on Friday. Manny hit a two-run homer on Saturday followed by Lowell's solo shot. Everything was lined up for the Sox to go up 2-0 heading to Cleveland. Schilling for once just couldn't deliver in the big game. Jhonny Peralta cranked a three-run bomb off him and Sizemore hit a solo home run too. Once it gets to extra innings, anything can happen. All our good relievers had been used by the time Gagne began to blow the game.

The Sox couldn't capitalize on their opportunities in game three. They loaded the bases with no outs in the second inning but Varitek popped out and Crisp somehow grounded into a double play. Stuff like that seems to always come back and bite teams in the playoffs. Kenny Lofton (I'm serious) hit a two-run bomb off Dice-K, who predictably was nothing special. He didn't make it thru the fifth as the Indians simply waited him out-the strategy the Sox used for C.C. and Fausto.

There's nothing else to say, gotta win tomorrow or our chances will plummet. This is a very solid Indians team. They do everything and have no glaring weaknesses plus they play great at home. Come on Wakefield, the knuckle ball better be dancing tomorrow night at the Jake.

Smell ya later Angels

Well that was pretty easy huh? Thanks to a combination of factors: Beckett's dominant game one performance, the Angels rash of injuries/lack of hitters and the Ortiz-Ramirez duo (baseball's undisputed best 1-2 punch), the Sox rolled in Game 3, 9-1 in Anaheim. Curt Schilling proved once again that he's a big game pitcher, even though he lacks the power stuff from most of his career. Big Schill pitched seven scoreless innings, giving up six hits, with one walk and four strikeouts. His postseason record is now 9-2 with a 1.93 ERA.

Ortiz and Manny capped off a great series for both as they went back-to-back in the fourth, giving the Sox a 2-0 lead that they'd never relinquish. Ortiz had the big two-run homer in the first game and Manny provided the walk-off three-run bomb on Friday night. For the short series, Papi was 5-for-7 with 5 runs, 6 walks, 2 HR's and 3 RBIs. Manny was 3-for-8 with 3 runs, 5 walks, 2 HR's and 4 RBIs. It seems like they both were never in the zone at the same time during the season. Ortiz battled myriad injuries all season and Manny took most of September off. It looks like both of them are tearing the cover off the ball at the exact same time which is bad news for opposing teams.

This never really seemed like a series. Beckett was lights out in game one and game two was close but you had the feeling the Sox would pull it out in Fenway. Yesterday was a forgone conclusion with Schilling against one of the Weavers (albeit the better one, Jered). The Sox move on to the ALCS, which begins Friday in Boston. The Yankees staved off elimination last night with a win but it's hard to see them beating Cleveland two more times (particularly if they have to face Sabathia/Carmona again). My gut instinct is I'd rather see the Sox face the Indians. It's time for someone else to make the ALCS, not just the Yankees and Sox. As fans we certainly eat up the rivalry but something different would be nice. Bigger picture, I think the Sox matchup better with the Indians since the Yankees owned us the second half of 2007 and they'd have big momentum if they can come back from down 2-0. We'll see how it plays out but you have to be happy if you're a Red Sox fan, they look very balanced and solid at the perfect time.