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Main page October 31, 2007
Red Sox roster moveOnly three days removed from winning their second World Series title in four seasons, the Red Sox wasted little time getting back to business. Late Wednesday evening, Boston announced it had purchased the contract of catcher Dusty Brown from Triple-A Pawtucket. To make room on the roster, the club designated veteran infielder Royce Clayton for assignment.
In his brief stint with the PawSox, Brown was impressive both behind the plate and offensively.
Posted by Joe McDonald Another World Series ball fiasco?BOSTON (AP) - The last ball from the Boston Red Sox's 2007 World Series victory might not get back to the team after all. Jason Varitek caught the final strikeout to complete the four-game sweep of Colorado, then tucked the ball in his back pocket as he ran to the mound to celebrate. Varitek said after the game that he would give the ball to the team, but on Wednesday he said he gave it to closer Jonathan Papelbon. "I already gave it to Pap," Varitek said. "It's out of my hands." The ball was the one Papelbon used to strike out pinch-hitter Seth Smith for the final out of Game 4 on Sunday night. "I'll give it back to the team," Varitek said at Coors Field. "Maybe we won't have a controversy this time." After the 2004 World Series, ownership of the last ball became an issue when Doug Mientkiewicz, the Red Sox first baseman who caught the final out, kept the ball. Team president Larry Lucchino wanted it back, and eventually a settlement was reached where Mientkiewicz loaned the ball to the Red Sox for a year and then donated it to the Hall of Fame. Neither Lucchino nor Red Sox spokesmen immediately returned calls or e-mails seeking comment on Wednesday.
Posted by Mike McDermott Losers rallyDENVER (AP) - Hundreds of clapping and cheering fans turned out in chilly weather Wednesday to thank the Colorado Rockies for a nearly magical season, even though it ended abruptly with a four-game World Series sweep by the Boston Red Sox. "I don't know if I expected this many people to show up, but I tell you what, it means a lot," pitcher Jeff Francis told the bundled-up crowd. After Gov. Bill Ritter and Mayor John Hickenlooper sang the team's praises, Rockies Manager Clint Hurdle responded: "We couldn't be more happy that a ballclub has been able to bring so much joy to so many people." "Thank you for the unconditional love, and thank you for the conditional love we picked up this season," Hurdle said. Left-fielder Matt Holliday, a potential MVP, had trouble making himself heard over the screaming fans. "I wasn't around when we had sellouts every night," Holliday said, referring to the franchise's early years. "But now that you're here, I know what to expect next season."
Posted by Mike McDermott Sox take celebration to Mass. State House
BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Red Sox’s celebration goes into extra innings on Beacon Hill. Cheered on by hundreds of fans, catchers Jason Varitek and Doug Mirabelli took to the steps of the State House to thank Red Sox Nation for their support. Without it, they say the team could never have captured their second World Series championship in four years. Governor Deval Patrick says the team has given the city and the state a lift with their comeback American League pennant win and World Series sweep of the Colorado Rockies. Red Sox president Larry Lucchino also promised a statewide tour of the twin World Series trophies. It was the second rally for the Red Sox in as many days, though the Statehouse
Posted by Mike McDermott JIM DONALDSON: Great minds think alikeEnjoyed reading colleague Steve Krasner's ''Dare to Compare'' piece in Wednesday's paper. Actually, my son read it to me as I drove him to school. I told him to let me guess how Kraz rated each position, comparing the 2004 Red Sox to the 2007 team. As it turned out, we differed on only two -- first base and starting pitching. He called Millar/Youkilis a draw, giving Youk the edge as a player, but giving props to Millar as an emotional leader in the clubhouse. While not downplaying Millar's considerable contributions to the chemistry of the '04 club, if I had to choose between the two, I'd take Youkilis without having to think twice about it. He's a tougher "out" at the plate, and much better defensively. As for the starting pitching, while Beckett deserves to the be the Cy Young winner this year, and was all but unhittable in the postseason, Schilling did win 21 games in '04 and also had the "bloody sock" win over the Yankees in Game Six of Boston's history-making comeback in the ALCS. But the big reason I give the nod to the '04 Sox in starting pitching, over this year's rotation, is that Pedro Martinez was 16-9 as the No. 2 starter and was much better than Schilling was as the #2 in '07. Derek Lowe was erratic during the regular season, but was lights out in the postseason, so I'd give him then nod over Dice-K, although Matsuzaka probably -- hopefully -- will be much better, long-term. I suppose Wakefield was better this season, before he developed shoulder problems, than in '04, but the '04 team also had Bronson Arroyo. Anyway, such comparisons are fun for fans to think about and debate. As for which team would have beaten the other, well, it's a series I would have paid to see. Steve chose the '07 team, but I'm inclined to go with the '04 aggregation, because it had better starting pitching, and because Big Papi and Manny were an awesome 1-2 punch in '04.
Posted by Jim Donaldson October 30, 2007
Delcarmen drums through the streets of Boston
Posted by Peter Phipps Scenes from the parade: Papelbon mugs; Schilling exults
Red Sox heroes Jonathan Papelbon, top, and Curt Schilling celebrate from the Duck Boats.
Posted by Peter Phipps Along the parade route: 'Manny! Manny! Manny!'BOSTON, Mass. -- A confetti hailstorm, the pounding guitars of the Dropkick Murphys, the erupting cheers for David Ortiz and the chants of "Manny! Manny! Manny!" are flowing fast through Boyleston Street this afternoon. College students are near people taking time off from office jobs, who are next to construction workers holding up signs -- people from different status, backgrounds, incomes, but all united for the Red Sox victory parade. It will make its way to Boston Common and then City Hall. People watch the action from atop the Atlantic Fish Company, where the fresh catch of Chilean sea bass lists for $34 -- for one person. And it's a day when Lord & Taylor, the staid clothing store, accomodates the Irish punk sounds of the passing Dropkick Murphys. At one point, the parade appears as Manny Ramirez plays to admirers from the Duck boat on which he and Ortiz are riding. Look: there are members of the "Impossible Dream" Red Sox of 1967 wound past the crowd. There's former Sox pitcher Luis Tiant waving to the crowd. Current manager Terry Francona draws cheers and there's a big outburst of support for Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youklis. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Journal staff writer Scott MacKay
Posted by Peter Phipps Galleries: More Red Sox Nation
Wish you could be in Boston to see the Red Sox' World Series victory parade? We've got the next-best thing: live, streaming video of the noontime rally that will start at Fenway Park and will travel through Back Bay to the Commons and end at City Hall Plaza. Our media partner, WPRI-TV in Providence, is providing the live feed via Fox. The link will be posted on our homepage closer to the start of the rally. The “rolling rally” on World War II-era amphibious duck boats will take the same route as the 2004 championship parade, except they won’t go into the Charles River, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino said. Menino said pitcher Jonathan Papelbon will dance, and the Dropkick Murphys also will play along the parade route. “He has to do a dance,” Menino said. “He promised the people he would do a dance.” The Red Sox swept the Colorado Rockies Sunday night with a 4-3 win in Denver. And for more photos and Red Sox excitement, click below to see all the best photo galleries of the World Series and its aftermath: The World Series: Red Sox homecoming The World Series: The post-championship celebration The World Series: The pitchers
The World Series: Game 4: Red Sox 4, Rockies 3
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Posted by Pam Cotter Kids today just don't understandThe Red Sox and Patriots are generating a region of sunny optimists so different from their parents. For the second time in four years, the Red Sox won the World Series Sunday night, led by 23-year-old pitcher Jon Lester, who beat cancer in the offseason. And the Patriots, winners of three Super Bowls in the past six years, are flying over speed bumps like the Washington Redskins as they blaze along the fast lane toward another trip to the Super Bowl. It's so different for sports fans coming of age today. These 10- and 12-year-old kids expect the Red Sox and Patriots to win. We expected them to lose. We came of age when our teams were laughingstocks at worst, runnersup at best. Every now and then we'd get the whiff of a championship. We'd buy the shirts, and buy into the hope, then the Pats would get pummeled before a national Super Bowl audience, 46-10, or the ball would trickle through Bill Buckner's legs. And, unfortunately, we could see all the ugly details since the games didn't start in the middle of the night and end in the early morning as they do now. It left us cursing, believing in curses, and, I'm afraid, losing dimmed our view of life in general. But now we can thank the Sox and Patriots for imbuing our children with a Norman Vincent Peale power-of-positive-thinking view of life. You play. You win. Life is simple and sunny. Kids growing up in New England today won't wait for balls to bounce through legs. Curses? Leave them to their pathetic uncles who still insist on babbling about '78 and '86. They won't fret about blizzards or hurricanes. And if it does rain, they will step dance like Jonathan Papelbon until the skies clear. As they grow into adults, these New Englanders will laugh at those mysterious economic indicators that help move the Dow. "Social Security is insolvent," they will be told. "That's OK. My 401k is kicking butt," they will say. "Are you worried about the troubles in the Mideast?," they will be asked. "No, we have faith that President Jenna Bush will get us out of the war." Yes, even we conditioned pessimists are optimistic today that our sons and daughters will live in a world full of possibilities, a place where a kid can battle cancer and win the World Series. -- Jack Perry
Posted by Jack Perry Carcieri seeks Ocean State Sox celebrationPROVIDENCE -- Governor Carcieri is hoping that Rhode Island will once again be able to join in the celebration of a Red Sox championship. The governor says his office will be in contact with the team over holding a rally similar to the one in 2004, when then-Red Sox pitcher Bronson Arroyo brought the World Series trophy to the State House in Providence. Carcieri points out that Rhode Islanders make up a big part of Red Sox nation. The World Series champions are being honored today with a Duck Boat parade in Boston. -- The Associated Press
Posted by Jack Perry October 29, 2007
Victory scene: Sox return to Fenway with trophy
For the faithful lining Yawkey Way, it was about sightings. Look, there was Jon Lester. And catcher Jason Varitek. And team owners John Henry and Tom Werner appeared for the crowd. David Ortiz, a.k.a. Big Papi, held aloft the World Series trophy as exited the team bus that arrived around 5 p.m. outside the park. Pitcher Mike Timlin walked through the crowd with a little girl sitting on his shoulders. And There was Kevin Youklis. Besides cheers for the 2007 World Series champion Red Sox, the crowd on Yawkey Way chanted: "Don't Sign A-Rod!" The Yankees -- remember them? -- and slugger Alex Rodriguez have apparently parted ways. As the afternoon unfolded, about 1,000 fans lined Yawkey Way, batting around beach balls, as they awaited the return of the Sox, who batted around the Rockies in a quick four-game sweep. Media at the scene were hearing the team's flight might have been slightly delayed. The team was due to land at Logan Airport about 3:30 p.m. A Direct TV blimp floated overhead. And on Van Ness Street, next to the 95-year-old stadium, fans noted the cars of their favorite stars. Fans said the white Escalade parked on the street belongs to David Ortiz. The minivan nearby is probably the one driven by Curt Schilling’s wife. Among the crowd, wearing a red Sox cap and a green jersey is Greg Martakos, from Salem, N.H. Martakos, a police officer in Hooksett, said he watched the game last night while he was working the overnight shift at the dispatch center. After work – at 8:30 a.m. – he drove straight to Fenway. Martakos had tickets to Game Six, but now, of course, there won’t be a Game Six. He doesn’t say, directly, that he wanted Boston to lose just so he could see a game, but, he doesn’t flat out deny that he’s torn. He admits, he said, he’s a little greedy. “I wish I went to the game,” he said, “but this is just as great.” But if this isn't enough, he can come back tomorrow at noon for the Boston Red Sox World Series victory parade. -- projo.com staff writers Michael P. McKinney and Brandie Jefferson, with reports from Journal staff writer Meaghan Wims
Posted by Sheila Lennon Fans lining up at Fenway to greet the championsBOSTON -- About 1,000 fans are lining Yawkey Way, batting around beach balls, as they await the return of the World Series champion Red Sox, who bat around the Rockies in a quick four-game sweep. Media at the scene are hearing the team's flight might have been slightly delayed. The team was due to land at Logan Airport about 3:30 p.m. A Direct TV blimp is floating overhead. On Van Ness Street, next to the 95-year-old stadium, fans say the white Escalade parked on the street belongs to David Ortiz. The minivan nearby is probably the one driven by Curt Schilling’s wife. Among the crowd, wearing a red Sox cap and a green jersey is Greg Martakos, from Salem, N.H. Martakos, a police officer in Hooksett, said he watched the game last night while he was working the overnight shift at the dispatch center. After work – at 8:30 a.m. – he drove straight to Fenway. Martakos had tickets to Game Six, but now, of course, there won’t be a Game Six. He doesn’t say, directly, that he wanted Boston to lose just so he could see a game, but, he doesn’t flat out deny that he’s torn. He admits, he said, he’s a little greedy. “I wish I went to the game,” he said, “but this is just as great.” But if this isn't enough, he can come back tomorrow at noon for the Boston Red Sox World Series victory parade.
Posted by Peter Phipps Photo: Hanging the banner at Fenway
Posted by Peter Phipps Download a special photo of the championship celebration
Posted by Mike McDermott Sox parade is set for tomorrow in BostonBOSTON, Mass. -- Jonathan Papelbon will take his wacky Irish gig on the road Tuesday when the Boston Red Sox hold their World Series victory parade. The parade will start at noon from Fenway Park and will travel through Back Bay to the Commons and end at City Hall Plaza, according to Boston.com. The “rolling rally” on World War II-era amphibious duck boats will take the same route -- beginning at Fenway Park and ending near City Hall -- as the 2004 championship parade, except they won’t go into the Charles River, Mayor Thomas Menino said Monday. Menino said Papelbon will dance, and the Dropkick Murphys also will play along the parade route. “He has to do a dance,” Menino said. “He promised the people he would do a dance.” The 2004 rally fell on a rainy day, but tomorrow's forecast is for a clear sunny day tomorrow with a high of 59 degrees and a low of 46 degrees. There will be northwet winds of 5 to 10 miles per hour, with gusts of up to 25 miles per hour around noon. Menino acknowledged having the celebration on a week day would inconvenience some businesses and school children away, but he said players were eager to get home to their families and begin their vacation. The Red Sox swept the Colorado Rockies Sunday night with a 4-3 win in Denver. The team was expected to arrive back in Boston about 3:30 p.m. Monday and head over to Fenway Park. Menino also said a “rolling rally” was easier for city officials to manage, because it spread out the crowds. He estimated security would cost $500,000. Fans began celebrating immediately after the Red Sox won their second World Series title in four years. Police spokeswoman Elaine Driscoll said 37 arrests were made early Monday in the city, mostly for disorderly conduct. No serious injuries were reported. Thirteen people were arrested after they refused to leave the Kenmore Square area near Fenway Park, police said. After police told a large crowd of people to disperse, several officers were struck by rocks and bottles. Sixteen cars parked along Newbury Street were vandalized, with broken side view mirrors and windows, or damaged windshield wipers. The police department had announced it would have more than 50 cameras trained on the city to record any vandalism. Boston authorities cracked down on rowdy sports celebrations after an Emerson College student was struck and killed when police fired a pepper pellet into an unruly crowd celebrating the Red Sox’ 2004 victory over the New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series. -- The Associated Press and projo.com staff reports
Posted by Peter Phipps Where's The Ball? The Captain's Got It/Photo
The Red Sox (and the ball) are currently jetting home to Boston. The parade is tomorrow starting at noon at Fenway Park.
Posted by Kevin Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: Kings of the baseball worldClick here to listen to today's version of projo SoxTalk with Sean McAdam. The topics: putting the Red Sox' latest triumph in perspective; many players deserving of MVP honors; keeping the nucleus of the 2007 team together; the feel-good story of Mike Lowell; Alex Rodriguez's big announcement; why you shouldn't expect the Sox to try to hard to land A-Rod; and how the 2004 Sox would match up with the 2007 Red Sox (hint: They'd do better than the Rockies). Following are some excerpts from Sean's comments. Postseason kings: "The funny thing is that for all the stumbling and bumbling the Red Sox did in the postseason for so many years, and so many heartbreaking defeats, now it seems like they've really got the hang of this October thing, and have had two great postseasons for themselves in the span of four years." Third-base plans: "I actually don't think they're going to be significant players in the A-Rod sweepstakes. I thought differently a half-season ago ... when people were talking about it, forecasting that A-Rod may yet land in a Red Sox uniform. I just think that they understand that it would take such a significant chunk of the payroll, even for the Red Sox, to get involved in this. ... They clearly would like to retain Mike Lowell, and I think they will try to do that. But if somebody comes in and blows them out of the water with a four-year, $50 million contract, then I think the Red Sox are going to have to think twice about matching that."
Posted by Mike McDermott Updated: Sox travel plansThe Red Sox are flying out of Colorado today at 10 Mountain Time (noon Eastern Time) and will arrive in Boston around 3:30, then continue to Fenway Park, where they will arrive at around 4. We'll have a photographer there to capture the fans' welcoming the champs back.
Posted by Mike McDermott Front page treatment for the champsHere's a quick sampling of some newspaper front pages on the morning after the Red Sox' clinching win.
Posted by Mike McDermott Download today's sports coverIt's one to keep, celebrating the Red Sox' second world championship in four years. Download a copy of the page in PDF format
Posted by Mike McDermott POSTGAME: Sox Send Stuff to Hall of Fame DENVER -- The Red Sox donated several items to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown to commemorate their winning the 103rd World Series.
Posted by Jim Donaldson POSTGAME: J.D. Drew Comes Through -- Finally DENVER -- This wasn't the best of years for J.D. Drew.
Posted by Jim Donaldson POSTGAME: Running On Clouds DENVER -- It was the top of the eighth inning when Bobby Kielty bounded off the Boston bench to pinch-hit for Red Sox reliever Mike Timlin.
Posted by Jim Donaldson POSTGAME: Finally, they have this World Series thing down patDENVER -- In winning two World Series by sweeps in the last four seasons -- 2004 against the St. Louis Cardinals and 2007 over Colorado -- the Red Sox have played 72 innings worth of baseball and trailed in exactly four of those. -- SEAN McADAM
Posted by Sean McAdam POSTGAME: The youth movement pays offBy JOE McDONALD DENVER -- The stamp the young players for the Boston Red Sox put on this World Series season will never be forgotten. Dustin Pedroia, Jacoby Ellsbury, Jonathan Papelbon, Kevin Youkilis, Jon Lester and Manny Delcarmen all played significant roles for the Red Sox this season, especially in the playoffs. The home-grown talent showcased their abilities and helped Boston win its second championship in four seasons. They’re not done. This postseason was only a glimpse of what’s to come. ''That’s a great part of this year,'' said Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein. ''It was a true organization triumph with a lot of kids who were scouted here and developed here. They did a lot of hard work coming up through the system, and we had great veteran leadership, too. It was a great mix and we’re proud of the whole organization. All the scouts and all the field people bust their tails to find players like that and develop them. So, we couldn’t be happier about that.'' Even though Papelbon, Youkilis, Delcarmen and Lester have more major-league time than Pedroia and Ellsbury, it’s a pretty special group of players. ''The organization did a great job with all of us, preparing us at each level,'' said Pedroia. ''It helps out when you all get called up together because we've been through a lot of things. We played Double-A together, Triple-A and now here. So I think everybody is comfortable with each other, and it makes it that much more special.'' While Pedroia’s old-school style of play quickly messed on and off the field with the Red Sox, Ellsbury was the late-season sparkplug the club needed. Because of that, his teammates were dousing him in the clubhouse with libations after the victory at Coors Field Sunday night. ''I’ve only been in the big leagues for a couple of months, but when you’re that little kid in the back yard you always put yourself in that situation,'' said Ellsbury. ''Getting that big hit or whatever it is. I still can’t believe this.'' When will this sink in? ''I don’t know,'' he said. ''I still can’t believe this. Everyone is celebrating and I can’t believe this.'' Get used to it. The impact the young guys had on this club did not go unnoticed with the veteran players, including captain Jason Varitek. “We’ve have some extremely young players, and some extremely old players,” said Varitek. “We thrive on communication and coaching. You can never be older enough to be coached or young enough to be coached.”
Posted by Joe McDonald POSTGAME: David Ortiz reactionDENVER -- ''It can't get any better than this,'' said David Ortiz. ''We were always in first place, year-round. We had a lot of ups and downs, more ups than downs.'' But, insisted Ortiz, who batted .332 with 35 homers and 117 RBI, it was a team effort. ''You definitely can't point to one guy who did it for us," said Ortiz. "Everyone worked together.'' -- STEVEN KRASNER
Posted by Steven Krasner POSTGAME: Dynasty? Wasn't that a bad 80's soap opera?BY SEAN McADAM DENVER -- General manager Theo Epstein wasn't in mood for heavy statements after the Red Sox clinched their second World Series in the last four years. When someone asked if the Sox had built a dynasty, Epstein cut off the question mid-point. ''Whenever teams win championships and the champagne starts to flow,'' said Epstein, ''somebody inevitably makes some stupid proclamation. I promised myself I wouldn't be that guy. ''All I'll say is I'm proud of being a part of this organization and what we've accomplished and I hope we can continue doing great things.''
Posted by Sean McAdam POSTGAME: Lester loving itBy JOE McDONALD DENVER -- The first thing Jon Lester wanted to do after the Red Sox won the World Series was to grab the Commissioner’s Trophy and bring it to his parents out on the field. He wasn’t able to snag it right away, but the family shared a special moment because of what the Lester family has been through ever since Jon was diagnosed with cancer in August of 2006. Last night was the culmination of an intense year, and Lester earned the victory on the mound for the Red Sox. ''That’s probably the single most important thing that happened if you look at the broad picture,'' said Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein. ''This kid was facing the most serious challenge any of us will ever face, and in just a little over a year he comes back and is the winning pitcher in the World Series deciding game. It’s a fairy tale. It’s not an accident. He’s a great kid and was a model for our entire organization with the courage he displayed in tackling his illness, and now it’s fitting he led us to victory.'' Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said recently when asked about Lester, that it’s fitting this young man will pitch in Game Four of the World Series. ''God has his finger prints on this one,'' said the Rockies manager. Lester, sporting the biggest smile anyone has seen on him since he’s been in the organization, agrees. ''You couldn’t have written a better story,'' he said. ''It’s unbelievable how this turned out. A year ago I knew I would be back in baseball, but I didn’t know when. In this situation with these guys it just unbelievable. I’m just glad I could go out there and help and compete and do well.'' The celebration was no doubt a team effort, but every player in the Sox’ clubhouse felt a little something extra for Lester and what he’s been able to do. “I’m tremendously proud and happy of the performance of Jon Lester because that’s what is closest to me,” said catcher Jason Varitek.
Posted by Joe McDonald POSTGAME: Papelbon shares the creditBY STEVEN KRASNER DENVER -- Jonathan Papelbon notched the save in the World Series-winning game, punching out pinch hitter Seth Smith for final out on a 94-mph fastball, touching off a wild celebration on the mound. Forgotten for a moment was a deep drive to left by Jamie Carroll that was hauled in by left fielder Jacoby Ellsbury a split second before he bumped into the fence. ''It took all 25 of us to get this job done. It's just phenomenal, man,'' said Papelbon, casting aside the question of whether he thought Carroll's ball was going to be a game-tying homer. Papelbon was unscored upon in his three appearances in the World Series, totaling 4 1/3 innings. He gave up only two hits.
Posted by Steven Krasner POSTGAME: He opted out, but don't invite him inBY SEAN McADAM DENVER -- As general manager Theo Epstein was being interviewed by a Boston TV station in front of the visitor's clubhouse, the crowd of several thousand Red Sox fans who remains in the stands at Coors Field sent him two messages. First, they chanted ''Re-sign Lowell,'' a reference to the Sox' third baseman and newly-minuted World Series MVP, who is eligible free agency. When that chant began to die down, the fans took a different approach and attempted to steer Epstein away from a possible Plan B. ''Don't sign A-Rod! Don't Sign A-Rod!'' they said by way of warning. The chant reduced some in the Baseball Operations department to fits of laughter as they stood nearby on the infield.
Posted by Sean McAdam POSTGAME: Beating cancer is better than beating the RockiesBY JIM DONALDSON DENVER -- John Lester stood on the dirt near the backstop at Coors Field, looking proudly at his son Jon, who, as the winning pitcher in the game that brought the Red Sox their second World Series championship in four years, was doing a television interview. He shifted his gaze toward the mound, where young Jon, only 23 years old, had held the Rockies scoreless through 5-2/3 innings, giving up just three hits. Then he looked out toward the outfield, which, despite its expanse, wasn't nearly big enough to contain the emotions he was feeling. ''When I look back to where we were this time last year,'' he said, shaking his head slowly, ''we were in Washington, and Jon was going through his third session of chemotherapy. It was the worst time of my life.'' Last summer, life couldn't have been better for Lester's son, Jon. Called up to Boston in early June from Pawtucket, he was rolling along with a 7-2 record in late August when he received stunning news -- he'd been diagnosed with anaplastic large cell lymphoma. Cancer. The Big C. Suddenly, W's and L's didn't seem so important. ''His mother, Kathie, and I tried to instill in him that there was never any doubt he was going to beat it. But, honesstly and truthfully, I don't know if I could have done what he did. ''Even when he was sick, even after throwing up, he'd go out in the garage and throw. He said: 'I'm going to be there in spring training.' " Nearby, a man with a microphone was asking Jon Lester what he'd have said if somebody had told him last March that, come October, he'd win the game that would win the World Series for the Red Sox. ''I'd have told him he was crazy,'' Jon Lester said. ''I would have believed the Red Sox would win the World Series, but not with me pitching in Game Four.'' ''We talked about that,'' his father, John, said, ''for a couple of hours this morning over breakfast. I told him he could write the final chapter in this remarkable story -- that, if he won, Hollywood couldn't write a better script. ''I also told him we'd be proud of him, no matter what happened. This has been a great year for him, and our family. Being here is the icing on the cake ''I can't believe we're here,'' the elder Lester said, looking at the celebratory scenes going on around him near the Red Sox dugout. ''We went to a lot of so-called World Series [of youth leagues] when he was 12, 13, 14 years old, but we never won. We had to go the real one to finally win.'' From the first pitch Sunday night, John Lester knew his son had a chance to be a winner. ''I could tell he was in the zone,'' he said. ''I think it benefitted him from having 'debuts' in Cleveland (July 23, when he pitched six innings, giving up five hits and two runs, and got the win in his return to the majors) and another one at Fenway (Aug. 14, when he gave up just two hits and one run in seven innings, although he wound up with no decision.) ''Although,'' John Lester added, ''I don't know if anything prepares you for the World Series. But he wasn't intimidated.'' When you've stared down cancer, throwing a breaking ball on a full count doesn't seem so scary. ''His winning this game, in the World Series, is one of the best things that's happened in my life,'' John Lester said. ''The best thing was hearing that he was cancer-free.''
Posted by Jim Donaldson POSTGAME: Farrell proud of his pitchersBy STEVEN KRASNER DENVER -- Pitching coach John Farrell looked like the proud papa as he talked about his pitching staff, which helped lead the Red Sox to their second World Championship in four years. ''The starting pitching did such a great job in this postseason as things played out. Their ability to go through some very good lineups that you find in the postseason multiple times was impressive,'' said Farrell. And, of course, the Sox had Jonathan Papelbon for multiple-inning situations in the postseason because of the care they took with him during the regular season. Papelbon had saves of three outs, four outs and five outs in the World Series. Last night he worked 1 2/3 innings. ''That's the way it played out,'' said Farrell. ''We wanted to make sure he would be ready to handle this load if we needed him to in the postseason. And he was strong enough to do it. Tonight we asked him to do it again and he was as strong out there as he was all season.'' Farrell, though, side-stepped any questions about his chances to land a mangerial position somewhere. He has been mentioned as a candidate for the Pittsburgh Pirates' managerial vacancy. ''No offer has been made,'' he said. ''But this is a day and night for this organization to celebrate, not about any one person.''
Posted by Steven Krasner POSTGAME: Not-so-jealous guyBY SEAN McADAM DENVER -- More than most, Alex Cora had a special appreciation for last night's clincher. After parts of 10 seasons in the big leagues, with three different organizations, Cora could finally taste the champagne of a champion. ''This is unreal,'' he said as he stood in the infield of Coors Field. ''This is what you dream about.'' Two years ago, Cora watched his older brother, Joey, a coach with the Chicago White Sox, experience a World Series triumph. ''I was jealous,'' admitted Cora. ''Very jealous. I had to let it go. I mean, you're a baseball fan and you watch a great Series. At the same time, you want to be one to do it. It was great for him; at the same time, I wished it could have been me. ''They all played a part,'' said Cora. ''It doesn't take 25 guys to win a World Series; it takes a whole organization.'' This weekend, Cora is scheduled to attend wedding of Alex Cintron, the White Sox utility infielder. His brother Joey will be present, along with White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen. Cora said he's supposed to deliver the toast. And yes, he said, he might be tempted to fit the Red Sox' victory last night somewhere into the speech. `
Posted by Sean McAdam POSTGAME: Teammates and fans back a Lowell returnBy JOE McDONALD DENVER -- Mike Lowell was asked prior to Game Two of the 2007 World Series if he thought about the fact it could be his last game at Fenway Park. His contract expires at the end of the season and like a true professional, he said he wasn’t concerned with that scenario because he, and his Red Sox teammates, were concentrating on the task at hand. He would wait for the offseason to deal with it his contract situation. The offseason officially began at 12:06 Eastern time Monday morning when the Red Sox completed the four-game sweep of the Rockies to win their second World Series Championship in four years. And, Lowell was named the MVP of the Fall Classic. ''I’m on cloud nine,'' he said. ''It’s unbelievable.'' Lowell hit .400 (6-for-15) with a team-high six runs scored and four RBI. In Game Four Sunday night his offense was pivotal, including a double and solo home run. ''You’ll trade a 0-for-20 to win the series,'' said Lowell. ''We’ve got such a great group of guys, we all deserve this. We played some really good baseball this whole postseason.'' With the champagne and beer dripping from his 2007 World Series Champions hat, he was asked if he wanted to return to Boston in 2008. ''For sure,'' he said, ''but I don’t want to hop on that right now because I’m celebrating.” Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein has shown in the past that he doesn’t allow his heart-felt emotions get in the way of doing his job. Just ask Johnny Damon and Pedro Martinez. Both the former Red Sox players’ bodies began to break down at the tail end of their careers in Boston, but because both were significant contributors for the 2004 World Series Championship, popular public belief was to re-sign both players. Epstein didn’t think so. Damon signed with the Yankees and Martinez to the Mets. Lowell, however, is different. He recorded a career year with a .324 average, including 21 homers and 120 RBI. ''He’s great,'' said Epstein. ''He’s one of the few veteran leaders we have. We’ve got a clubhouse full of guys who rise to the occasion, and Mike was so consistent for us all season.'' It’s going to be tough for the GM and the Red Sox to let a World Series MVP just walk away . ''Offseason stuff will come another day,'' said Epstein. ''We’re going to enjoy this one for a while then we’ll worry about the offseason. The significant contributions Lowell made for the Red Sox certainly didn’t go unnoticed with his teammates. ''Mike’s been our staple in our lineup all year,'' said Red Sox captain Jason Varitek. ''He’s come up with big hit after big hit and that’s why he drove in 120 during the regular season. ''I would love to [see Lowell back in 2008],” said Varitek in response to a question. ''He plays great defense. He’s a huge part of this team and we would love to see him back in this uniform.'' This is the second World Series title for Lowell as he and Josh Beckett won with the Florida Marlins in 2003. ''They are both very satisfying,'' said Lowell. ''No one expected us [to win in Florida] and we kept proving people wrong. Here, some people think if you don’t win the World Series you’ll disappoint a lot of people. To do something people expect you to do is very difficult to do, so this is extra rewarding. They’re both satisfying, but obviously this one feels better because we’re in the present.'' First-year Red Sox outfielder and veteran J.D. Drew also hopes Lowell is back with Boston next season. ''He’s had a great season and a great postseason,'' said Drew. ''He had one of those fantastic years and a guy you love to have on your team. Absolutely [we want him back] and I think everybody would. He’s one of those competitors and teammates that you’ll never forget. He’s been great.'' MVP great. During the onfield postgame celebration at Coors Field Sunday night, the thousands of Red Sox fans began to chant, ''Bring back Lowell. Bring back Lowell'' and ''Don't sign A-Rod. Don't sign A-Rod. Don't A-Rod,'' with Red Sox owner John Henry walking by. ''That's a player no way you can lose,'' said David Ortiz. ''He did everything for us this year. He took care of business. You can't let a player like that go.''
Posted by Joe McDonald POSTGAME: Henry says title proves '2004 wasn't a fluke'By STEVEN KRASNER DENVER -- The 2004 World Series title was great, especially the way the Boston Red Sox came back in unprecedented fashion, overcoming a 3-0 deficit to the New York Yankees and then flattening St. Louis in a four-game sweep. But this world championship, accomplished in a four-game sweep over the Colorado Rockies, went beyond being sweet. In some way, said owner John Henry, it was validation. ''At least for our organization, this proves that 2004 wasn't a fluke,'' said Henry amidst the team's celebration in its clubhouse at Coors Field after Boston had edged Colorado, 4-3, polishing off the Rockies in four straight. ''This proves we're an organization to be reckoned with. This shows we're a well rounded organization. We're not just stat geeks. We're aggressive. We're a bold organization. We have a bold general manager (Theo Epstein), a bold CEO (Larry Lucchino) and a bold partnership,'' said Henry. Henry had kind words for his manager, Terry Francona. ''He is unbelievable,'' said Henry. ''He gets so much grief during the season from Red Sox Nation. I don't understand that. I think he has done a great job. I think he needs to get more benefit of the doubt. I think he will start to be more highly regarded next year.'' The team also came in for praise from its owner, especially because it was the second time the Red Sox have overcome adversity in the postseason and wound up taking the championship trophy back to Boston. In 2004, of course, there was the 3-0 hole against the Yankees in the ALCS. This year, the Red Sox were down, 3-1, to the Indians in the ALCS before rallying to win three straight and earn a World Series berth. ''To do that two times show that we have players who know how to focus on what they need to do. It's incredible what they did,'' said Henry. ''To come back from the brink of elimination it takes focus from a special group of players.''
Posted by Steven Krasner POSTGAME: Notable World Series accomplishments, from MLBWORLD SERIES NOTABLE ACCOMPLISHMENTS ROOKIES ABOUND: Boston started a pair of rookies in Game One – DUSTIN PEDROIA and JACOBY ELLSBURY – the first World Series team since the New York Mets in 2000 (Timo Perez and Jay Payton) to start two rookie position players in Game One of a World Series. Colorado’s TROY TULOWITZKI became the fifth rookie shortstop to start a World Series game since 1969, joining DAVE CONCEPCION (1970), WALT WEISS (1988), KEVIN STOCKER (1993) and DEREK JETER (1996). DUSTIN PEDROIA: Became the second player to lead off the first game of the World Series with a home run, joining DON BUFORD, who homered for Baltimore in Game One of the 1969 World Series against the Mets (October 11). In addition, Pedroia became the first rookie to hit a leadoff home run to start any World Series game. JOSH BECKETT: UBALDO JIMENEZ: With his Game Two start for Colorado, he became the fifth pitcher ever to start a World Series game with fewer than 90 regular season innings of major league experience, the first since MARTY BYSTROM made a Game Five start for the Phillies in 1980. MATT HOLLIDAY collected four hits in Game Two, the 57th time in World Series history a player has collected four or more hits in a game. CURT SCHILLING: With his Game Two victory, he became just the second pitcher over 40 (40 years, 11 months, 11 days) to start and win a World Series game, joining KENNY ROGERS, who started and won Game Two of 2006 Series against St. Louis at 41 yrs, 11 mos, 12 days. He is the fourth pitcher overall over 40 to win a World Series game, with two winning in relief: DOLF LUQUE, 43 years, 2 months, 3 days when he defeated Washington in relief for the Giants in the 5th and deciding game of the 1933 World Series on October 7, and JOHN FRANCO, 40 years, one month, 7 days when he defeated the Yankees in relief with the Mets on October 24, 2000, Game 3. 1-2 PUNCH: JOSH BECKETT and CURT SCHILLING combined to go 7-0 this postseason, the first time a pair of teammates have gone 7-0 in a single postseason since DAVE STEWART (4-0) and MIKE MOORE (3-0) guided the 1989 Oakland A’s to a world title…Information courtesy of Elias Sports Bureau. ROOKIE TANDEMS: JACOBY ELLSBURY and DUSTIN PEDROIA started Game Three in the top two spots of the Red Sox order. They became the first set of rookies in World Series history to hit 1-2 in a lineup. The last rookies to hit back-to-back in a lineup were TIMO PEREZ (batting 7th) and JAY PAYTON (batting 8th) in Game Five for the 2000 New York Mets. ELLSBURY and PEDROIA also became the first pair of rookies in World Series history to each collect at least three hits in the same Fall Classic game with their Game Three performances. ROOKIE LEAD-OFF MAN: Ellsbury was the first rookie to hit lead off for a World Series game since TIMO PEREZ led off for the Mets in Game Four of the 2000 World Series, October 25, against the Yankees. DOUBLE MAN: JACOBY ELLSBURY hit two doubles in the third inning of Game Three, becoming the second player in World Series history to collect two doubles in an inning. He joined MATT WILLIAMS (Ari.), Nov. 3, 2001 (3rd inning) as the only player to accomplish the feat. With four hits in the game, Ellsbury became the first rookie to record a multi-hit game since Chicago’s TADAHITO IGUCHI on Oct. 25, 2005 against Houston (Game 3). It was the third time a rookie had four hits in a game in World Series play, joining FRED LINDSTROM (1924 Game Five for New York Giants) and JOE GARAGIOLA (1946 Game Four for St. Louis). Ellsbury totaled three doubles, tied for second most ever in a World Series game, behind FRANK ISBELL (CWS), October 13, 1906. DAISUKE WITH THE BAT: In Game Three, DAISUKE MATSUZAKA became the first pitcher to record a hit in a World Series game since JEFF SUPPAN (STL) recorded a hit in Game Three of the 2004 World Series (10/26/04). He’s the first Red Sox pitcher to get a hit in World Series play since BILL LEE in Game Seven of the 1975 World Series. MANY RUNS: With 25 runs over the first three games of the series, the Red Sox have matched the second-highest total for runs scored in the first three games of a World Series. In 1911, Philadelphia scored 25 runs in three games, while the 1960 Yankees scored 30 runs, most ever in three games. BOBBY KIELTY became the 32nd player in World Series history to homer in his first World Series at-bat, when he led off the 8th inning with a pinch-hit home run on the first pitch to lead off the 8th inning off BRIAN FUENTES. He is the 21st player in World Series history to hit a pinch-hit home run. In both cases, he is the first since Chicago’s GEOFF BLUM hit a game-winning 14th inning home run in Game Three of the 2005 World Series at Houston (Oct. 25). WINNING STARTERS: Red Sox starting pitchers recorded the win in each of the four games of this series, just the 2nd time in World Series history four starting pitchers won the first four games for a winning team, joining the 1927 Yankees staff of WAITE HOYT (Gm. 1), GEORGE PIPGRAS (Gm. 2), HERB PENNOCK (Gm. 3) and WILCY MOORE (Gm. 4). MIKE LOWELL: Lowell is the eighth third baseman in World Series history to win the MVP Award, the first since Anaheim’s TROY GLAUS in 2002, the most represented position with the MVP. Lowell is the second Boston MVP in history, joining MANNY RAMIREZ in 2004. The Red Sox World Series championship roster features four World Series MVPs: Lowell (2007), Ramirez (2004), JOSH BECKETT (2003) and CURT SCHILLING (2001). TERRY FRANCONA becomes the 19th manager to win 2 World Series, the second consecutive year a manager has won his 2nd, joining TONY LaRUSSA with St. Louis (2006). Francona is the 11th manager to win his 1st two World Series appearances. Francona joins BILL CARRIGAN (1915 and 1916) as the only managers to win multiple World Series for the Red Sox.
Posted by Art Martone POSTGAME NOTES: From MLBBOSTON WINS WORLD SERIES: The Boston Red Sox have captured their 7th World Series title, the team’s second in three years (1903, 1912, 1915, 1916, 1918 and 2004). The Red Sox are the first team of the 21st century to win multiple championships. The Red Sox have won consecutive World Series via a sweep, also winning four straight against St. Louis in 2004. This is the 3rd sweep in the last 4 World Series (Boston – 2004, Chicago, AL – 2005 and Boston – 2007). There have been 17 World Series games played in the last four years, the fewest in any four-year span in World Series history. With Colorado’s loss, expansion teams are 5-5 in World Series debuts. The Rockies are the 2nd team to be swept in their World Series debut, joining the Astros in 2005. The Red Sox become the 23rd team to complete a four-game sweep in the history of the World Series. MIKE LOWELL NAMED MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: Boston Red Sox third baseman MIKE LOWELL has been named Most Valuable Player of the 2007 World Series. In the World Series, Lowell hit .400 (6-15) with a team-high 6 runs scored and 4 RBI. Lowell is the 8th third baseman in World Series history to win the MVP Award, the first since Anaheim’s TROY GLAUS in 2002, the most represented position with the MVP. Lowell is the 2nd Boston MVP in history, joining MANNY RAMIREZ in 2004. The Red Sox World Series championship roster features four World Series MVPs: Lowell (2007), Ramirez (2004), JOSH BECKETT (2003) and CURT SCHILLING (2001). EIGHT STRAIGHT WINS: The Red Sox have won 8 straight World Series games, matching the 1921-1923 New York Giants for the 5th longest winning streak in World Series history. 14 New York Yankees 10/22/96-10/22/2000 TERRY FRANCONA becomes the 19th manager to win 2 World Series, the second consecutive year a manager has won his 2nd, joining TONY LaRUSSA with St. Louis (2006). Francona is the 11th manager to win his 1st two World Series appearances. Francona joins BILL CARRIGAN (1915 and 1916) as the only managers to win multiple World Series for the Red Sox. JON LESTER earned his first career postseason victory, the fourth straight Boston Red Sox starter to win a game of this World Series. The win is Lester’s first since Sept. 7. WINNING STARTERS: Red Sox starting pitchers recorded the win in each of the four games of this series, just the 2nd time in World Series history four starting pitchers won the first four games for a winning team, joining the 1927 Yankees staff of WAITE HOYT (Gm. 1), GEORGE PIPGRAS (Gm. 2), HERB PENNOCK (Gm. 3) and WILCY MOORE (Gm. 4). PAPELBON AGAIN: JONATHAN PAPELBON recorded his 3rd straight save in this World Series, all for more than 1.0 inning. Papelbon worked 1.2 scoreless innings in Game Four, after recording 1.1 scoreless frames in both Games Two and Three. Papelbon has pitched 10.2 scoreless innings in 7 postseason games in 2007 and has not allowed a run in 14.1 lifetime postseason innings. GARRETT ATKINS hit his first postseason home run, an 8th inning two-run home run to pull Colorado to within a run, 4-3. The estimated distance on Atkins home runs was 385 feet. BOBBY KIELTY became the 32nd player in World Series history to homer in his first World Series at-bat, when he led off the 8th inning with a pinch-hit home run on the first pitch to lead off the 8th inning off BRIAN FUENTES. He is the 21st player in World Series history to hit a pinch-hit home run. In both cases, he is the first since Chicago’s GEOFF BLUM hit a game-winning 14th inning home run in Game Three of the 2005 World Series at Houston (Oct. 25). BRAD HAWPE connected on his first World Series and postseason home run to lead off the 7th inning on a 3-2 count, giving the Rockies their first run of the night. The home run traveled an estimated 378 feet. It was just the 2nd home run for Colorado in the World Series. MIKE LOWELL hit a solo home run to lead off the 7th inning on a 1-0 pitch from AARON COOK. The home run was Lowell’s 1st home run of this World Series, his 2nd home run this postseason. MARGIN OF VICTORY: The Red Sox outscored the Rockies, 29-10, in this series. The 19-run differential is the largest in a World Series since 2002, when Anaheim defeated San Francisco by a total of 55-30. The 29 runs scored by the Red Sox are 3rd most ever for a 4-game series: 37, New York Yankees, 1932 vs. Cubs The Red Sox totaled 99 runs this postseason, second all-time for a single postseason behind the 2002 Anaheim Angels (101). AVERAGES: The Red Sox finished this World Series with the 2nd best team batting average in World Series history at .333, second only to the 1960 New York Yankees (.338). The Red Sox also totaled the 2nd best on-base percentage in World Series history at .411, 2nd only to the 1932 New York Yankees (.421). Red Sox pitchers finished this World Series with a 2.50 era with 36 strikeouts in 36 innings pitched. Six of the Red Sox regulars finished this World Series with a batting average of .300 or better. WINNING ON THE ROAD: This is the 12th time in World Series history a team has completed a sweep on the road and seven of the last 8 such scenarios. TROY TULOWITZKI struck out 3 times tonight and is 1-for-11 since Game One.
Posted by Art Martone POSTGAME QUOTES: Terry Francona
Congratulations. How does it feel to win a title without having to talk about the curse? That's all done. For 80 years the team couldn't win one, and now you've won two in four years. If I could ask a follow-up to that, how does it feel different this time having won one already and now to come through and win it in the same fashion but different circumstances? Could you talk about the job Timlin did coming in, getting his fourth, then Oki and Pap might very well have been tired from the night before? There are a couple of points where this could have turned. Could you just talk a little bit about what Manny does when he comes in there as a guy -- Manny Delcarmen does and he doesn't have a lot of experience, and then Kielty, as well, a couple guys coming up with some big stuff? Anything you want to say about this Rockies team that you faced?
Posted by Art Martone POSTGAME QUOTES: Mike Lowell
Congratulations. How does it feel, you've been through this before, but to do it with these guys, with all they went through this year. What's it feel like now to win this second ring and be the MVP? As well as you guys have played in the spotlight and with what's all on you guys, what does Terry bring to this? How big a part of it is he? What's on him? I mean, you guys see what he does for this team every day? You talk about the toughness of playing in that market. Late in the season when the Yankees were getting close, Terry didn't panic, he got people ready for the postseason. How much did that have to do with what you guys did and the way you played in the postseason? Do you want to comment on the job Jon Lester did tonight? Can you talk about the team's offense? We've heard so much about the pitching and Schilling and Beckett and Matsuzaka, but you guys just put together the greatest run differential ever in a four-game series. You won by 19 runs. That's new. Theo talks a lot about the process and sort of believing in the way you guys do things. After being here a couple years, to what extent do you see the value in that sort of constant belief in the way we do things, it's going to work, it's going to happen?
Posted by Art Martone POSTGAME QUOTES: From trophy and MVP presentations
COMMISSIONER SELIG: Well, on behalf of Major League Baseball, after waiting 86 years, a second time in four years, great comeback in the American League Championship series, congratulations, Jon, Tom, Larry, Theo, wherever he is here, and Terry. You've had a magnificent season, and I congratulate you. And enjoy, and I know you will. Mr. Henry, 2004, the Red Sox Nation lost, and they were almost waiting for someone to steal the title away from them, waiting for the curse to resurface. How was 2007 different? So important for you to be back in the game, to be with a legendary franchise, to get it back to the surface to notoriety. Very long way from San Diego, would you say? Mr. Larry Lucchino, your club grabbed first place in early April and never really seemed to look back, backs against the wall in the LCS. Was there ever any doubt that you would be standing on this podium, maybe not in Colorado but standing on this podium collecting this trophy? COMMISSIONER SELIG: Our most valuable player trophy, presented by Chevrolet. Congratulations, a great World Series, you hit .400, you got big hits. On behalf of baseball and Chevrolet, congratulations, Most Valuable Player in the 2007 World Series, and to all of Red Sox Nation and fans all over, congratulations on this great victory. Really just an all-around effort by you. Q. Talk about the long ball. This is not your first ring. I think people are aware of that. You did it before with the franchise. It was really just making a mark. How different is it to win a World Championship wearing this Red Sox uniform? I know you're going to tell me you just want to bask in this championship right now, but obviously you have a contract that is expiring I think any second now. Where is your heart at? Is your heart in Boston? Are you desirous of shopping yourself around a little bit? Terry Francona, I don't think we have enough time to give you credit for what you've accomplished here. You set the bar so high. You come in first year on the job, you get this nation a World Championship. How different is it being back here again? This is something we find ourselves asking players. Do you look at your numbers, do you see what you're doing? Do you see your dominance in the postseason, it's Hall-of-Fame atmosphere and back-to-book sweeps? Let me ask you, what is the Red Sox Nation supposed to do? We've got a couple of titles here. We're supposed to wait a long time, yes?
Posted by Art Martone POSTGAME QUOTES: Varitek and Papelbon
JASON VARITEK This team has got a lot of heart. We worked real hard from the staff to the scouts to the teammates to everybody. We just beat a very, very good team, an excellent team. We had to do the little things, and we were able to. Unfortunate not being able to celebrate at Fenway, so what do you say to Red When we asked fans which team was better, the 2004 team or this team? How was the performance by Jon Lester, Mike Lowell? JONATHAN PAPELBON Really two one-run games against this Rockies team. You talked about the river dance Red Sox fans said they want to see. Just a thought on the way that this team rallied from being down 3-1 against
Posted by Art Martone POSTGAME: In-game notes from MLBCORRECTION: The Red Sox have scored 10 or more runs FIVE times this postseason, not six times, as incorrectly stated in today’s pregame editions. -- AARON COOK retired 10 consecutive batters from a 1st-inning ending double play through the 4th inning. He surrendered a leadoff double to MIKE LOWELL to start the 5th inning. Cook became the first Rockies pitcher to pitch at least 5.0 innings in this series. Previous length of starts: Gm. 1 – Jeff Francis (4 ip) Gm. 2 – Ubaldo Jimenez (4.2 ip) Gm. 3 – Josh Fogg (2.2 ip) Cook also collected one of the Rockies’ 3 hits through 6 innings tonight. -- FEW HOME RUNS: Through 5 innings tonight, only 1 home run had been hit in this World Series, by each team. DUSTIN PEDROIA to lead off Game One for Boston, MATT HOLIDAY in Game Three for Colorado. Should no more home runs be hit, it would mark the fewest Home Run totals for one club since Atlanta hit one home run in 1999. The two home runs by both clubs would mark the fewest combined since 1950 (Phillies – 0, Yankees – 2). -- JON LESTER pitched 5.2 innings in his first start since Sept. 26. He threw 92 pitches/59 strikes. -- JACOBY ELLSBURY scored his 4th run of this World Series in the 1st inning, tying DAVID ORTIZ for 2nd most on the team, one behind MIKE LOWELL, who scored his 5th run in the 5th inning. Ellsbury led off the game with his team-leading 4th double of this World Series, two shy of the most in a single World Series by a rookie (6), established by Detroit’s PETE FOX in 1934. -- JASON VARITEK collected his team-leading 5th RBI of this World Series with his 5th inning single.
Posted by Art Martone INSIDE THE GAME BY STEVEN KRASNER: Late-inning wrapup
BOSTON — It was clear when he came into last night’s game that, in Jonathan Papelbon’s mind, if the Rockies were going to beat him, they were going to have to beat him on his best pitch — the fastball. And despite a couple of heavy-duty scares, Colorado wasn’t up to the challenge as Papelbon and the Red Sox held on for a 4-3 victory and a sweep of the World Series for Boston’s second crown in four years. Papelbon ended the game by sizzling a 94-mph heater past pinch-hitter Seth Smith for a game-ending strikeout and then threw his glove high into the air as catcher Jason Varitek rushed out to the mound and jumped into Papelbon’s arms. The right-handed flame-thrower entered the game in the eighth with one out, none on and Boston on top, 4-3, only five outs away from winning the World Series. He threw 12 pitches in the eighth. The first 11 were fastballs, ranging from 94-96 mph. That netted him a groundout and a 1-and-2 count on Ryan Spilborghs. He tried to fool Spilborghs with his next pitch, a changeup at 88 mph. Spilborghs put a charge into it, sending a deep drive to center. The Sox and their fans held their breath, but Coco Crisp ran the ball down for the catch in deep center. As Papelbon walked off the mound he pounded his fist into his glove, no doubt in irritation at the location of the changeup, if not the pitch selection. * * * * That, said Francona, wasn’t a concern when Lester was on the mound. In a game, said Francona, Lester is only thinking about the game, and what he has to do to hold the opposition at bay. So Francona handed the ball to his 23-year-old left-hander last night in Game Four with the Red Sox one win away from claiming the World Series crown. And Lester, making his first start in the postseason, competed. While Lester showed great maturity and presence on the mound, attributes that belie his relative big-league inexperience, he also was very successful because of the command he had with all three of his pitches. Lester blanked the Rockies on three hits over 5 2/3 innings. His fastball was in the low 90s, his slider in the 82-85 mph range and his curveball was dropping in around 73 mph. All three pitches helped him in his 92-pitch outing last night. He twice fanned Troy Tulowitzki, Colorado’s Rookie of the Year candidate, with biting sliders down and in. He whiffed Matt Holliday, the Rockies’ MVP candidate, with a high heater. And his curveball had Yorvit Torrealba and Kaz Matsui way out in front for fifth-inning popups to shortstop. In short, Lester had it all going for him despite not pitching for 11 days. It was an impressive performance for any pitcher, let alone a youngster only one year removed from a life-threatening health issue. * * * * So Boston manager Terry Francona had a decision to make. Should he pinch hit for Timlin, who was scheduled to lead off the top of the eighth and turn to Hideki Okajima for the bottom of the inning, even though the left-hander had thrown 28 pitches on Thursday and 28 more Saturday night? Or should he send Timlin back out to start the eighth, with the Rockies sending the middle of their order to the plate? Francona opted to pinch hit for Timlin, sending up Bobby Kielty, who hadn’t appeared in the World Series and hadn’t swung a bat in a game since Oct. 18. When you’re hot, you’re hot. Francona pushed the right button again. Kielty crushed the first pitch he saw from Colorado left-hander Brian Fuentes into the the left-field seats, his no-doubt-about-it homer giving the Red Sox a little extra breathing room at 4-1. The switch-hitter, in the first World Series at-bat of his career, threw up his arms in triumph and pure joy about four steps out of the batter’s box. * * * * Maybe he pushed Okajima a little too far. Before the game he talked about not wanting to use Okajima because of his heavy load in the previous two days. “We’ll have to keep our eye on him,” said Francona, saying he wanted to see how Okajima felt during warmups. Apparently, Francona liked what he saw. At least in warmups. But not in the game. Okajima was lifted at that point, having thrown 15 more pitches, for a total of 71 in a four-day stretch. Papelbon replaced him.
Posted by Art Martone FINAL: Red Sox 4, Rockies 3
BY JOE McDONALD DENVER — The Red Sox capped another banner year last night with . . . another banner. The Sox completed a sweep of the Colorado Rockies with a 4-3 victory to win their second World Series in four years. After solid pitching performances in the first three games of the Series by Josh Beckett, Curt Schilling and Daisuke Matsuzaka, respectively, the Red Sox last night handed the ball to 23-year-old lefty Jon Lester. The story surrounding Lester all season has been his recovery from cancer last summer, but beating the disease has been the furthest thing from his mind ever since he picked up a ball during spring training. So last night he was hoping for a little Mile High Magic to help the Red Sox clinch the World Series. Lester delivered. He worked 5 2/3 scoreless innings and allowed only three hits with three strikeouts and three walks. The left-hander performed above and beyond what was expected of him, and his teammates not only doused him with champagne and beer, but with respect. After the Red Sox clinched their first A.L. East title since 1995, the club embarked on the postseason and dispatched the Angels in three games in the ALDS. Then Boston erased a three-games-to-one deficit against the Indians to win the ALCS in seven games to earn a World Series berth, its second in four years. In similar fashion, the National League champion Rockies quickly wove their way through the postseason to earn their first World Series appearance. With two clubs remaining on baseball biggest stage, Boston proved why it can be called the best team in the game. The 2007 version of this World Series club compared to the 2004 championship team has a different dynamic, and it’s called youth. The similarities? Both clubs have solid bullpens, explosive offensive, good starting pitching and good defense. The differences? This club is younger and more patient, according to Red Sox veteran reliever Mike Timlin. “It’s a very different team, but it’s also a very similar team,” he said. “Maybe,’’ he said. “Yes. There are definitely aspects that are better now than there were then.’’ While the entire 2004 club was built upon a veteran presence, 2007 has featured a core of sparkplug players who have rejuvenated the home-town nine, and that has been quite evident during the postseason. The rebuilding process began with Kevin Youkilis, and then Jonathan Papelbon, Manny Delcarmen, Lester, Pedroia and Ellsbury came on the scene. “The organization did a great job with all of us, preparing us at each level,” said Pedroia. “It helps out when you all get called up together because we’ve been through a lot of things. We played Double-A together, Triple-A and now here. So I think everybody is comfortable with each other, and it makes it that much more special.” Ellsbury, who had three doubles in Game Three on Saturday, led off the game with another double down the left-field line. He advanced to third when Pedroia grounded out to third, and scored Boston’s first run on David Ortiz’s smoking liner through the infield. Boston pushed across another run in the top of the fifth inning when Jason Varitek provided an RBI single, scoring Mike Lowell for a 2-0 lead. Lowell sparked the team again with a solo homer in the top of the seventh inning that proved crucial because Red Sox reliever Manny Delcarmen surrendered a solo home run in the home half as Colorado got on the board. After the right-hander then surrendered a one-out single, he was replaced by Timlin. The bullpen finished the job and the season ended triumphantly, and according to a masterful plan.
Posted by Art Martone October 28, 2007
INSIDE THE GAME BY STEVEN KRASNER: The early innings
DENVER – Third-base coach DeMarlo Hale took a gamble Saturday night in Game Three and waved home Manny Ramirez from second base with one out. Ramirez was out at the plate, making the gamble look bad. But that didn’t stop Hale from staying aggressive last night. With slow-footed Mike Lowell on second base and one out in the fifth, Hale waved home the Sox’ third baseman on Jason Varitek’s roller through the right side. Hale was reading the speed of the ball and was armed with the scouting report on the approach to the ball and arm of right fielder Brad Hawpe. Lowell chugged home and, sliding headfirst to the third-base side of home plate, he was able to elude the tag of catcher Yorvit Torrealba, who had fielded the low throw just a bit to the first-base side of the plate. As Lowell was sliding past the plate, he was able to reach out with his left hand and drag it across the plate, giving the Sox a 2-0 lead. * * * * Ellsbury lofted that 91-mph sinker from Aaron Cook down the left-field line, the ball dropping in fair territory by a few inches for a leadoff double. It was further proof that Ellsbury, the Sox’ rookie center fielder, uses the entire field. In Game Three, Ellsbury smacked three doubles – one to left, one to center and one pulled just fair down the right-field line. Ellsbury also showed good baserunning instincts, moving to third on Dustin Pedroia’s grounder to third baseman Garrett Atkins. The ball was chopped to third, forcing Atkins to come in for the ball, and as soon as he took a step in for the ball, Ellsbury knew he could take third without Atkins being able to make a play on him. * * * * Obviously, Hurdle and the Rockies had no margin for error last night, facing elimination with a loss in Game Four of the World Series. So with Ellsbury at third and one out, Hurdle brought in his infield as David Ortiz came to the plate. Infield in? In the very first inning? His thinking would seem to be two-fold.
Cook got the ground ball he and Hurdle were seeking. But it was a relatively weak bouncer that had eyes. Ortiz’s grounder cleanly found the hole between drawn-in first baseman Todd Helton and second baseman Kaz Matsui. The ball rolled into right for an RBI single, putting the Sox on top, 1-0. Had the infield been back, Ortiz would have been out, but Ellsbury still would have scored. * * * * In the bottom of the fifth, with Colorado losing, 2-0, Hurdle let Cook bat, deciding not to opt for a pinch hitter in this situation. Cook was pitching a solid game, but, as per the cliché, there was no tomorrow for the Rockies. Hurdle’s bullpen, though, was fried, and ineffective too often, no doubt part of Hurdles’s reasong for sticking with Cook. Cook pushed a bunt single past Boston starter Jon Lester, on the Rockies’ third hit. But Lester stranded him at first. * * * * But unlike the Red Sox, they were unable to get him over and get him in. A grounder to short kept Todd Helton at second base after he had opened the second with a ringing double to left-center. A long fly to center pushed Helton to third with two outs, but then, after a walk, Yorvit Torrealba grounded out to shortstop as Colorado, unable to execute the fundamentals, wasted Helton’s leadoff double. * * * * Ortiz, generally Boston’s designated hitter, was playing first base because the pitcher bats in the National League park in the Series. And he flashed some leather in the second inning, picking a tough short-hop throw from shortstop Julio Lugo with a runner at second and none out in the second inning. * * * * Apparently, that was a case of wasted worry in the early going. Over the first six innings, Cook generally had the Red Sox hitting the ball on the ground. Of the 18 outs he racked up, 13 came on grounders. He also fanned two. There was one flyball out and two popups. And even though he gave up two runs, both RBI hits – by Ortiz in the first and Jason Varitek in the fifth – were ground balls that found their way through the right side of the Rockies’ infield. Two balls he got up, though, cost him. Doubles by Ellsbury and Lowell set up Ortiz and Varitek, respectively, for their RBI ground-ball singles.
Posted by Art Martone IN-GAME UPDATE: No rust on Cook
BY JIM DONALDSON DENVER -- Colorado pitcher Aaron Cook hadn't started a game since Aug. 10 because of an oblique injury, but, after allowing a leadoff double to Boston's red-hot rookie, Jacoby Ellsbury, and then giving up a run-scoring single to David Ortiz, he retired seven straight batters. He's been off 79 days. That's the longest between starts for a World Series starter since 1955, when the Yankees' Bob Grim made his first start in 112 days in Game Five against the Brooklyn Dodgers. Grim had, however, been pitching regularly in relief, including an appearance out of the bullpen in Game One of the '55 Series. Cook was 8-7 this season for the Rockies, with an ERA of 4.12. In six seasons with the Rockies, he has yet to record double-digit wins. His career-high was nine, last year, when he also lost 15.
Posted by Jim Donaldson IN-GAME TIDBIT: Big Papi -- Gold GloverBY JIM DONALDSON DENVER -- How'd you like Big Papi, gloving Julio Lugo's short-hopped throw to first base in the second inning? Good thing he did, otherwise the Sox wouldn't have gotten out of the inning, which began with a leadoff double by Todd Helton, unscathed. As every Red Sox fan knows, it was difficult for Terry Francona to take Kevin Youkilis out of the lineup. But, since there's no designated hitter in the games played at N.L. parks, and Francona wanted David Ortiz's bat in the lineup, "Youk" hasn't started Games Three or Four at Coors Field. It didn't make sense to shift Youkilis to third base, in place of Mike Lowell, because not only did Lowell lead the Sox in RBI this season, with 120, but he also is very good defensively. If Youkilis played third base, and Ortiz first, that would weaken the infield at two positions, rather than one.
Posted by Jim Donaldson IN-GAME MUSINGS: Wonderful weatherBY JIM DONALDSON DENVER -- It's a fabulous night, with skies clear and the temperature at game-time 68 degrees. It's a far cry from last Sunday here, when it snowed. That's the way the weather can be in Denver. I once covered a Patriots games here in late September when it snowed heavily, but I also remember sitting in the press box at Mile High Stadium in early January with the windows open at a Pats-Broncos playoff game in '87. The windows are open in the press box tonight, which creates a much better atmosphere than watching the game behind a sheet of thick glass. It's much louder, but much better. Mentioning Mile High reminds me that, on the way back to my hotel after Game Three, I heard Gary Glitter's "Rock & Roll, Part 2" on the car radio. The first time I heard that song was at a Broncos game at Mile High, which literally rocked as the Denver fans stomped their feet and shouted ``Hey!" Later, the song came to be played at stadiums across America, and wasn't as exciting. But that first time, in Denver, was terrific.
Posted by Jim Donaldson PREGAME: Francona praises RamirezBY SEAN McADAM DENVER -- Manager Terry Francona praised Manny Ramirez -- who leads the Sox in batting average, homers and RBI in the post-season – for sharpening his focus this month. ''I think it’s been phenomenal,'' he said. ''Even when we’ve been getting in very late (to other cities after travel days) he’s probably been the first one at the ballpark every time.''
Posted by Art Martone PREGAME: Francona says Sox 'easy team' to manageBY SEAN McADAM DENVER -- Manager Terry Francona said the 2007 bunch has created very few problems for him – on or off the field. ''This has been a very easy team (to manage),'' he said. ''They’ve been very responsible. (In terms of character) our guys have been off the charts. You appreciate that.'' In presiding over a harmonious clubhouse, Francona credited some of the team’s reserve players – led by Alex Cora – for setting the proper tone. ''Guys who don’t play much,'' Francona said, ''you sort of hope they don’t bring people down. Our guys kind of bring people up.'' He added that the organization tries to do it homework on player’s personalities and character, to ensure that they don’t bring in potential malcontents who create problems when they don’t play. ''We’re not running a Cub Scout troop here,’’ he said. ''You’ve got to have talent. But you’ve also got to be aware of what works and how things work.''
Posted by Art Martone PREGAME: New coaches make an impactBY SEAN McADAM DENVER -- Last year, the Red Sox made some tough decisions with their coaching staff, jettisoning popular coaches Dave Wallace (pitching) and Ron ''Papa Jack'' Jackson (hitting) in favor of John Farrell and Dave Magadan respectively. The fact that they contributed to a pennant-winning team, on the verge of winning a World Series title, speaks volumes about their immediate impact.
Posted by Art Martone PREGAME: Great chance for LesterBY SEAN McADAM DENVER -- Fourteen months ago, Jon Lester was diagnosed with cancer. Tonight, he has the opportunity to pitch his team to a world championship. If Lester’s successful battle and comeback has already been a great story, surely tonight has the potential to be a great finish. ''It’s a great story, regardless,'' agreed Terry Francona. ''He understands that. That said, regardless of what he went through, (the Rockies) are not going to be taking a strike. But Jon has a real good understanding of (how to handle everything).''
Posted by Art Martone PREGAME: Ask me laterBY SEAN McADAM DENVER – Red Sox manager Terry Francona was asked how this afternoon compares to the atmosphere three years ago in St. Louis, with the Sox leading 3-to-0 and a chance to wrap it up in Game 4. ''You know, we stay in the moment,’’ said Francona. ''It’s what we do. I don’t even remember how I felt then. We stay in the routine. I get up, have breakfast, come to the park, play some cribbage and go play the game.
Posted by Art Martone PREGAME: Dice-K, that big RBI guyBY STEVEN KRASNER DENVER -- Daisuke Matsuzaka told manager Terry Francona that he was a good hitter. And Francona had seen video of a home run Dice-K had hit when he was pitching in Japan. But Francona’s advice to Matsuzaka and his other pitchers when they were competing in National League ballparks and batting in the order was to just stand still in the batter’s box and take pitches. He didn’t want them pulling any muscle doing something that has become unnatural for any American League pitcher – swinging a bat. Matsuzaka, though, came up with a key base hit in Saturday night’s victory that put Boston on the brink of its second World Championship in four years. Dice-K threaded a two-out, two-run single through the right side in the Sox’ six-run third-inning rally. ''That shows you they (pitchers) are athletes. I know they take batting practice (before interleague and World Series games when they have to hit) but to be able to just pick up a bat and make contact, they have to be athletes,'' he said. Francona said he wasn’t necessarily surprised by the hit. ''Pleased,'' said Francona. ''You never bank on a guy getting a hit who hasn’t swung a bat since June. He got the bat on the ball, it found a hole, good for us.'' Not that he wasn’t a solid pitcher this year, but Francona said he thinks Matsuzaka will show even more next year for the Red Sox, noting all the adjustments he had to go through this season, including cultural and language issues. ''I think he has a great ability to make adjustments,'' said Francona of Matsuzaka, who notched the Game Three win, going 5 2/3 innings. ''I think next year you’ll see more consistency from him. What level does he get to as a pitcher, I think we’re excited about that, to see how it plays out. But I also think there will be a bigger comfort level for him next year just because he was here for a full year.''
Posted by Art Martone PREGAME: Valuable VaritekBY STEVEN KRASNER DENVER -- Catcher Jason Varitek has value far beyond his offensive statistics, though he did enter Sunday night’s game leading the Sox in RBI (4) for the Series. ''He’s our captain. He not only runs our team, but he obviously runs the pitching staff,'' said Francona. ''He has a lot of responsibility. Sometimes you see him after games with those ice packs (generally covering both knees, his right shoulder and lower back). I think he ought to put one on his head, to, because you can tell he’s worn out. ''But on the flip side, when you’re shaking hands after a win, by his demeanor you would never know how many hits he had. If he catches a win, I think he feels like he’s done his job,'' said Francona.
Posted by Art Martone PREGAME: Take a bow, Scouting and Development DepartmentsBY STEVEN KRASNER DENVER -- The Red Sox are a bit more home-grown in the World Series this year than they were in 2004. At the top of their order, for instance, they have a pair of rookies, center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury and second baseman Dustin Pedroia. Jonathan Papelbon closes, first baseman Kevin Youkilis has been a mainstay all year and Jon Lester started last night in Game Four. While they have blossomed in the big leagues, manager Terry Francona heaped praise on the Red Sox’ scouting and development departments for their efforts in stocking the big-league team. ''I’m sure there are a lot of people in our player development (department) who are pretty proud right now, as they should be,'' said Francona. ''We’re the ones who get to stand up here and talk about the young kids, but the player development people, the ones that spend all the time with them, they’ve done a great job.'' And being more of a home-grown product is important to the Sox, said Francona. ''I think there’s a lot of pride in that,'' said Francona. ''Any time you talk with (general manager) Theo (Epstein) he’ll bring that up right away. ''Our owners give us a lot of money to go out and spend and get good players. But having guys come through your system is a great way to do it. And when they’re able to come and contribute, and not just contribute but be pivotal players, it’s a huge source of pride.''
Posted by Art Martone PREGAME: Tito more than managesBY JOE McDONALD DENVER -- The one thing that has become obvious during the 2007 season is the ability of the Red Sox’ Terry Francona has to successfully manage this club. All the different personalities – Manny Ramirez specifically – and all the attention that is placed on the Red Sox from a fans and media standpoint, Francona has dealt with it all. His day obviously consists of a lot of things, but the one daily ritual he truly enjoys is taking money from rookie Dustin Pedroia after beating him in cribbage. ''Yeah, I beat up on him pretty good,'' said Francona. ''He’s not that good. Thankfully he’s a really good baseball player, but he comes back for more. His mentality is he doesn’t quit.'' The job the manager has done this season hasn’t gone unnoticed within the confines of the clubhouse. From veteran Curt Schilling to rookies like Pedroia and Jacoby Ellsbury, Francona’s leadership is greatly appreciated. ''He’s done a great job with a lot of guys,'' said Pedroia. ''The season always has its bumps in the road, and he’s played and understands that. A lot of guys on our team went through some tough times, but we’ve all picked each other up when guys were down. Tito does an unbelievable job managing personalities and keeping the atmosphere relaxed even when a guy is struggling. That really helps out.''
Posted by Art Martone PREGAME: Pedroia and teammates one step awayBYJOE McDONALD DENVER -- From the first day Dustin Pedroia became a Red Sox player, his obvious goal was to reach this level. In his first full season in the majors, the down-and-dirty second baseman has been one of the main ingredients in the winning formula for Boston and now he’s a step closer to become a World Series champion. Pedroia, a strong candidate for the Rookie of the Year award, earned some valuable experience in the final month of the 2006 season when he was a September call-up and was able to get a feel for how the Red Sox operated. Heading into spring training prior to this year he just wanted to make the team, never mind think about a World Series title. ''I just wanted to do anything I could to help the team win,'' he said prior to Game Four of the World Series at Coors Field on Sunday. ''I knew our team goals were obviously win the American League East and win the World Series. We’re one game away from accomplishing both of those. But we’re still a long ways away. That’s a great ballclub over there and we’ve got to find a way to win one more game.'' His postseason resume is quickly writing itself. Entering Game Four Sunday night, he had scored 12 runs to tie Derek Jeter (1996) for most ever by a rookie in a single postseason. After hitting just .172 in the first seven postseason games, Pedroia’s offensive has been outstanding over the last six contests, including a .444 average (12-for-27) with 4 doubles, 2 homers, 9 RBI, 5 runs and 4 walks.
Posted by Art Martone PREGAME: Wasting a beautiful dayBY JIM DONALDSON DENVER -- It’s a beautiful day here -- the skies clear blue, the snow-capped, Rocky Mountains seemingly within walking distance at the western end of the downtown streets, temperatures warm enough to wear a golf shirt. If ever an argument could be made to once again play World Series games in the daylight hours, this afternoon would clinch it. But, instead of seeing Jon Lester on the mound as the shadows start to slip across Coors Field shortly after four o’clock, the Rockies are taking batting practice. The Red Sox, too, have just come out on the field and are jogging near the warning track in left, loosening up for tonight’s Game Four. They run out of shadow, into the sunlight, bringing to mind Yogi Berra’s famous line about playing left field in Yankee Stadium: “It gets late early out there.” World Series games extend much too late into the night, and there is nothing to be done about it. As long as MLB wants to glean every dollar it can from the networks, then it must play games when it’s best for television – even if that’s not what’s best for the sport, or its devoted fans. And so baseball cedes this lovely afternoon – a true Fall Classic – to the NFL, and will wait until the sun dips below the Rockies to begin to play. New England schoolchildren who hope to stay up to celebrate with the Sox if they complete a sweep of the Rockies will be falling asleep at their desks tomorrow. But, if they’re dreaming of the World Series, is that really so bad?
Posted by Art Martone Galasso's view: Win it now
Posted by Mike McDermott EDITOR'S NOTE: We're having mechanical problemsAs you can see by the lack of activity on the blog -- which normally is jumping by this stage of the day -- we are having severe server issues. The writers are all filing blog entries via the newspaper production system, and I'll post them at this end as soon as I can. -- ART MARTONE
Posted by Art Martone PREGAME: Game Four lineupsBOSTON COLORADO
Posted by Joe McDonald POSTGAME: Papelbon readyBy JOE McDONALD DENVER -- Jonathan Papelbon said last night's victory came down to one thing. It was the Red Sox' ability to respond when the Rockies began to chip away at Boston's six-run lead. With Boston holding a 6-0 lead heading into the bottom of the sixth inning, the Rockies scored two in that inning, and pushed three across in the bottom of the seventh to make things interesting. ''In my opinion, the way our lineup showed up [in the eighth inning] when we were put through that little point of adversity was the turning point of the game,'' said Papelbon. ''Our bullpen had to battle tonight and we’re going to have to keep battling. Our lineup tonight did a special and great job of going back out there and setting the tone again, and keeping that momentum in our dugout.'' ''It feels good, obviously,'' said Papelbon. ''We’re not really thinking about that. We have to go out there and take care of business against one of the best lineups in baseball. We have to play them one at a time just like we’ve been doing.'' It might take only nine more innings.
Posted by Joe McDonald POSTGAME: Comparing isn't hard to doBy JOE McDONALD DENVER – The Boston Red Sox have a chance to win two World Series championships in a span of four seasons without losing a game. If the Red Sox can win Game Four Sunday night at Coors Field they will complete a sweep of the Rockies in similar fashion as Boston did to the St. Louis Cardinals in 2004. Unfortunately for Red Sox fans, both celebratory victories could be on the road. There are many similarities to both Red Sox teams as veteran pitcher Mike Timlin pointed out after Saturday’s 10-5 victory over Colorado. But he’s not about to think about it too much, especially with one game still to win. ''You have to sit back after it’s all finished and then compare,'' said Timlin. ''You can’t compare when things are moving because that’s hard to do.'' The similarities are both clubs have solid bullpens, explosive offensive, good starting pitching and good defense. The differences are that this club is younger and more patient this time around, according to Timlin. ''It’s a very different team, but it’s also a very similar team,'' said Timlin. Is this year’s club better? ''Maybe,'' he said. ''Yes. There are definitely aspects that are better now than there were then.''
Posted by Joe McDonald POSTGAME: More from Mike LowellOn Jacoby Ellsbury On stealing third base in the eighth, after he singled and was bunted to third in the eighth. He scored on a sacrifice fly, making it a 10-5 game On Hideki Okajima getting out of the seventh without further damage after allowing a three-run homer that cut the Sox' lead to 6-5 On the Sox' approach being ahead, 3-0, needing to win only one more for the World Series title -- STEVEN KRASNER
Posted by Steven Krasner POSTGAME: Youth prevails, againBy JOE McDONALD DENVER – Coco who? With the way rookie Jacoby Ellsbury has played when called upon all season for the Red Sox -- more importantly, in the postseason – it’s a safe bet once the World Series is over and the offseason begins, general manager Theo Epstein will be on the phone looking to deal Crisp. Currently Crisp, who was replaced in the lineup with Ellsbury for Game Six of the ALCS against the Indians, is signed through the 2009 season. Because of Ellsbury’s abilities it was obvious he would be the future center fielder in Boston, but some might not have thought it would happen this quick on this stage. Ellsbury went 4-for-5 including three doubles, a single, two RBI and two runs scored in Game Three of the World Series last night to help Boston to a 10-5 victory. The Red Sox are one victory away from winning their second championship in the last four seasons and the 24-year-old rookie has played a significant role. Another interesting tidbit from Game Three is the fact Dustin Pedroia and Ellsbury are the first two rookies ever to have hit Nos. 1-2 in the order during a World Series game. They’ll probably do it again in another postseason, only next time they’ll be seasoned pros. Pedroia was also dialed in at the plate with his 3-for-5 performance, including a pair of singles and a two-run double. ''Man, Ellsbury and Pedroia did a great job,'' said Red Sox veteran Mike Lowell. ''They have really good talent and they’re not overmatched.'' The young talent doesn’t stop with Ellsbury and Pedroia. Kevin Youkilis, Jonathan Papelbon, Jon Lester and Manny Delcarmen have all made solid contributions to this club. If the core of young talent remains teammates for a long time, it’s going to be very interesting to see them develop. ''Throw age out of the question,'' said Papelbon. ''Age means nothing to me and I don’t think it means anything to anybody in this clubhouse. They have a bunch of 20-year-olds over in their clubhouse as well. If you can play at this level then you can play at this level, bar none. ''We’re obviously showing that as a young group of guys, and hopefully we can stay together, stick together and keep that in this clubhouse.” The job Ellsbury did in the lead off spot Saturday night was very impressive. During the four previous games – Games Six and Seven of the ALCS and Games One and Two of the Series – he batted at the bottom of the order. With no DH in the National League park, Youkilis was forced to sit early in Saturday’s game as David Ortiz played first. ''The thing with our lineup I feel like I just have to get on base,'' said Ellsbury. ''With Dustin behind me, and he’s been playing great, he’s going to do the job. He’s going to move runners and with David and Manny behind him, and Mike Lowell as well, you’ve got to like your chances when you get on.'' Crisp was inserted into last night’s game as a defensive replacement for J.D. Drew, and when he batted in the top of the eighth innin he provided a single up the middle. He later scored on a Dustin Pedroia two-run double that gave Boston a 9-5 lead. The hit was Crisp’s first since Game Two of the ALCS. It wasn’t only Ellsbury’s bat that proved crucial last night. With the Red Sox leading 6-2 in the bottom of the sixth inning, Colorado began to threaten. With two on and one out, the Rockies’ pinch-hitter Ryan Spilborghs crushed a not-too-fast fastball off Red Sox reliever Mike Timlin that first appeared to possible be a home run. Ellsbury showed his ability to stay in control of the situation when he made his way back to the center-field wall, right at the 415 mark, and easily made the catch for the second out. ''He’s done well,'' said Timlin. ''He’s come in and infused a lot of enthusiasm. He plays the game hard. He’s consistently moving. He runs balls out and he’s trying as hard as he possible can just to play the game right. When you do that, when you play the game correctly, you’re going to have a good time. And, he’s having great success.'' After the play the close-up shot on TV showed him smiling, pointing and winking at right fielder J.D. Drew, while blowing a bubble. ''I wasn’t sure if I had enough room,'' said Ellsbury. ''I was getting ready to climb the wall if necessary, but I was happy I didn’t have to do that.'' Ellsbury exudes confidence but he’s not cocky. ''To be on the postseason roster and to be here in the World Series has definitely been great,'' he said. Safe to say he’s not playing like a rookie. Ironically, the last rookie to have such an impact in the World Series is Red Sox ace Josh Beckett, who was named the 2003 World Series MVP while he was pitching for the Florida Marlins. The right-hander was 23 at the time when he pitched on three days rest to clinch the Fall Classic in Game Six against the Yankees, and that performance was the cornerstone for what he’s been able to do for the Red Sox this postseason run. Ellsbury appears to be on the same track. ''He’s good,'' said Beckett. ''He’s going to be great. I wasn’t as fresh in the league [in 2003] as he is now.''
Posted by Joe McDonald POSTGAME: More from Julio LugoOn the contributions of rookie Dustin Pedroia and Jacoby Ellsbury On batting .444 in the World Series to this point, putting in his past the 0-for-33 slump during the regular season that cost him his leadoff job and dropped him to ninth in the order. On being so close to winning the World Series -- STEVEN KRASNER
Posted by Steven Krasner POSTGAME: Youkilis gives rookies the seal of approval BY SEAN McADAM BOSTON -- In 2004, Kevin Youkilis was a rookie on the Red Sox world championship team. So more than most, he can appreciate the contributions being made by two first-year players on this year's team, now just one win away from another title. ''They're going good,'' he said of teammates Dustin Pedroia and Jacoby Ellsbury. ''They're in a great position to come out and play a part.'' Last night, in particular, they did plenty. Ellsbury, hitting leadoff for the first time this series, had four hits -- including three doubles -- to go with two RBI and two runs scored. Pedroia, meanwhile had three hits, two RBI and a run scored. ''We have a lot of great veterans on this team to help them out,'' said Youkilis, ''but the credit goes to them. They're really helping us win.''
Posted by Sean McAdam POSTGAME: Matsuzaka a hit, on the mound and at the plateBY JOE McDONALD DENVER -- Don't try to tell Daisuke Matsuzaka that pitchers can't hit. ''I'm a confident hitter,'' he said after driving in two runs with a two-out, bases-loaded single that was the big blow in a six-run Red Sox outburst in the third inning. ''I love hitting.'' ''He's a good hitter,'' Boston reliever Mike Timlin said of Dice-K. ''He's a good athlete. That (timely hit) was a good thing to see. It kind of took the wind out of (the Rockies') sails at that time.'' For the first five innings, Matsuzaka took the bats out of the Rockies' hands. After giving up a leadoff single to his fellow countryman, and former teammate with the Seibu Lions in Japan, Kazuo Matsui, Dice-K didn't give up another hit until the fifth, when Colorado catcher Yovit Torrealba singled to start the inning. Matsuzaka also was touched for another single in the fifth, by pinch-hitter Seth Smith, but didn't allow the Rockies to score. He was lifted in the sixth when, with one out, he issued back-to-back walks to Todd Helton and Garrett Atkins, who later scored when Matsuzaka's successor, Javier Lopez, surrendered RBI singles to Brad Hawpe and Torrealba. Dice-K left the game having given up three hits and two runs, both earned, in 5-1/3 innings, with five strikeouts and three walks. He received credit for the win, improving his postseason record to 2-1. ''I felt that their lineup fought very well, and stayed in there. I did feel that I wasted some pitches in the sixth.'' Many times, sending a pitcher to the plate is a waste. But not in Matsuzaka's case. His base-hit was the first in a World Series by a Red Sox pitcher since Bill Lee, in Game Seven against the Cincinnati Reds in 1975 -- 32 years ago.
Posted by Jim Donaldson POSTGAME: Julio Lugo's key defenseBy STEVEN KRASNER DENVER -- The final score shows that the Boston Red Sox beat the Colorado Rockies by five runs in Game Three of the World Series. But if shortstop Julio Lugo hadn't turned in a couple of outstanding defensive plays, the outcome might have been very different. Lugo, whose defense has been a question mark since he signed with Boston as a free agent last winter and right on through the season, stifled a budding big inning with a heads-up play in the fifth. And in probably an even bigger play, Lugo robbed pinch hitter Jeff Baker of a run-producing hit in ending what already had been a two-run uprising in the sixth. On his first key play, the Rockies had runners at first and second with one out. Boston was on top, 6-0, at the time, when speedy Kaz Matsui hit a grounder in the shortstop hole. Lugo fielded the ball going to his right, and without hesitation threw to Mike Lowell, who also showed good instincts on the play by going back to the third-base bag. Lowell caught the ball a split-second before the Rockies' baserunner arrived for the putout, defusing Colorado's rally. ''That was the easiest play to make,'' said Lugo of his throw to third. ''I didn't know if I could make a play at first, and I didn't think I could go to second. Mikey and I had good communication from playing together.'' Lugo's next chance to star on defense came in the sixth. The Rockies already had pushed across two runs, narrowing their deficit to 6-2. They had runners at first and second with two outs when Baker scalded a liner to shortstop, a sizzling shot that seemed destined to land safely in the outfield for at least an RBI single if not a two-run double. But Lugo, listed at 6-foot-1, showed some serious ''ups'' in going after the ball. He managed to snare it in the web of his glove, preserving the Sox' four-run lead. ''I knew he hit it well,'' said Lugo. ''When I jumped I didn't know if I could get it. If it was a little higher, I probably wouldn't have caught it.'' Lowell, for one, wasn't sure if Lugo would be able to make the catch. And when he did, the third baseman was ecstatic. ''I think that play might go overlooked. It might have changed the game,'' said Lowell, noting that only one inning later the Rockies closed to within one run, at 6-5. ''When he jumped, I didn't think he had a chance. The ball was rising. But when he caught it, we were pumped up after that,'' he said.
Posted by Steven Krasner POSTGAME: Lester goes for the clincherBY SEAN McADAM DENVER -- the fact that Jon Lester is pitching at all is something of a miracle. The fact that the cancer survivor will be on the mound for a potential World Series clincher is beyond belief. ''It's going to be fun,'' said Lester after the Red Sox' 10-5 victory last night, giving them a 3-and-0 lead. ''There's going to be a lot of excitement. I'll just try to take a deep breath and enjoy it.'' Lester wouldn't have started any game -- much less the potential clincher -- had Tim Wakefield been healthy. But when Wakefield's shoulder became a problem, Lester was named the Game Four starter before the Series began. ''My approach is going to be the same,'' he said. ''(I"ll take it) one pitch at a time, one hitter at a time, one out at a time. Obviously, there's going to be some nerves. But you have get control of your emotions.'' It's been quite a journey for Lester since being diagnosed with non-Hodgkins Lymphoma 14 months ago. Now, he can help the Sox win their second title in four seasons. ''It's nice,'' he said of the opportunity. ''It's nice to get the nod. It's nice the team has faith in me. But I'm not going to go out and try to pitch a perfect game. I just want to battle and give my a team a chance to win.''
Posted by Sean McAdam POSTGAME: Sean McAdam -- Rockies' best shot isn't good enough to stop resilient, rampaging SoxBY SEAN McADAM DENVER – There comes a time in every postseason series when a team is tested, when a team has to decide what it’s made of. For the Red Sox, that point came somewhere between the bottom of the seventh and the top of the eighth in Game Three of the World Series. In the bottom of the sixth, the Red Sox held a commanding 6-0 lead and had outscored the Colorado Rockies 21-2 at that point. Another lopsided win seemed certain and a World Series sweep seemed imminent. Then it got interesting. The Rockies worked two walks off Daisuke Matsuzaka and Javier Lopez allowed both inherited baserunners to score. In the seventh, Mike Timlin yielded two singles to start the inning and the Sox turned to Hideki Okajima, who had retired all seven hitters in Game Two – four by strikeout. But Okajima’s first pitch to Matt Holliday – the Rockies’ Game Two baserunning goat – was drilled some 430 feet to straightaway center. Suddenly, the Series outcome wasn’t assured after all. Suddenly, the Red Sox' command of the Series seemed legitimately threatened. If the Rockies, trailing by six, could steal this one, then maybe, just maybe, the World Series could get interesting after all. Coors Field came alive. Rockies fans came to life and waved their white rally towels. The energy was palpable. These were the Rockies, remember, who had won 21-of-22 before walking into the Fenway buzz saw Wednesday night. These were the same Rockies who had been down to their final strike in the National League play-in game against the San Diego Padres. In extra innings. Against baseball’s all-time save leader. So the Rockies – and their fans – don’t scare easily. Not this month, anyway. When Todd Helton followed with a single, the Rockies had the potential tying run on base and the potential winning run at the plate with no out. Then, just as quickly as the Series had turned away from the Red Sox, it turned back. Okajima dug in and struck out the next two hitters and got the final out of the inning on a comebacker. ''At that point,'' said Timlin, ''you just have to minimize the damage. I thought we did that. The more innings you win, the easier it is to come up big in the end.'' As if to make their point clear, the Red Sox responded by tacking on three more runs in the top of the eighth on an RBI double by Jacoby Ellsbury and a two-run double from Dustin Pedroia. Colorado’s last best chance to get back into the Series had come in the span of a few hitters, and before they could fully capitalize on it, disappeared just as rapidly. They were back in it, and then, in the span of a few hitters, they were out again, mere fodder for the Red Sox, on their way to their sixth straight postseason victory. ''That’s the resiliency of this team,'' said Kevin Youkilis. ''We do what we have to do and we did a real good job of that tonight.'' End of story, and in all likelihood, end of Series. In a way, Game Three was a perfect microcosm of their season. During the year, the Red Sox led comfortably. In the final weeks of the season, finally put to the test by the late-charging Yankees, the Sox steadied themselves and hung on to win their first division in 12 years. The World Series has been more of the same. An easy win in Game One, a nail-biting victory in Game Two, and finally, as things seemed guaranteed, a challenge put forth, one which the Red Sox capably answered. ''We knew this wasn’t going to be easy,'' said Julio Lugo. ''We knew they weren’t going to give it to us – we’ve got to take it from them. We’ve got a lot of heart and a lot of talent.'' They can wrap up their second World Series in four years tonight. They can extend their World Series winning streak to eight straight. They can make it look easy and enjoy yet another sweep of the National League champs, just the way they did in 2004. It will look easy on paper. The scores will show the Red Sox reaching double figures in runs at least twice on their way to victory. But what the line scores and game results won’t show is how the Red Sox took the Rockies best punch and didn’t buckle, how the Red Sox could have lost control of the Series and didn’t, how the Sox responded like champions. That’s a title the Sox can’t officially claim until tonight at earliest, but one they might have earned last night, sometime between the bottom of the seventh inning, when the Rockies took their best shot, and the top of the eighth, when the Red Sox answered in kind.
Posted by Sean McAdam POSTGAME: More from Manny RamirezOn the Sox' string of six straight postseason victories since Boston was one game from elimination, trailing Cleveland, 3-1, in the ALCS On the contributions of rookies Jacoby Ellsbury and Dustin Pedroia -- STEVEN KRASNER
Posted by Steven Krasner POSTGAME: Postgame notes from MLBGOING UP 3-0: In World Series play, 22 teams have taken a 3-0 lead, with all 22 winning the series. Of the 22, 19 have been victorious in four games. Three teams forced a Game Five after falling behind 0-3 (1970 Cincinnati vs. Baltimore, loss in 5; 1937 Giants vs. Yankees, loss in 5; 1910 Cubs vs. Philadelphia, loss in 5). -- DAISUKE MATSUZAKA: DAISUKE MATSUZAKA became the first rookie starting pitcher to win a World Series game since ANTHONY REYES for St. Louis defeated Detroit in Game One of the 2006 Series, 7-2, on Oct. 21, 2006. Pitching line: 5.1 ip, 3 h, 2 r-er, 3 bb, 5 so, 1 hp…101 pitches/66 strikes. -- JACOBY ELLSBURY collected four hits, the second straight game a player has recorded 4 hits in this World Series (MATT HOLLIDAY in Game 2). It is the third time a rookie has 4 hits in a game in World Series play, joining FRED LINDSTROM (1924 Game Five for New York Giants) and JOE GARIGIOLA (1946 Game Four for St. Louis). Ellsbury totaled 3 doubles, tied for 2nd most ever in a World Series game, behind FRANK ISBELL (CWS), October 13, 1906. -- DUSTIN PEDROIA collected 3 hits tonight and has 17 for this postseason, 5th most hits ever by a rookie in a single postseason, one behind HIDEKI MATSUI (2003 New York) and MIGUEL CABRERA (2003 Florida). DEREK JETER (1996 NYY) holds the record with 22. ELLSBURY and PEDROIA are the first pair of rookies in World Series history to each collect at least three hits in the same Fall Classic game. MANY PITCHERS: The two teams established a World Series record by using 12 pitchers in a 9-inning game, one more than the previous mark, done on six occasions, last by St. Louis-Boston on Oct. 23, 2004. The Red Sox tied a World Series record by using 6 pitchers, most by a winning club in a World Series game, previously done by Cincinnati against Oakland, Oct. 20, 1972. MORE BIG INNINGS: With another 3-run inning tonight in the 8th inning, Boston has totaled 16 3-run innings this postseason and 4 in the first 3 games of this series. MANY RUNS: With 25 runs in this series, the Red Sox have matched the 2nd-highest total for runs scored in the first 3 games of a World Series. In 1911, Philadelphia scored 25 runs in 3 games, while the 1960 Yankees scored 30 runs, most ever in 3 games. The Red Sox have outscored the Rockies 25-7 in this series. COMEBACKS: Only twice in World Series play has a team come back from a 6-run deficit to win…Tonight the Rockies were down 6-0 to the Red Sox after 5.0 innings, before pulling as close to 6-5 after 7 innings…Teams to rally from a six or more run deficit to win a World Series game. Team/Game Deficit/Opposing Team Result SHORTS: MATT HOLLIDAY hit his 1st home run of the World Series, his 5th postseason home run, a 3-run blast in the 7th inning. The home run traveled an estimated 437 feet, the first of the series for Colorado . . . JONATHAN PAPELBON recorded his 2nd World Series save. He has 9.0 scoreless innings this postseason . . . TROY TULOWITZKI snapped an 0-for-5 stretch with a 7th inning single . . . Tonight was the longest 9.0-inning World Series game, eclipsing the mark of 4:14, Oct. 20, 1993 at Philadelphia (Game Four).
Posted by Art Martone POSTGAME: Hurdle says top of Red Sox order is topsBY JIM DONALDSON DENVER -- The 1-2 punch of Red Sox rookies Jacoby Ellsbury and Dustin Pedroia had the Rockies reeling in Game Three. ''It was off the charts,'' Colorado manager Clint Hurdle said. ''They're setting the table as well as you could ever want. They put us in some very difficult positions when you get into the middle of the order. They're getting the job done. They've been doing a fantastic job at the top of the order. We've got to find a way to slow them down.'' The speedy Ellsbury, batting leadoff for the first time in the postseason, was 4-for-5, with three doubles. He got Boston's six-run third inning started with a double to left field, then doubled again later in the inning, as the Sox sent 11 men to the plate. He picked up an RBI with that second double, and then drove in another run in the eighth, when he hit his third double of the game. He later scored, giving him two runs and two RBI. Pedroia also was productive at the plate, going 3-for-5, with two RBI, and a run scored.
Posted by Jim Donaldson POSTGAME: Let them eat cake? Not yetBY STEVEN KRASNER DENVER -- The Sox may be up, 3-0, against Colorado, putting them on the verge of capturing their second World Series crown in four years. But Manny Ramirez says it's a tad early to be celebrating. ''You don't want to eat your cake before your birthday,'' said Ramirez after the Sox' 10-5 Game Three triumph over the Rockies at Coors Field. ''We have to win one more,'' added the sudden loquacious left fielder. ''It feels great (being up, 3-0), but you have to win four games.''
Posted by Steven Krasner FINAL: Red Sox 10, Rockies 5By JOE McDONALD DENVER -- Now it's down to one. The Red Sox dispatched the Rockies again Saturday night with a 10-5 victory in Game Three of the 2007 World Series. Boston can win its second championship in the last four seasons with a win in Game Four Sunday night at Coors Field. Jon Lester will start for the Red Sox against the Rockies' Aaron Cook. Red Sox rookie Jacoby Ellsbury stared for Boston Saturday night with an impressive 4-for-5 performance, including 3 doubles, 2 RBI and 2 runs scored. Fellow rookie Dustin Pedroia added three hits and two RBI. Red Sox starter Daisuke Matsuzaka worked 5 1/3 innings and allowed two runs on three hits to earn the victory. Oh, how momentum can change. After the Red Sox scored six runs in the top of the third inning, everyone in Red Sox Nation were sending text messages to their friends probably celebrating a World Series championship. But, as one Rockies employee said in the press box here tonight in the bottom of the seventh inning: ''Hold the phone!'' Colorado began to chip away at the Sox' massive advantage and by the end of the inning, its deficit was down to one, 6-5. Fortunately for the Red Sox, Ellsbury provided an RBI-double and Pedroia contributed his two-run double in the top of the eighth inning to give Boston a 9-5 lead. Just for good measure, the Red Sox pushed across one run in the top of the ninth for a 10-5 mark. Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon recorded the final four outs en route to victory.
Posted by Joe McDonald INSIDE THE GAME BY STEVEN KRASNER: Late-game update
Or maybe it was just a case of throwing an 88-mph fastball thigh-high down the middle of the plate to an MVP candidate that was the difference. Whatever it was, Okajima struggled badly, though the Sox still had a lead – at 6-5 – when he finally finished the seventh. The left-hander, who had retired all seven batters he faced, punching out four of them, was tagged for a three-run homer by MVP candidate Matt Holliday that narrowed Boston’s lead to 6-5. It was his first pitch of the game after having been called in with two on and none out in the seventh, replacing Mike Timlin. And he labored after Holliday’s homer, a rocket to dead center. Okajima served up a single to Todd Helton and then, while he fanned Garrett Atkins and Brad Hawpe and set down Yorvit Torrealba on a comebacker, preserving the one-run advantage, it was by no means a breeze. Okajima, who was dominant in throwing 28 pitches Thursday night, threw 28 pitches last night in the seventh. He was replaced by Manny Delcarmen to start the eighth. Boston, fueled by the pesky hitters in their lineup – Julio Lugo (walk), Coco Crisp (single), Jacoby Ellsbury (RBI double) and Dustin Pedroia (two-run double) – got those three runs back in a hurry in the eighth, and suddenly the Red Sox were on top by four runs again, at 9-5. * * * * Part of the reason was the plate umpire, Ted Barrett, who featured a wide strike zone. That turned some Dice-K pitches just off the plate into strikes. Also working in his favor was the fact the Rockies had never seen him. And while that factor didn’t stop the Angels from driving up his pitch count and knocking him out in the fifth in an ALDS start, Colorado hitters were unable to do the same early on. Dice-K had trouble putting away the Rockies in the fourth, with a seven-pitch at-bat for Matt Holliday and a 12-pitch at-bat for Todd Helton. But he won them both, on a groundout and a whiff, respectively. The Matsuzaka-Helton matchup was a classic. Dice-K’s first 11 pitches were either fastballs (93-94 mph) or sliders. Helton fouled off four pitches after a 3 and 2 count, three fastballs and a slider. Then Dice-K went to a curveball (82 mph) and froze Helton with the backdoor breaking ball for a whiff. Helton and Matsuzaka hooked up for an eight-pitch battle in the sixth. Helton won this one, drawing a walk. And when Dice-K then walked Garrett Atkins on four pitches, he was done, having thrown 101 pitches. He left with a 6-0 lead, replaced by Javier Lopez. * * * * The humidor the Rockies now use is supposed to counteract the effect of the altitude on baseballs, keeping them from flying out of the ballpark on seemingly every well hit ball in the air. But J.D. Drew launched a typical Coors Field double to left-center in the fifth. He drilled a fly ball to left-center, part of the spacious outfield in the ballpark. And while it was clear the ball was going to land safely, it seemed to take off with some after-burners while in the air. It traveled all the way to the base of the fence for a double. * * * * But the Red Sox shortstop made an outstanding mental and physical play in the fifth, helping to short-circuit a budding Colorado rally. The Rockies had runners at first and second with one out, and for the first time all night Matsuzaka seemed to be laboring, possibly feeling the effects of the mile-high atmosphere. Kaz Matsui hit a grounder deep in the shortstop hole. Lugo fielded the ball. He knew he had no play at second, nor did he have one at first. In his mind it was clear when he fielded the ball that he was going to throw to third for a forceout, given the other options weren’t viable. So he quickly zipped a throw to third baseman Mike Lowell, nipping the baseunner by an eyelash for the out. Instead of the bases loaded with one out, Colorado had first and second with two outs, and inning fizzled when the next batter, Troy Tulowitzki, popped out to Lugo. Lowell deserved credit for the key forceout, too. After taking a step toward the grounder, he realized he had no play on it and quickly retreated to third, making himself an option for Lugo. Lugo made his defensive presence felt again in the sixth, robbing pinch hitter Jeff Baker of an RBI base hit with a leaping grab of Baker’s liner with runners at first and second and two outs and Boston on top, 6-2. * * * * They made the plan work. The Sox had a 6-0 lead heading into the bottom of the sixth. Ortiz struck out, ending the top of the sixth, and Youkilis trotted out to play first in the bottom of the inning. Big Papi went 1 for 4, an RBI double in the six-run third, and rested his troublesome right knee for the last four innings. While the plan looked great for Boston in the sixth, one inning later, they had reliever Hideki Okajima and slumping Coco Crisp in the batting order, with Ortiz and Drew on the bench. Drew had come out in a double switch when Okajima was called in to pitch in the seventh. * * * * That’s what the Rockies and their fans had to be saying when pinch hitter Ryan Spilborghs’s long fly to dead center was hauled in by Jacoby Ellsbury with his back to the wall at the 415-foot marker. In the pre-humidor days the ball might have flown several more feet, which would have made it a three-run homer, slicing the Sox’ lead to 6-5. Instead, it was just a long out, and Colorado didn’t score any more runs in the inning.
Posted by Art Martone Photo: Holliday's homer
Posted by Rich Lee October 27, 2007
IN-GAME NOTES: From MLB-- First pitch: 6:36 p.m., Temperature: 45 degrees. -- Since 1982, tonight’s game-time temperature of 45 is tied for the 5th coldest in World Series play, with Game 2 of the 2005 World Series at Chicago. -- JACOBY ELLSBURY and DUSTIN PEDROIA started tonight’s game in the top -- Ellsbury is the first rookie to hit lead off for a World Series game since TIMO PEREZ led off for the Mets in Game 4 of the 2000 World Series, Oct. 25, against the Yankees. -- The Red Sox totaled 6 runs in the 3rd inning, the 3rd time in this World Series the team has scored at least 3 runs in an inning, also recording 3 in the 1st and 7 in the 5th of Game One. In 13 games this postseason, the Red Sox have scored 3 runs in an inning 15 times. The Red Sox have batted around 6 times this postseason, twice in the World Series. -- JACOBY ELLSBURY hit 2 doubles in the 3rd inning, becoming the 2nd player in World Series history to collect 2 doubles in an inning. He joins MATT WILLIAMS (Ari.), Nov. 3, 2001 (3rd inning) as the only to do so in history. With 3 hits, Ellsbury becomes the first rookie to record a multi-hit game since Chicago’s TADAHITO IGUCHI on Oct. 25, 2005 against Houston (Game 3). -- DUSTIN PEDROIA scored his 12th run of this postseason in the 3rd inning, tying DEREK JETER (1996) for most runs by a rookie in a single postseason. -- DAISUKE MATSUZAKA retired eight straight batters after hitting GARRETT ATKINS with a pitch to lead of the 2nd inning. -- DAISUKE MATSUZAKA recorded his first major league hit in the 3rd inning, becoming the first pitcher to record a hit in a World Series game since JEFF SUPPAN (STL) recorded a hit in Game Three of the 2004 World Series (10/26/04). He’s the first Red Sox pitcher to get a hit in World Series play since BILL LEE in Game Seven of the 1975 World Series. -- J.D. DREW has hit safely in each of his last 9 postseason games. -- JOSH FOGG did not make it through the 3rd inning, surrendering six runs, his most allowed in a single start since giving up 8 on Aug. 22…His pitching line: 2.2 ip, 10 h, 6 r-er, 2 bb (1 ibb), 2 so…Threw 67 pitches/37 strikes…Fogg is the first starting pitcher to surrender 10 hits in less than 3 innings since ANDY ASHBY gave up 10 hits in 2.2 innings (7 r, 4 er) in a 9-3 loss at San Diego in Game Two (Oct. 18) of the 1998 World Series…The last pitcher to give up 10 hits was New York’s JAY WITASICK (in 1.1 relief innings) in Game Six of the 2001 World Series against Arizona (Nov. 3). -- FRANKLIN MORALES worked 2.1 scoreless innings in relief, surrendering just one hit, his second relief outing of this series. His pitching line: 2.1 ip, 1 h, 1 so…Threw 35 pitches/23 strikes.
Posted by Art Martone IN-GAME UPDATE: Ronan's the bestBY JIM DONALDSON DENVER -- With all due respect to the vocalists who have sung ''God Bless America" in the middle of the seventh inning in the first three games of this World Series, no one comes close to holding a candle -- or a high note, for that matter -- to Ronan Tynan. If you've never heard him perform at Yankee Stadium, you've missed one of the great thrills in sports.
Posted by Jim Donaldson IN-GAME UPDATE: For stat geeks onlyBY JIM DONALDSON DENVER -- If we exclude Colorado left fielder Matt Holliday's 4-for-4 performance at the plate in Game Two, then catcher Yorvit Torrealba's single, leading off the bottom of the fifth, ended a string dating back to the sixth inning of Game One in which all other Rockies hitters were a combined 3-for-49.
Posted by Jim Donaldson IN-GAME UPDATE: Dice-K pitching as well as he's hitting
DENVER -- Through four innings of Game Three, Daisuke Matsuzaka has gotten as many hits as he's allowed. Dice-K had a two-run single (with two outs and the bases loaded) in a six-run third inning for the Red Sox. The way he's going, he may not need that much run support. Other than a leadoff single by his Japanese countryman, Kaz Matsui, in the bottom of the first, Matsuzaka hasn't given up another base hit. Colorado third baseman Garrett Atkins was hit by a pitch in the second and walked in the fourth. He is the only other Rockies player to reach base (although a couple of others were on the basepaths, following a fielder's choice.)
Posted by Jim Donaldson IN-GAME UPDATE: Spacemen can hit, too
DENVER -- Daisuke Matsuzaka's two-run, two-out single with the bases loaded in the top of the third inning was the first base hit in a World Series by a Red Sox pitcher since Game Seven of the 1975 World Series against the Cincinnati Reds -- a span of 32 years. Dice-K helped himself considerably by upping Boston's lead to 5-0. When Colorado starter Josh Fogg then gave up a run-scoring double to Jacoby Ellsbury -- the rookie's second of the inning, tying a World Series record -- Franklin Morales came on in relief. Fogg left the game having given up 10 hits and six runs in just 2-2/3 innings, walking two and striking out two. The pitcher who had gotten the hit in 1975? Bill Lee
Posted by Jim Donaldson INSIDE THE GAME BY STEVEN KRASNER: The early innings
The reconfigured top of the order, even with Kevin Youkilis on the bench because David Ortiz is playing first with the pitcher in the batting order in the National League park, produced as the Sox were hoping. Jacoby Ellsbury was moved to the leadoff spot with Dustin Pedroia dropped to number two in Youkilis’s absence, partly because of his speed. And Ellsbury showed off that speed, leading off with a swinging-bunt single down the third-base line. Pedroia followed with an infield single to deep short, with Ellsbury taking away the possibility of a force at second, thanks to his speed. The uprising fell flat after that. Ortiz waved and missed an 84-mph pitch on the outside for a strikeout. Ortiz looked to be more upright in his stance, no doubt trying to take the pressure off his balky right knee, making it difficult for him to stay on the pitch and drive it to the opposite field. Manny Ramirez flied to left and Mike Lowell lined to center, so the Sox came up empty in their golden opportunity to take a lead and take the sellout crowd out of the game to some degree. That Houdini-like escape by Colorado starter Josh Fogg was in keeping with his nickname of “Dragon Slayer,” built on his ability to beat more celebrated opposing starting pitchers. But the good news in the inning from the Sox’ point of view was that it took 27 pitchers for Fogg to get out of the inning, no surprise because Fogg doesn’t have overpowering stuff, so he nibbles at the corners. And Boston’s hitters have a deserved reputation for grinding out at-bats, boosting the pitcher’s pitch count early and forcing the opposition into its bullpen before it really wants to make a call to the relief corps because middle relief is every team’s Achilles’ heel. The first inning turned out to be a foreshadowing of things to come – with much better results – in the third. Once again Ellsbury was leading off. And while the Sox weren’t as patient as usual (three one-pitch at-at, all base hits), they scraped together seven hits for six runs and a commanding 6-0 lead, with even Daisuke Matsuzaka getting into the act with a two-out, two-run single through the left side. Ellsbury’s speed produced a leadoff first-pitch single blooped down the left-field line, and when Pedroia beat out his sacrifice-bunt attempt, the Sox had runners at the corners. Fogg tried to surprise Ortiz with an inside fastball on his first pitch, and Ortiz was able to turn on it for a run-scoring double into the right-field corner. That lit the Sox’ fuse. Fogg didn’t make it out of the inning and the Sox were in the driver’s seat for a Game Three victory and a 3-0 Series lead. * * * With the Sox up, 3-0, he waved home Manny Ramirez on Jason Varitek’s single to left. The decision seemed questionable when Ramirez was gunned down by left fielder Matt Holliday. His throw was to the first-base side of the plate, but catcher Yorvit Torrealba had enough time to catch the ball, race back to the plate and make a diving tag on a sliding Ramirez. It was a close call, but a correct one by plate umpire Ted Barrett even though Manny and manager Terry Francona questioned the call. Had Hale not sent Ramirez the Sox would have had the bases filled with one out. Of course, it didn’t matter much as the inning played out and Boston kept scoring. * * * The right-hander helped himself out in the first inning. With a runner at second and one out, the Rockies’ Matt Holliday hit a sharp bouncer to the shortstop side of the mound. Matsuzaka, who had fallen off a little to the first-base sound of the mound in his follow-through, was able to reach back and snag the ball. And his instincts were sharp. He immediately wheeled and looked back at the runner, Kaz Matsui. Matsui, thinking the ball would get past Dice-K, had taken a few steps toward third, so he was trapped off the bag. Matsuzaka then made the correct fundamental play, running right at Matsui, making him commit one way or the other. Matsui was put out in the rundown, 1-4-5, if you’re scoring at home. * * * Fogg must have heard the warning. Somehow, he wasn’t hit when the barrel of Jason Varitek’s bat shattered and sailed right at the Colorado pitcher. The bat went between Fogg’s legs and settled on the infield grass. The ball, meanwhile, rolled to the grass to shortstop. Troy Tulowitzki raced in, fielded the ball and threw out Varitek by a step. * * * Make of this what you will, but Matsuzaka fanned with a runner at second and two outs in the second, taking a weak, ugly swing for a strikeout. And on his first pitch in the bottom of the inning, he drilled Garrett Atkins on the top of the left shoulder, barely missing Atkins’ helmet.
Posted by Art Martone IN-GAME MUSING: Home-field advantage?BY JIM DONALDSON DENVER -- Is there a home-field advantage in the World Series? Not for National League teams, apparently. Going into Game Three at Coors Field, a total of 299 World Series games had been played in N.L. parks, with each league winning 149 and one game ending in a tie. By comparison, 300 World Series games have been played in A.L. parks, with the home teams holding a decided, 180-118-2 advantage.
Posted by Jim Donaldson IN-GAME TIDBIT: Ellsbury makes history
-- JOE McDONALD
Posted by Joe McDonald PREGAME: Biggio wins Roberto Clemente AwardBy JOE McDONALD DENVER -- Craig Biggio of the Houston Astros has been named the recipient of the Roberto Clemente Award for outstanding play and devoted work in the community. Major League Baseball began presenting this award in 1971, but renamed it in honor of Clemente in 1973. The legendary Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder died in a plane crash on his way to assist earthquake victims in Nicaragua on New Year's Eve 1972. Biggio became the national spokesperson for the Sunshine Kids Foundation in the early 1990s and he has helped the organization raise nearly $2.5 million for the non-profit organization dedicated to children with cancer.
Posted by Joe McDonald PREGAME: Royce reveling in SeriesBy JOE McDONALD DENVER -- He’s not on the World Series roster, but Red Sox veteran Royce Clayton is truly enjoying his time being a part of the postseason. After the Toronto Blue Jays gave him his release in August, numerous teams sought his services, including the Red Sox and Yankees. His ultimate decision to sign a minor-league deal with the Red Sox was very simple – he thought Boston had a better chance to win the World Series. His gut feeling paid off. Boston is Clayton’s 11th major-league team, the others being Colorado, San Francisco, St. Louis, Milwaukee, Washington, Arizona, Toronto, Cincinnati, Texas, and the White Sox. But prior to this year he’d never made it to baseball’s promised land. ''There’s no better feeling in the world,'' said Clayton. ''I’ve played a long time to get to this point. I’ve worked extremely hard and this is what you play for. You [don't] write the script, and if I could, I would obviously be out there playing doing my thing. It doesn’t always work out that way. I never thought I would ever say this, but I’ve found a way to enjoy this just as much. These guys have made me feel comfortable and make me feel like I lend something here. Everybody lends a little something and that’s what makes a championship ballclub.'' Because of his veteran presence in the Red Sox clubhouse, the everyday players treat him as one of their own. Case in point: When Boston clinched the ALCS by beating the Indians, Kevin Youkilis poured champagne on Clayton’s head and said ''a quarter of a century, but you made it.''
Posted by Joe McDonald PREGAME: Lineup woes for SoxBy JOE McDONALD DENVER -- Because the Red Sox lost the designated hitter now that the World Series has shifted to the National League park, manager Terry Francona had to get creative with his lineup. He had to decide whether to sit David Ortiz, Mike Lowell or Kevin Youkilis, and he chose Youkilis. Therefore, Ortiz is playing first and Lowell is at his normal third-base position. Francona said Youkilis understood the situation. So the Sox’ batting order changed due to Youkilis’ absence. Speedy outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury is now leading off, followed by Dustin Pedroia and Ortiz. Francona said he thought about putting Coco Crisp back into the lineup, but because he’s been struggling offensively, and Ellsbury has contributed, the manager thought it best to go in this direction. ''We’re hoping he’ll give us a guy who gets on base a bunch of times tonight, and maybe a couple of stolen bases and runs scored,'' he said. ''You don’t know until the game is over. The feeling was, though, to break up (Ellsbury) and Ortiz to not have back-to-back left-handed hitters. Since Youkilis isn’t playing, we’d like Pedroia to hit second.'' It’s not like Youkilis won’t play, because if the Red Sox do gain a decent lead, he will likely be inserted for defensive purposes. Plus that will give Ortiz a chance to take it easy on his ailing knee. Francona has always made his dislike known for losing the DH during spring-training games and interleague play. ''I'd rather have a DH,'' he said. ''And some of that is not just because of the game, it's just because we're set up that way. We have a very special guy in David Ortiz, so some of it is personal wanting us to win. It's not just the rules of the game.'' When asked about it further, Francona quipped: ''I can't call the commissioner and tell him Youk is a good player and a good kid, and he should play. It doesn't work like that.''
Posted by Joe McDonald PREGAME: Rockies seeking 'an edge'BY STEVEN KRASNER DENVER -- Colorado manager Clint Hurdle, while acknowledging that center fielder Willy Taveras isn't the only member of the Rockies who has struggled in the World Series, said that Cory Sullivan, his replacement in center, brings something extra to the lineup. ''He plays with an edge and he plays to win,'' said Hurdle of Sullivan, who has had only three at-bats (1-for-3) in the postseason after batting .286 with 2 homers and 14 RBI in 72 games during the regular season. ''His offensive game was rebuilt a little bit this year. He became a lot more disciplined hitter. He opened up the other field and had some gap power, and if he gets on base, he can sneak (steal) a base. I just wanted to mix it up a little bit and give him some playing time,'' said Hurdle.
Posted by Steven Krasner PREGAME: Cook a survivor, tooBy STEVEN KRASNER DENVER -- The spotlight Sunday, and with good reason, will fall on Boston pitcher Jon Lester when he starts Game Four of the World Series. Lester, as everyone who follows the Red Sox knows, is a cancer survivor. A year ago at this time he was being treated for anaplastic large cell lymphoma and baseball was on the back burner of his young life. But Lester is not the only starting pitcher tonight who has been confronted with a life-threatening issue. Colorado's starter is Aaron Cook, a left-hander who underwent surgery for blood clots on both lungs, which were discovered during the 2004 season. The left-hander bounced back, going 7-2 for the Rockies in 2005, returning to action about a year after the clots had been discovered. Cook's comeback earned him the Boston baseball writers' Tony Conigliaro Award at their annual dinner in January, 2006, an award given to a "major league player who has overcome adversity through the attributes of spirit, determination and courage." The Lester-Cook matchup goes beyond your basic pitcher-versus-pitcher matchup, said Colorado manager Clint Hurdle this afternoon. It's almost spiritual in its nature and timing. ''I think this game (of baseball) drips with irony at different times for different reasons,'' said Hurdle. Cook agreed. ''It is kind of ironic, with him going through what he went through and what I went through, both of us working our way back up to the top level of professional baseball," Cook said Saturday afternoon. ''It's tough enough to get here and what we've been through, just to keep our focus, keep our faith . . . I'm sure he realizes, too, without me talking to him, that baseball is not the most important thing in the world. You're able to relax, put it in perspective, play it like a game and have fun, and I'm sure that's what he's been able to do, too,'' said Cook. Hurdle, though, is not starting Cook because it's a feel-good story. ''Once we gave him the assignment, sentimentality didn't come into play. I had to stay removed from that. We want to do the right things for the right reason at the right time,'' said Hurdle. The right reason, of course, is that Hurdle and his staff feel that starting Cook gives them their best chance to win Game Four. But to some degree, neither the Rockies nor Cook know what to expect from Cook when he takes the mound. Cook hasn't made a start in the big leagues since Aug. 10, when a strained oblique sent him to the disabled list. He reinjured it during a rehab assignment, and has been trying to round back into form through Instructional League work and simulated games against the Rockies. ''Our lineup is pretty good, so I've been fortunate to face those guys,'' said Cook, who was 8-7 with a 4.12 earned-run average before the injury. ''I think I've had three simulated games. I feel pretty comfortable with where I'm at. (Game Four) will be the real test. It's the biggest stage.'' One Colorado concern is that Cook, a sinkerballer, might be too strong for the start. Traditionally, sinkerball pitchers are most effective when tired, which results in better sink on the ball instead of powering the ball through the strike zone, which might leave the ball up. ''It's true. I think sometimes a sinkerball pitcher can be too strong,'' said Cook. ''The way I'm going to try to guard against that is just go out there and try to be as calm as possible and just worry about executing pitches, which I was able to do up until the time I got hurt and not really worry about throwing the ball by guys because I know I'm going to feel strong. I have to throw it and let the 'sink' take over.'' That issue certainly pales in comparison to the life-scare he endured because of the blood clots. While he may be stronger than normal with his fastball, it is his inner strength that now fuels him even more than in the past, he said. ''A lot of my strength comes from my faith in God,'' said Cook. ''I grew up in church. I believe that God has a plan for us all. There's a verse in the Bible that says, 'Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds because testing of your faith develops perseverence.' That's one verse I really held onto. ''You can't really become the person you're supposed to be until you deal with something, and you never know how you deal with it until you go through it,'' said Cook. Cook clearly has persevered away from the field, surviving his serious health scare, and Sunday he'll be trying to help his teammates persevere against the difficult Red Sox' lineup.
Posted by Steven Krasner PREGAME: Red Sox are from Boston, not MarsBy JOE McDONALD DENVER -- The outfield at Coors Field is very expansive. Obviously the ballpark here doesn’t have the same kind of quirks as Fenway Park, but Red Sox manager Terry Francona feels the club’s outfielders are prepared to cover a lot of real estate. ''It’s Denver, not Mars,'' Francona said. ''It would be a problem if we didn’t have guys who could run.'' Red Sox slugger Manny Ramirez is a lot better defensively in left field than some fans give him credit for. Both speedy center fielders Jacoby Ellsbury, who is starting again tonight, and Coco Crisp can track anything down. Right fielder J.D. Drew is very solid defensively and also covers a lot of ground. Center fielder at Coors is 415 feet, while it’s 350 down the right-field line and 347 to the left-field corner. Francona said this afternoon the Red Sox plan on sticking with the scouting reports on each Colorado hitter, and won’t change the outfielders’ positions.
Posted by Joe McDonald PREGAME: Rockies are rugged at homeBY JIM DONALDSON DENVER -- Since July 1, the Rockies have lost three games in a row just once -- from Sept. 13 thru 15, when they lost at Philadelphia, and then two straight at home to the Marlins. It's not often that the Rockies lose at Coors Field. They are 3-0 here in the postseason going into Game Three of the World Series and, beginning with a win over the Mets on July 2, they are 42-15 at home -- a winning percentage of .737. They have won six in a row in Coors Field, and 11 of their last 12. The last time Colorado lost three straight games to the same team was June 25-27, when they dropped three in a row to the Cubs at Wrigley Field.
Posted by Jim Donaldson PREGAME: Odds long for RockiesBY STEVEN KRASNER DENVER -- Colorado is the 51st team to lose the first two games of a World Series. Of those previous teams, only 11 have rallied and won the Series, though 28 of those teams did win Game Three.
Posted by Steven Krasner PREGAME: Rockies make lineup switchBY STEVEN KRASNER DENVER -- In an effort to jump-star his offense, Colorado manager Clint Hurdle has made a few lineup changes for tonight's Game Three. Hurdle has pushed second baseman Kaz Matsui up to the leadoff spot from his number two slot in the batting order and brought hot-hitting shortstop Troy Tulowitzki (.400 against Boston) up to second from seventh, where he batted in the first two World Series games. Those changes forced out Willy Taveras not only from the leadoff spot, but from a start in center field. Taveras is batting only .120 and has an on-base percentage of .214 in the postseason. He also has fanned 10 times. Taveras is being replaced in center field by Cory Sullivan Taveras had missed the final 21 games of the regular season because of a quadriceps injury. His absence caused Hurdle to put Tuolowitzki in the number two stop with Matsui leading off, and the Rockies went 17-1 with that lineup. Taveras returned to the lineup in the NLCS. Hurdle has felt the need to shake up his lineup because the Rockies, who led the National League in hitting during the regular season, batted only .180 (11-for-61) over the first two games of the Series. And with Colorado down, 2-0, in the Series, there's no time like the present, he figured, to make some changes.
Posted by Steven Krasner Starting Lineups, Game 3, World SeriesBOSTON Ellsbury cf COLORADO Matsui 2b -- Steven Krasner
Posted by Steven Krasner October 26, 2007
WORKOUT DAY: Dice-K readyBY JOE McDONALD DENVER -- Red Sox pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka hasn't had the best of luck during his first major-league postseason, but the Japanese right-hander will get another chance in Game Three on Saturday. Dice-K played catch and took batting practice today and said he'll be ready to go on Saturday. ''I was feeling things out,'' he said. ''I felt like I might have to work a littel harder on my command while I'm here, and the one thing that I want to be particularly careful about is leaving the breaking ball up." His last outing in Game Seven of the ALCS against the Indians, Matsuzaka began to come around when he worked five innings and allowed two runs on six hits with no walks and three strikeouts. He said he feels like he can build off that momentum and carry into Saturday against the Rockies. ''It is a different lineup," he said. ''But I know they are a very aggressive lineup throughout. Even though I know that, I'd like to go in there and pitch without hesitation, throw strikes and get outs." Matsuzaka did not face the Rockies during the three-game series at Fenway Park in June, so Colorado has been watching plenty of video. "He has an elaborate mix of pitches," said Rockies manager Clint Hurdle. "We have five on the record. He challenges the strike zone . . . I think we can put some pressure on him, maybe get him into some offensive counts. When we get opportunities to score we need to capitalize on those. We've seen all the tape we need to see, and now we need to see him in person." If he's able to keep the Rockies' offense at bay just like Josh Beckett and Curt Schilling have been able to do, then the Red Sox could find themselves one victory away from sweeping the series with Jon Lester scheduled to pitch Game Four on Sunday.
Posted by Joe McDonald WORKOUT DAY: Mile High, baby!BY JOE McDONALD DENVER -- Playing at Coors Field definitely presents some interesting issues for opposing pitchers. Because Denver is a mile above sea level, the air is thin and that can do some crazy things to the baseball. Former Red Sox pitcher Bronson Arroyo, now with the Reds, has pitched here before and knows exactly what kind of obstacles the Boston staff faces. ''Ever since they put the balls in the humidor they say it’s been pretty fair,'' said Arroyo. ''The pitchers might notice it a little bit on their breaking balls, obviously the air is really thin and they say the ball doesn’t move quite as much. But it’s playoff time and the weather is cold anyway, and that can do funny things to a pitcher. So, I don’t think they are going to notice it that much and I think it’ll be a pretty fair game.'' Colorado's Game Three starter, Josh Fogg, said prior to the club placing the balls in the humidor, the ball felt like a billard cue ball, very slick. The humidor was put into place to keep the baseballs within MLB's specs, and it's worked.
Posted by Joe McDonald WORKOUT DAY: Ortiz and Lowell to play, Youkilis to sit in Game ThreeBY JOE McDONALD DENVER -- Red Sox manager Terry Francona just announced that David Ortiz will play first base, and Mike Lowell will play third for Game Three at Coors Field on Saturday. That means the hot-hitting Kevin Youkilis will not start. ''David is a really good hitter. Lowell is a really good hitter. And Youk is a really good hitter, too. But, they won't let us play all three,'' said Francona. ''We hope to have a lead and put Youk in later in the game. . . We just felt this was the best thing to do. It's a difficult situation to be in, but I'm not second-guessing what we're doing.''
Posted by Joe McDonald WORKOUT DAY: Red Sox pitchers taking BPBY JOE McDONALD DENVER -- Now that the series has shifted to the National League, there's no more designated hitter. So, that means the Red Sox pitchers have to hit. Right now Boston's staff is in the cage and Josh Beckett is putting on a hitting display. Red Sox lefty Jon Lester, who will pitch Game Four on Sunday, was informed when he walked into the clubhouse earlier today that he needed to take some swings. ''For me, it’s a little nerve-racking,'' he said. ''It should be fun. I hit a little bit last year. . . I’m not expecting to go up there and drive in any runs. If I go up there and get a bunt down then I’ve done my job. I just have to concentrate on pitching and getting outs.'' Daisuke Matsuzaka, hitting right-handed, isn't exactly showing Kaz Matsui skills at the plate. Dice-K is having a lot of problems in the cage. Lester, a left-handed hitter, has a nice fluid swing.
Posted by Joe McDonald WORKOUT DAY: Farrell likely staying putBY SEAN McADAM DENVER -- The Red Sox don't want to lose John Farrell after just one season, and that now seems less likely. Farrell is almost certain to be contacted by the Pittsburgh Pirates for their vacant managerial post, given that the Pirates' new GM is Neal Huntington, who worked closely with Farrell when the two were with the Cleveland Indians. In fact, Farrell's name is beginning to circulate around the game. The New York Post reported Friday that had the Yankees extended their field of candidates to replace Joe Torre beyond the initial field of three -- Don Mattingly, Joe Girardi and Tony Pena -- they were planning to ask the Sox for permission to talk to Farrell. But it's precisely that glowing reputation that leads the Sox to believe Farrell won't be tempted to take the Pirates position if it's offered. The Pirates have suffered through 15 straight losing seasons and rebuilding into a contender will take additional time. If Farrell remains with the Red Sox, he'll gain more dugout experience and, given the team's success, gain additional exposure. Soon, it's believed, Farrell will have the opportunity to interview for more attractive jobs. That would suit the Red Sox just fine. After Farrell implemented an organization-wide pitching program, the Sox don't want to start over again after just one season. Farrell is one of the game's highest-paid pitching coaches -- with an annual salary thought to be approximately $350,000 -- and indications are the Sox would be willing to boost that some in order to convince Farrell to remain with the team.
Posted by Sean McAdam WORKOUT DAY: The art of grinding out at-batsBY STEVEN KRASNER DENVER -- The Sox' Kevin Youkilis has always been known for working the count in his at-bats, content to take his walks while showing a sharp batting eye and unusual discipline at the plate, something that has been part of his game since college. He isn't the only one on the Sox who will make the pitcher work, though. There's an art to it, said Youkilis this afternoon before Boston's optional workout at Coors Field. ''It's hard, but you have to be able to do that against the best pitchers in the league,'' said Youkilis. ''You have to be able to foul off tough pitches. You have to take pitches that are just off the plate, pitches he wants you to swing at.'' When the Sox are successful at grinding out their at-bats, which is often, the opposing starting pitcher is gone from the game relatively early and the bullpen door opens, a risky proposition early in the game for almost every team. Boston will enter Saturday night's game having won five games in a row. The opposing starting pitcher has not retired more than 18 batters in any of the games, and the pitch counts have been high for the most part. In winning the last three games against the Indians for the World Series berth, Cleveland's starting pitchers -- C.C. Sabathia (6-plus innings, 112 pitches), Fausto Carmona (2-plus, 63) and Jake Westbrook (6, 94) -- weren't able to sail through the Sox' batting order. In the two games against Colorado, the Rockies' starters weren't any more effective. Jeff Francis threw 103 pitches in 4 innings, and Ubaldo Jiminez threw 91 pitches in 4 2/3 innings.
Posted by Steven Krasner WORKOUT DAY: Biding his timeBY SEAN McADAM DENVER -- Tim Wakefield isn't on the Red Sox' 25-man roster for the World Series, but he continues to take part in workouts and is uniform and in the dugout during games. Wakefield even did played some catch in the bullpen Thursday at Fenway. ''It takes a little time to decompress,'' said Wakefield, ''and I want to be a good teammate, too.'' Wakefield is sidelined with recurring inflammation in his right shoulder, an ailment which first struck him in late August and forced him to miss a start. Had the problem come about in June or July, Wakefield said, he would have been shut down, with an eye toward getting him ready for later in the season. But with only a month to go in the regular season and the Sox still needing to clinch a playoff spot, he returned to the rotation after missing just one start. He will undergo an artrhogram after the Red Sox' season is complete and then get a strengthening program for the offseason. He's been assured by the Red Sox medical staff that a surgical procedure is ''very slim. There's nothing structurally wrong with the shoulder. (The inflammation) causes problems like internal impingement.'' The Sox have until early November to inform Wakefield whether they intend to pick up his rollover option for $4 million. Wakefield, asked whether this setback might influence the Sox' decision, responded: ''I don't think so.''
Posted by Sean McAdam WORKOUT DAY: Lowell doesn't favor changing the World Series DH ruleBY STEVEN KRASNER DENVER -- Much is being made about the fact that the Red Sox are going to have to sit a key player on the bench for the games in Coors Field in the World Series because the designated hitter is not used in the National League parks in the Fall Classic. What that means for Boston is that among vital offensive cogs David Ortiz, Kevin Youkilis and Mike Lowell, only two can start without making wholesale lineup changes and weakening the team in several positions. But Lowell, who will start at third base in Game Three at Coors Field, says he isn't necessarily in favor of making either the DH permanent in both leagues or getting rid of it altogether. ''I don't think it should be eliminated. The union wouldn't allow it because it means a (loss of) too many jobs,'' said Lowell. ''The National League teams build their teams differently. They don't go out and get a big bopper like they do in the American League. It's just a totally different philosophy in the American League. I don't think you want to use the DH one year (in the World Series) and not the next. To be honest, though, I don't think about it too much. I'd rather have an extra wild-card team than worry about the DH,'' said Lowell.
Posted by Steven Krasner WORKOUT DAY: Lowell backs DrewBY STEVEN KRASNER DENVER -- This has not been a good year for J.D. Drew, certainly not what the Sox and the fans were expecting when he was signed to a five-year, $70-million free-agent deal last offseason. But he had a solid September and has been sticking in a key base hit here and there in the postseason, one of the reasons the Red Sox find themselves two wins away from a second World Series title in four years. Veteran third baseman Mike Lowell said this afternoon he respects the fact Drew has endured the boos, hasn't changed his personality and is finishing strong. ''I never saw him throwing in the towel and not care about at-bats,'' said Lowell. ''He played great defense. I don't see (his struggles) as Boston getting to him. I don't think he changed at all. He was the same way when I played against him in St. Louis. He was the same in Atlanta and with the Dodgers. ''He's on a good run now. He's taking good swings at his pitches,'' said Lowell. ''And when you're doing those things, you get lucky sometimes, too. He's rolled over on balls a few times and the ball has gone through the hole.''
Posted by Steven Krasner Decent weather predicted for Game ThreeDENVER (AP) - The Colorado Rockies might have a hard time warming up their bats when the World Series shifts to Coors Field on Saturday night, where the weather is expected to be cool but dry for Game 3 against the Boston Red Sox. Temperatures for the first World Series game played in Colorado are expected to be in the high 30s or low 40s, with a slight breeze and no precipitation, said National Weather Service forecaster Mike Baker. "It doesn't look too bad if you have a nice jacket and keep warm," he said Friday. The forecast is particularly good news after a storm swept through the state on Sunday, dropping several inches of snow and forcing the Rockies indoors for their next-to-last workout before flying off to Boston. Game 4 on Sunday should be even better, with gametime temperatures in the upper 40s or low 50s.
Posted by Mike McDermott Epstein tells Herald he's confident Lowell will be backMike Lowell fans take heart: Theo Epstein says in today's Boston Herald that re-signing the veteran third baseman, who continued his tremendous season with an RBI double and a great base-running play that led to a critical run scored, is a priority for the Red Sox in the offseason. He goes so far as to say "I'm sure we'll be able to get something done." There has been much speculation that the Red Sox might focus their attention on outbidding other clubs for Alex Rodriguez. But Lowell, for now, is the clear fan favorite in Boston. Survey: Will Mike Lowell be a member of the Red Sox in 2008?
Posted by Mike McDermott Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: Defending their home turfClick here to listen to today's edition of projo SoxTalk with Sean McAdam. The topics: dominating bullpen performances by Hideki Okajima and Jonathan Papelbon; Mike Lowell's heads-up base-running; Ubaldo Jimenez's "effective wildness"; the weather forecast for Denver; the Ortiz-Youkilis-Lowell debate; and the National League's home-field advantage in interleague games. Following are some excerpts from Sean's comments. On Okajima and Papelbon: "Three and two-thirds innings from their two best relievers, the guys who have led the bullpen all season, to shut down a pretty good lineup like that is impressive indeed. And last night seemed to be an indication, if any more is needed, that Okajima has benefitted from that 12-day hiatus at the end of September, when the Red Sox sensed he was getting fatigued and thought it best to shut him down in anticipation of just such an appearance as last night." Lowell going from first to third on J.D. Drew's single to right: "When he hit second base, it didn't seem as if there was any way that he'd be trying to go to third on Brad Hawpe, but I think he noticed that Hawpe was taking kind of a side-saddle angle to the ball and decided to maybe surprise people. And the ironic thing there is, during the afternoon, when they brought a player from each team in to speak at the press conference, Lowell was ... jokingly asked whether in the thin air he felt any faster on the basepaths at Coors Field. And he said, 'No, I never feel fast.' But certainly last night, smart base-running made up for that speed he may have lacked." The starting lineup in Colorado: "I think a lot is going to depend on how Ortiz feels, and specifically how that right knee feels. I was a litle surprised yesterday to hear Francona say that if Ortiz can handle it, and that's by no means assured, that he would like to have him play all three games. Obvioulsy it's no surprise that you would want Ortiz's bat in there as much as possible ... but the practice has been, in road interleague games in National League cities, to rotate those three where everyone plays two games. And everyone sort of naturally assumed that [Francona] would follow that. But I think, given what's at stake here, he wants to if he can have Ortiz in there for all three. ... It looks like the decision comes down to what you do with Youkilis and Lowell, and my guess is because of Lowell's edge defensively, I would imagine that he would play two games there and Youkilis one if indeed Ortiz is OK to play all three at first."
Posted by Mike McDermott Download today's sports coverIt's all about the Red Sox' win in a suspenseful World Series Game Two. Download a copy of the page in PDF format
Posted by Mike McDermott INSIDE THE GAME: Late-inning updateBY STEVEN KRASNER BOSTON -- Jonathan Papelbon does a lot of things well. Holding runners is not one of them. The opposition runs at will against the Sox’ flame-throwing closer. But last night, Papelpon picked off a red-faced Matt Holliday in a key spot in the eighth inning with Boston clinging to a 2-1 lead. Holliday, the first batter to face Papelbon, drilled a two-out infield single that very nearly struck Papelbon and then almost resulted in injury to second baseman Dustin Pedroia, who made a diving attempt to make a play on the ball. The Rockies were desperate to get the potential tying run in scoring position. And stealing second with Papelbon on the mound generally is successful. He rarely throws over. His motion is long to the plate. He doesn’t slide-step, so as not to detract from his electric stuff. Holliday, who was 11-for-15 in stolen bases during the regular season, took a big lead and was leaning toward second as Papelbon prepared to face Todd Helton. And then Papelbon clearly surprised Holiday by throwing over to first. Holliday was a dead duck, out by the proverbial mile, tagged by first baseman Kevin Youkilis in an embarrassing base-running blunder for Holiday and a vital blow to Colorado’s chances at a comeback. * * * Leading, 2-1, Francona had left-hander Hideki Okajima and right-hander Manny Delcarmen warming up even as Curt Schilling toed the rubber for his first pitch of the sixth inning. Schilling was pitching on only four days’ rest, getting the nod in Game Two because Tim Wakefield’s sore shoulder forced him to the sidelines. The Sox would have preferred to give the 40-year-old more rest between starts. Also, it was a cold night, and Schilling had been forced to sit for three long innings in a row, even if they produced only two runs for the Sox. So, those facts, plus the rested bullpen and a day off today, prompted Francona to bring in Okajima in the sixth after Schilling was nicked for a one-out single and a walk, pushing his pitch count to 82. Generally, Okajima enters in the eighth, as Papelbon’s setup man. Or maybe in the seventh. But each out has become more precious as the postseason has gone on. And Okajima nailed down two precious ones in the sixth on a squibber to first by Garrett Atkins and then a three-pitch (curveball, fastball, splitter) strikeout of Brad Hawpe with runners at second and third, preserving the 2-1 lead. Okajima ultimately worked 2 1/3 innings, retiring all seven batters he faced, whiffing four, before handing the baton to Papelbon. * * * The left-handed hitter lined a pitch that was down and away into center field. Generally, when a hitter goes after such a pitch he rolls over on it, resulting in a grounder that is pulled. Ellsbury, though, didn’t roll over his wrists, which is one major reason he wound up with a line-drive single.
Posted by Art Martone October 25, 2007
FINAL: Red Sox 2, Rockies 1By JOE McDONALD BOSTON -- Game Two of the World Series was not a blowout like Game One, and neither the Red Sox nor Rockies expected it to be last night at Fenway Park. It’s baseball. It’s October. Anything can happen. But the second game of this seven-game set had a similar ending as the Red Sox beat the Rockies and take a two-game lead with a 2-1 victory. After Boston pummeled Colorado on Wednesday, it was clear the Red Sox had momentum, but the home-town team wasn’t about to take anything for granted. The visitors proved they can quickly forget. “Short-term memory is very important in this game,” said Rockies manager Clint Hurdle. “One of the strengths of our ballclub is the ability to honestly self-evaluate and move on.” Reflecting on the butt-whopping wouldn’t do any good for the Rockies, and the National League champions did a pretty good job keeping Wednesday’s game out of their minds in order to concentrate on the all-important Game Two. Hurdle said his club was playing so well prior to Game One’s debacle, winning 21 of their last 22 games, so last night it was very important to get back in sync if Colorado had any chance to make this a competitive series. Because the Red Sox swept the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2004 World Series, and celebrated the club’s first championship in 86 years away from Boston, it could have been easy for some to think this season would be much of the same due to the 13-1 drubbing the Red Sox handed the Rockies in the first game. “We’re not concerned public opinion outside the clubhouse,” said Hurdle. “That doesn’t mean we don’t respect it, but we don’t give it any power. We don’t give it any energy. We know what we need to do to win ballgames.” Hurdle and his club wasn’t about to make any excuses. They weren’t blaming their sub-par performance on the nine-day rest, especially since Red Sox ace Josh Beckett was so dominant. But the Rockies needed to win last night, probably more so than Game One just because heading to Colorado, trailing by two games, isn’t exactly how the Rockies drew this one up. The Cardinals certainly learned that in ’04 as Boston completely dominated. On the opposite side, this is what Red Sox veteran Curt Schilling lives and breaths for as pitching in October makes his postseason legend grow every time he toes the rubber in the fall. The one way the Rockies attempted to stifle the streaking Boston offense was to keep the hitters off balance by pitching in. Jimenez, the crafty right-hander, had no fear throwing up and tight on the Red Sox hitters, especially Kevin Youkilis and Julio Lugo as both almost had their heads taken off. That game plan worked and Boston couldn’t produce offensively until the fourth inning when J.D. Drew’s one-out single snapped Jimenez’s no-hit bid. On that play, it was the hustle of Mike Lowell, who went from first to third on the hit to right-center field that proved crucial. Lowell barley slid safely into the bag, but the heads-up play put the potential game-tying run 90 feet away. Varitek lifted a high fly ball to deep center field for a sacrifice fly, scoring Lowell to tie the game at 1-1. It was obvious Jimenez was tiring in the middle innings and after he recorded two quick outs in the bottom of the fifth inning, the right-hander walked Ortiz before Ramirez singled. Lowell provided an RBI-double to give Boston a 2-1 lead. That was the end of Jimenez’s night. He worked 4 2/3 and surrendered two runs on three hits with five walks and two strikeouts. Because the Red Sox were able to run the Rockies’ starter early in the game, Boston took advantage of the bullpen for the second consecutive game. Meanwhile, Schilling continued to cruise before he was given the hook in the top of the sixth inning. The right-hander allowed a one-out single to Matt Holliday, his third hit of the game, and Schilling followed with a walk to the always-dangerous Todd Helton. So, Francona made the decision to pull the ace and replaced him with Hideki Okajima. The move worked to perfection as the crafty lefty recorded the last two outs to end the threat. Schilling’s night ended after 5 1/3 where he surrendered one run on four hits with two walks and four strikeouts. Okajima was perfect as he retired all seven batters he faced, including four strikeouts in 2 1/3 innings of work. Closer Jonathan Papelbon closed the door when he recorded the final four outs of the game. Now the series shifts west to Colorado for Games Three, Four and possibly Five. This young Rockies team, however, is a lot different than the veteran Cardinals club of ’04, so don’t expect a sweep because the Red Sox are not thinking in those terms.
Posted by Joe McDonald INSIDE THE GAME BY STEVEN KRASNER: The early innings
Leadoff hitter Willy Taveras’s hands were almost in the strike zone when Curt Schilling’s up-and-in 88-mph fastball nicked a finger or two on the center fielder’s left hand. Taveras, who swiped 33 bases this season, took off for second on a 2-and-1 pitch to Matt Holliday, who that pitch sharply on the ground inside the third-base bag. A diving Mike Lowell got his glove on the ball, but it ticked off the end of his leather and rolled into shallow left, close to the line. Taveras, who was nearing second base as the ball got to Lowell, read the play beautifully, rounding second base and heading to third without breaking stride because with Lowell chasing down the ball, the third-base bag was uncovered. Taveras scored on Todd Helton’s grounder to first, putting the Rockies on top, 1-0. * * * But his baserunning instincts proved accurate in helping Boston pull into a 1-1 tie in the fourth. Lowell drew a one-out walk. J.D. Drew followed with a frozen-rope single to right-center. As Lowell ran to second base, he looked back to find the ball and watch the approach of right fielder Brad Hawpe to the ball. Looking back to right-center as he rounded the bag, Lowell saw Hawpe glove the ball and decided that he could make it to third. So Lowell put his head down and ran as hard as he could to third. Hawpe made a strong on-the-fly throw, but Lowell’s head-first slide beat the tag of third baseman Garrett Atkins by a whisker. He scored the tying run when Jason Varitek lofted a deep fly ball to center. * * * But last night in a 1-1 game in the fifth, Colorado manager Clint Hurdle, clearly desperate for a win in Game Two after the Rockies had been drubbed in Game One, opted for more of a National League-like “small” ball offense. Troy Tulowitzki, batting seventh, drew a leadoff walk from Schilling. Hurdle had number eight hitter Yorvit Torrealba drop down a sacrifice bunt, which moved Tulowitzki to second. That brought up the number nine hitter, in this case, Ryan Spilborghs, the Rockies’ designated hitter, because pitchers don’t bat in the A.L. park in the World Series. That was just one indication that Hurdle was managing this game as if Colorado‘s season depended on winning last night’s game. Another indication came in the bottom of the fifth. When Jiminez issued a two-out walk to Ortiz and surrendered a single through the left side to Manny Ramirez – only the second hit allowed by Jiminez -- Hurdle called to the bullpen and had left-hander Jeremy Affeldt warm up. As soon as Lowell ripped a tie-breaking double into the left-field corner, putting Boston on top, 2-1, Hurdle bounded out of the dugout and called for Affeldt to face Drew, a left-handed hitter. That move didn’t work. Affeldt walked Drew on a 3-and-2 pitch. So Hurdle summoned right-hander Matt Herges to face Varitek, a switch hitter. This move worked for the Rockies. Varitek flied to left, keeping it a 2-1 game. * * * He yanked it on a 1-and-2 delivery to Drew in the second inning and he drilled Drew with the ball just above his right ankle. He threw another one to Julio Lugo in the third. Primarily Jiminez was throwing fastballs, in the 94-97-mph range, mixing in a few curveballs. But when the rookie right-hander faced Red Sox slugger David Ortiz in a key spot in the third, Jimenez went to his changeup and slider and despite a long foul that just missed the Pesky Pole, he racked up an important strikeout. Dustin Pedroia (walk) was at second and Kevin Youkilis (walk) was at first. Jimenez’s first two pitches to Ortiz were fastballs (a 1-and-1 count). Then he threw two changeups, the second of which had Ortiz out in front just enough that his drive deep down the right-field line curved foul at the last instant. Ortiz barely got a piece of a nasty slider, staying alive with a Bernie-Carbo-esque foul, circa 1975. But the Sox’ designated hitter was unable to hold up on another nasty slider, this one a late-breaking 86-mph slider down and in, and was called out on strikes on the swing, ending the uprising. * * * Lowell, though, didn’t need a scouting report on Taveras. Lowell played against Taveras in the National League so he knows how fast Taveras is. So when Taveras hit a two-hopper to Lowell’s left, a routine out, Lowell sped up his reactions, taking no time whatsoever between fielding the ball and throwing to first, not wanting to give Taveras a sniff of his specialty – infield singles – on this play in the third. Lowell’s throw was true and in plenty of time to nail Taveras. Likewise, the Rockies know that the Sox’ Jacoby Ellsbury is a speedster.
Posted by Art Martone IN-GAME FEATURE: The sport's biggest showcase is showcasing Ramirez' talents
Journal photo / Gretchen Ertl BOSTON – Years from now, Red Sox fans will want to tell their children just how well Manny Ramirez hit the baseball in the 2007 postseason. Sox fans have seen Ramirez at his very best this October. In baseball jocular, he’s ‘locked in,’ driving the ball to all fields, working pitchers until they bleed and playing the part of the most feared right-handed hitter of this decade. Consider this eye-popping stat. In 34 at-bats this post-season, Ramirez has 15 hits and 15 walks. His on-base percentage is a ridiculous .600. In Game One of the World Series, Ramirez kept rolling with three hits, three runs scored and two RBI in Boston’s 13-1 romp. Ramirez had two homers in the ALCS to set the league record for most home runs in the playoffs (24) and the LCS (10). He entered last night with 64 post-season RBI, second all-time behind the Yankees’ Bernie Williams (80). Those closest to Ramirez say that the hitter fans see every game may be blessed but he’s also a prodigious worker. He’s been known to arrive at the ballpark at 9 a.m. for a 7 p.m. game, working out and hitting hundreds of balls in the Sox indoor batting cage. He also enjoys lifting weights and works with self-made gadgets that help hone the amazing hand-eye coordination that is any hitter’s best friend. “Well, I think Manny gets a bad rap,” said teammate Mike Lowell, who hits right after Ramirez. “I think people look at him and think he comes out on the field ten minutes before the game and starts hitting. His preparation is very routine. He does a lot of visualization drills that I think are unique to baseball players. He does a lot of things visually and he does very specific stuff on the tee. So there’s an absolute method to how he wants to approach the game. His talent is unbelievable.” The one skill that’s helped make Ramirez’s month is his ability to grind opposing pitchers and wait for the pitch he likes most. He owns the ability to foul off a bevy of good pitches and then jump all over a mistake. It’s a trait followed by the rest of the Red Sox lineup but perfected by Ramirez. In one daily drill, he wears a Hula Hoop-type device with numbered balls attached. He then calls out the numbers as he moves, improving his hand-eye skills and quickness. “I think Manny, however you put it, I think he’s one of, if not the very best, at that that I’ve ever seen. It’s amazing to me,” manager Terry Francona said of his star’s mastery of the strike zone. “As far as being a sophisticated hitter, I’d love for you guys to be able to see what he does pre-game. His ability to recognize, it’s a joke. There are some things that he can do that other people can’t do. But he also spends a lot of time watching pitchers, and he’s got an unbelievable idea of what people are going to try to do against him.” Ramirez is also greatly assisted by hitting between Ortiz and Lowell. With Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis setting the table, Ortiz and Ramirez have loads of chances to rack up RBI’s. Opposing pitchers haven’t found a way to pitch to either Ortiz or Ramirez, who’ve combined to reach base 58 of 100 times in the first 11 games of the playoffs, a .580 on-base percentage. Lowell has played on several good teams through his career, including the 2003 World Series champion Florida Marlins. He says the Ortiz-Ramirez combination easily separates the two teams. “This lineup is much more formidable than the ’03 Marlins in the sense that with the two guys (Ortiz, Ramirez) in the middle, you have two guys other teams are absolutely scared that they can hit the ball out of the park,” Lowell said. Fans know all about the quirks that make Ramirez a true spectacle, whether he’s jogging to fly balls in left field, failing to advance to an open base or teasing teammates in the dugout. But with a bat in his hands, no one can take their eyes off Ramirez. “I think he recognizes pitches a lot earlier than a lot of guys because it seems like he does not even intend to swing at some pitches and they look like they’re two inches off the plate,” Lowell said. “I don’t know, he might be guessing, but it’s happened too many times to think that he’s guessed right all those times. I think he recognizes pitches and I think when he’s on, he doesn’t have any weaknesses.”
Posted by Art Martone IN-GAME TIDBIT: Comparing the center fielders
BOSTON -- Jacoby Ellsbury got his fourth straight start last night in center field, but Francona has had a practice of inserting Coco Crisp in the late innings as a defensive replacement, believing that Crisp is still the superior defender, thanks to his experience. ''Ellsbury is very, very athletic,'' said Francona. ''He's at a point where he can outrun his . . . I don't want to say mistakes . . . but maybe his lack of knowledge of the hitters. Coco is pretty polished, with the same amount of speed.''
Posted by Sean McAdam IN-GAME UPDATES: Lineup in Denver dependent on Ortiz's health
BOSTON -- It had been assumed that when the World Series shifts to Denver and National League rules (i.e. no DH), the Sox would go with the rotation plan they used in road interleague game, playing David Ortiz, Kevin Youkilis and Mike Lowell two games apiece. But that isn't the necessarily the case. Ortiz' balky right knee is a concern, but if he can deal with the swelling and discomfort, he could be in the lineup for all three games. ''Oh, yeah,'' said manager Terry Francona when asked about the possibility of Ortiz playing Games Three, Four and Five. ''His bat is so impactful. There'll be plenty of time to rest pretty soon.''
Posted by Sean McAdam IN-GAME UPDATES: Credit where it's dueBY SEAN McADAM BOSTON -- When the Red Sox fizzled offensively during the regular season, their was some criticism aimed at Dave Magadan, serving in his first season as the team's hitting instructor after replacing the popular Ron Jackson. But now that the Sox are on a historic roll, scoring in double figures for the last three games and hitting a collective .316 for the post-season, Magadan is being cited as one of the factors. ''Never, ever did I feel Dave Magadan was fault,'' said manager Terry Francona. ''Now, when things are going good, I'm glad to see him mentioned. He's had a really big impact on how the guys prepare. He words his (tail) off. So now that we're having some success, I'm glad people are bringing his name up.''
Posted by Sean McAdam PREGAME: Special guest at Fenway ParkBY JOE McDONALD BOSTON -- Andrew Madden, a Texas native, fell in love with the Red Sox in 2004. He was 10 at the time. Less than a month ago, Andrew, now 13, underwent a successful heart transplant at Children’s Medical Center in Dallas. And his doctor promised to take him to a game in Boston if the Red Sox reached the World Series. So last night -- not quite four weeks after his Sept. 30 surgery -- Andrew and his surgeon, Dr. Kristine Guleserian, a Boston native, were here. ''I just wanted to go to Fenway Park just once,'' Andrew said. ''But to watch a World Series game is a once-in-a-lifetime chance.'' As Red Sox president and CEO Larry Lucchino escorted Andrew and his mother, Lauren, around Fenway Park, it was obvious Andrew was in awe of his surroundings. ''The Red Sox helped me recovery and get my mind off my sickness,'' Andrew said. ''After my surgery I don’t remember much, but I saw the very last Angels game [in the ALDS] when they won. I watched all the Cleveland series and stayed up for every game, and now we’re here.'' Andrew plays baseball and said his favorite Red Sox player is fellow Texas native Josh Beckett. As a special treat, Andrew threw out the ceremonial first pitch Thursday night. Since Andrew and his doctor met, they’ve shared a love for the Red Sox. During the postseason they’ve been in constant communication about their team. ''It’s been a great partnership,'' said Dr. Guleserian. ''He’s my patient, but he’s also my friend.'' Andrew was the 100th heart transplant recipient at Children’s Medical Center.
Posted by Joe McDonald PREGAME: Rockies aim to move on from Game One beating; other notesBY KEVIN McNAMARA BOSTON -- After getting whacked around to the tune of 13-1 in the first game of the World Series, the best thing the Colorado Rockies could do was get a decent night’s sleep and forget they even showed up at Fenway Park on Wednesday. That, essentially, was what manager Clint Hurdle prescribed for his team. He noted that while 'outside forces' were pushing for a complete dissertation on the reasons for the Rockies’ poor play, Hurdle could not disagree more. ''After a game like [Wednesday] night, I think the last thing you need to do is get your boys together and explain what went wrong. I think that's the last thing you need to do,'' he said. ''There seems to be some people outside of our clubhouse that think that's going to add value to what we do and I think it's more for their comfort zone than our comfort zone. ''What we need to stay in touch with is our comfort zone. We know exactly where we are, we know exactly what happened [Wednesday] night, we lived it, we wore it, and we've showered it off. We're going to get ready for Game Two and get out there and try and even this thing up and get home.'' Hurdle said 'short-term memory is important in this game' and his focus is more on getting a well-pitched game out of starter Ubaldo Jimenez than lamenting what went wrong in Game One. ''I think you always look for reasons why people don't do well, and we kind of focus on was there emotional adrenaline overflow or something like that,'' he said. ''All I know is, mechanically, neither one of the first two pitchers (starter Jeff Francis and reliever Ryan Speier) were really in sync, and I'm not a psych major,'' said Hurdle. ''We talked about mechanics, about slowing things down, making pitches one pitch at a time with everybody.'' Asked if he was leery that some of his young players appeared a bit wide-eyed, Hurdle said, ''There's a lot of first-time things going on for this ballclub and that's how you build an organization's value and how you build tradition and you build all those things that they have going on in Boston. They had a first time. We've got some guys that are experiencing some things for the first time, some of them better than others so far. But we've got more games in front of us.'' * * * ''LaTroy Hawkins wrote 'not done' after the tie-breaker game, so that's been in the clubhouse, a little sketch board wherever we've gone,'' said Hurdle. * * * ''He became a hitting coach and we've had running commentary and conversation for a number of years now,'' Hurdle said of the Red Sox hitting coach. ''One of the things we used to share as hitting coaches, we would kid each other, whoever was hot at the time, I would say, 'So-and-so is listening to you now, huh?’ So I said to him yesterday behind the cage, 'You've got the whole team listening to you now; how did that happen?’ ''
Posted by Kevin PREGAME: Providence trails only Boston in TV ratings for Game OneBY KEVIN McNAMARA BOSTON -- Fox Sports just announced that ratings for Game One of the Series were the best for the network since 2004 and really big in the Providence market. Game One earned a 10.5 rating (16.9 million viewers). That's up 31 percent over the rating (8.0) of last year's first game between Detroit and St. Louis. Fox also released numbers for local markets. In Boston, the game drew a 50.4 rating and a 70 share, meaning 70 percent of all TV's on were tuned to the game. Providence was the second-highest market with a 40.5 rating and 72 share. That was ahead of Denver (35.8/51).
Posted by Kevin PREGAME: Rockies have short memoriesBY STEVEN KRASNER BOSTON -- Yes, Todd Helton was well aware that the Rockies were clobbered, 13-1, in Game One of the World Series Wednesday night at Fenway Park. But the veteran first baseman said Colorado won't be feeling any effects from a first-game blowout as they got ready for Game Two. He said Thursday afternoon that Rockies are focused on the fact that this wasn't a one-game series, but a best-of-seven. ''It's not hard (to put the blowout in the rear-view mirror),'' said Helton. ''I think once we stepped off the field and got to the locker room that that game was over with. We realize it's a best-of-seven. It's fastest to four (wins) basically. But there is a sense of urgency. ''We know what it's like to win Game One and how important that is,'' said Helton, whose Rockies swept Philadelphia and then Arizona in the first two rounds of the postseason. ''But we've had our backs against the wall all year and we know how to respond. We've used the word resilient a lot of times this year and I think that definitely applies to this ballclub. We have a very short memory.''
Posted by Steven Krasner PREGAME: The step-dancing foolBY JOE McDONALD BOSTON -- Red Sox fans have always known Jonathan Papelbon was a special talent. His ability to throw a baseball past hitters is second-to-none in the majors. But over the last couple of weeks, Boston's closer has showcased his other talents. When the Red Sox clinched the A.L. East title in the final weekend of the regular season, Papelbon step-danced his way around the infield grass at Fenway, wearing next to nothing, with fans going crazy as his theme song ''Shipping up to Boston'' by the Dropkicks Murphys blasting over the PA. It was much of the same when the Red Sox beat the Indians in Game Seven of the ALCS here on Sunday. ''His personality is unique,'' said manager Terry Francona. ''The fact that he throws 94 to 97 MPH with command is probably more important. He's the best. I do think it's kind of rare to have a young guy like that. He's carefree, in a good way, but you give him the ball in the ninth inning and it's amazing the trust that we all have in him. He's earned it. He competes and it is rare to be that young and that advanced.'' In the postseason the hard-throwing right-hander has worked 6 1/3 scoreless innings in four playoff games.
Posted by Joe McDonald PREGAME: Lowell staying in the momentBY JOE McDONALD BOSTON -- Red Sox third baseman Mike Lowell considers himself a throw-in with the deal that brought pitcher Josh Beckett to Boston from Florida prior to the 2006 season. But, with the way Lowell has played here or the last two seasons, he's selling himself short with his feelings. He hit .284 in 2006, and posted a career year this season with a .324 mark to go along with his 21 homers and 120 RBI. Lowell is in the final year of his contract with the Red Sox, so prior to Game Two of the series on Thursday, he was asked to comment on the possibilty of this being his last game at Fenway. ''I'd rather not,'' he said. ''I'm really focused on the World Series. I think the offseason is the offseason and I'll tackle that when it comes. But it's really the farthest thing from my mind right now. I think Game Two is the most important thing that we should be thinking about personally and collectively.'' His 120 RBI this season became a club record for third baseman, surpassing Butch Hobson's 112 mark set in 1977. ''I was very happy with the RBI this year,'' he said. ''I kind of look at each year as opportunities. I think there are some years you're supposed to drive in 100. If you have that many opportunities and that many chances, you should.'' Certainly hitting behind David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez has helped Lowell with those opportunities this season, especially in the playoffs.
Posted by Joe McDonald PREGAME: Game Two LineupsROCKIES RED SOX
Posted by Kevin Papelbon's post-game steps impress the expert
We're talking about Papelbon's dancing, of course. Papelbon has delighted Red Sox fans with his pitching all season, and more recently, with his version of an Irish step dance to celebrate big victories, such as winning the American League pennant. So we requested a review of Papelbon's post-game moves from Terry Songini, a Sox fan and Irish dance expert who teaches at the Blackstone River Theatre in Cumberland. "I was very impressed with his timing. It was spot on. Timing is very important in Irish step dancing," Songini wrote in an e-mail after watching Papelbon on videotape uploaded to YouTube. "He also appears to be light on his feet, making it easy for him to prance around doing heel to toe movements. He really did not do an actual traditional Irish step. I think if he took a class or two, he could pick it up very quickly. Go SOX."
Posted by Jack Perry Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: This is the World Series?Click here to listen to today's edition of projo SoxTalk with Sean McAdam. The topics: the Rockies' poor showing in Game One; Pedroia and Youkilis jump-starting the lineup; Curt Schilling taking the hill tonight; Ubaldo Jimenez's big chance; and Josh Beckett proving his doubters wrong (again). We'll endeavor to post excerpts from the conversation later today.
Posted by Mike McDermott POSTGAME: More postgame notesCOLORADO STREAK SNAPPED: The Rockies lost for the first time in 11 games, snapping their postseason winning streak at 7 games. FIVE STRAIGHT SOX SERIES WINS: The Red Sox have won five straight World Series games. BECKETT WINS: JOSH BECKETT recorded his fourth victory of this postseason, becoming the 9th pitcher to win four games in one postseason as a starting pitcher. Beckett joins BURT HOOTON (1981), DAVE STEWART (1989), JACK MORRIS (1991), OREL HERSHISER (1995), JOHN SMOLTZ (1996), DAVID WELLS (1998), RANDY JOHNSON (2001) and CURT SCHILLING (2001). No pitcher has ever won 5 games as a starter in a single postseason. With 9 strikeouts and just one walk allowed tonight, Beckett has fanned 35 batters and walked just two in 30 innings. Beckett’s line: 7 ip, 6 h, 1 r-er, 1 bb, 9 so…Faced 27 batters…Threw 93 pitches/62 strikes. RUNS RECORD: The Red Sox' 13 runs are the most ever in a World Series opening game, one more than the previous best of 12, by Atlanta, 12-1, over New York in 1996 and New York (AL) over Chicago NL), 12-6, in 1932. The 14 combined runs are the most in a World Series game since Boston beat St. Louis, 11-9, in Game One on Oct. 23, 2004. The Red Sox seven runs in the 5th inning are the most scored in the 5th inning in World Series history, surpassing the twice-totaled six runs, by the Yankees over the Giants. DOUBLE UP: The Red Sox tied a World Series record with 8 doubles in this game, matching a feat done twice previously (Chicago (AL), Oct. 13, 1906 & Pit (NL), Oct. 15, 1925). The teams combined for 12 doubles, a World Series record, one more than Chicago (AL)/Chicago (NL), Oct. 13, 1906. The Red Sox also matched a World Series record with 9 e
Posted by Art Martone POSTGAME: Ellsbury focusedBY JOE McDONALD BOSTON -- If you attend a Red Sox game – and it doesn’t have to the World Series – to quickly realize Jacoby Ellsbury receives one of the loudest ovations when he’s introduced over the PA at Fenway Park. The rookie sparkplug has quickly proven to his teammates and fans that he is the real deal, and that’s why he has played the last three games (Game Six and Seven of the ALCS and Game One of the Series), replacing the struggling Coco Crisp. It’s been an interesting season for the phenom, who began the season in Double-A Portland, was promoted to Triple-A Pawtucket and had three different stints with Boston before making the playoff rosters for good reason. Now, he’s playing on baseball’s biggest stage and enjoying every single moment of it. ''This is awesome,'' he said, following Wednesday’s game. ''This is what you play for. Any player from Little League to high school has a dream to play in the World Series. I’m here and I’m definitely having a great time.'' It’s amazing how relaxed and confident he presents himself all the time, but he did admit he was a bit anxious to start a World Series game in center field for the Red Sox. ''It was fun,'' he said. ''I’m sure everyone had butterflies out there, but that’s normal.'' During Boston’s offensive output against the Rockies, Ellsbury was the lone starter not to get a hit, but he wasn’t too upset about it. ''I’ll take it for a win,'' he said. ''That’s fine with me. Anytime you win a World Series game, those guys who don’t get a hit are just fine with it. Obviously you want to get a hit, but it’s a win.''
Posted by Joe McDonald POSTGAME: Pedroia, Youkilis lead the way, again.BY JOE McDONALD BOSTON -- It’s not hard to figure out if a team can keep the Sox’ top two hitters – Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis – off the base paths, then there’s a pretty good chance the opposition has a chance to win. The problem with that formula, however, is the Colorado Rockies couldn’t execute that too well Wednesday night as Boston’s two hottest hitters are clearly dialed in right now. Even though Pedroia went 1-for-5 with two runs scored, it was his solo home run to lead off the bottom of the first inning that jumpstarted the offensive barrage for Boston. ''I wasn’t thinking too much about it,'' said Pedroia. ''I was just trying to get a good pitch to hit and get on base. I was fortunate enough that it got out.'' Red Sox captain Jason Varitek talked about how important that at-bat really was. ''Petey set that tone,'' he said. ''Petey can handle the bat.'' Youkilis, who started to come around in Game Four of the ALCS against the Indians, went 2-for-5 Wednesday, including a pair of doubles and three runs scored. ''We went out and put some good at-bats together,'' said Youkilis. ''We made (Colorado starter Jeff) Francis work a little bit and we just jumped out early. That was the biggest thing to score early and often. Getting a huge lead for Josh is always comforting . . . We did an unbelievable job tonight.'' Boston banged out 17 hits and scored 13 runs, but it was the performance by Pedroia and Youkilis early in the game that proved crucial. ''Youk and everyone else was swinging the bats great,'' said Jacoby Ellsbury. ''It’s perfect timing.'' It certainly was.
Posted by Joe McDonald POSTGAME: Postgame notesDUSTIN PEDROIA hit a home run to lead off the bottom of the 1st inning, the 18th time in World Series history a player has hit a lead off home run to start a World Series game for his team, the first since JOHNNY DAMON did for the Red Sox on October 27, 2004 (Game 4). He is the 2nd player to lead off the 1st game of a World Series with a home run, joining DON BUFORD, who homered for Baltimore in Game 1 of the 1969 World Series against the Mets (Oct. 11). Pedroia is the 1st rookie to hit a leadoff homer to start a game. BEC-K-ETT: JOSH BECKETT struck out the side in the 1st inning, the 24th time in World Series play a pitcher has struck out all 3 batters in the 1st inning and the first since the Yankees’ ORLANDO HERNANDEZ struck out the first three Mets in Game 3 of the 2000 World Series (Oct. 24). Beckett’s 4 consecutive strikeouts are the 3rd most ever to start a World Series game, behind SANDY KOUFAX (LA, Oct. 2, 1963 vs, NYY) and MORT COOPER (STL, Oct. 11, 1943 vs. NYY). Beckett surrendered just his 2nd walk of this postseason with a 5th-inning pass to RYAN SPILBORGHS. STARTING GAMES IN BOTH LEAGUES: JOSH BECKETT became the 19th pitcher to start a World Series game in both leagues, as he previously opened for Florida in 2003. He is the 1st to so since ROGER CLEMENS and ANDY PETTITTE for Houston in 2005 after starting for New York (AL) on multiple occasions. JEFF FRANCIS pitched 4.0 innings, his shortest start since lasting 3.1 innings on Sept. 13 at Philadelphia. The 10 hits allowed by Francis were his most surrendered since July 23 against San Diego. Francis line: 4.0 ip, 10 h, 6 r-er, 3 bb -2 ibb, 3 so, 1 hr., 25 batters, 103 pitches, 62 strikes. FRANKLIN MORALES relieved Francis to start the 5th inning. His pitching line 0.2 ip, 6 h, 7 r-er, 1 bb, 0 so, 1 Balk…Morales was called for a balk with JACOBY ELLSBURY on 1st base in the 5th inning. It is the 1st balk since New York’s DAVID WEATHERS in Game 4 of the 1996 World Series (Oct. 23). BIG INNING, BIG RUNS: The Red Sox scored 3 first inning runs in the 1st and 5th innings, now 14 times this postseason the team has scored 3 or more runs in an inning…Boston scored 3 runs in each of its 3 ALDS victories over the Angels and scored 3 or more 9 times in games in the ALCS against Cleveland. The Red Sox have scored 10 or more runs in 3 straight postseason games, becoming the 1st team to do it in history. ROOKIES ABOUND: Boston started a pair of rookies in tonight’s game – DUSTIN PEDROIA and JACOBY ELLSBURY – the 1st World Series team since the New York Mets in 2000 (Timo Perez and Jay Payton) to start two rookie position players in Game One of a World Series. TROY TULOWITZKI became the 5th rookie shortstop to start a World Series game since 1969, joining DAVE CONCEPCION (1970), WALT WEISS (1988), KEVIN STOCKER (1993) and DEREK JETER (1996). SHORTS: The Red Sox totaled 9 extra base hits through 5 innings, matching a World Series record for most in a single-game, done once previously by Pittsburgh against Washington on Oct. 15, 1925. MANNY RAMIREZ collected his 63rd career postseason RBI in the 1st inning, tying DAVID JUSTICE for 2nd most ever in postseason play, behind DEREK JETER (80). DOUBLES RECORDS: Through 5 innings, the teams combined for 11 doubles (Boston – 8, Colorado – 3), tying a Series record for most by both clubs combined (Chicago (AL)/Chicago (NL), Oct. 13, 1906). The 8 doubles by Boston match the most-ever in a World Series game, done twice previously, (Chicago (AL), Oct. 13, 1906 & Pit (NL), Oct. 15, 1925). BATTING AROUND: Four Red Sox players batted twice in the 5th inning, with the last, KEVIN YOUKILIS, becoming the 101st player in World Series history to hit twice in an inning. THREE STRAIGHT WALKS: The Red Sox drew three consecutive walks in the 5th inning off RYAN SPEIER, matching a World Series record for most consecutive walks issued, done by Boston’s TIM WAKEFIELD on Oct. 23, 2004 in the 4th inning against St. Louis. RUN DIFFERENTIAL: Through 5 innings, the Red Sox held a 12-run lead, 13-1. The record run differential for a World Series game is 14, 18-4 Yankees over the Giants, Oct. 2, 1936. The last games to end with a 12-run differential came on October 24, 2002, San Francisco 16, Anaheim 4.
Posted by Art Martone POSTGAME: Sox open with a bangBy JOE McDONALD BOSTON -- The Red Sox wanted to win Game One of the World Series very badly. And so, on Wednesday night, they treated Colorado's pitching staff very badly. Boston absolutely pounded the Rockies into submission with an offensive barrage the National League champions couldn't handle. The Sox banged out 17 hits en route to a 13-1 victory to gain the early advantage in the seven-game series with Game Two Thursday night at Fenway Park. Historically the club to win the first game has gone on to win the championship 62 times in the first 102 World Series, including 9 of the last 10. So, right now the odds are in Boston’s favor. Entering Wednesday’s game, the Rockies hadn’t played a game in a nine-day span, while the Red Sox had two days off before the series began. So the question was whether the time off would hurt Colorado or the rest would be a good thing as the club was riding a serious streak, winning 21 of its last 22 games. ''I don’t think whether they won 21 of 22 or it was facing Josh (Beckett), we wanted to win Game One to set the tone,'' said Red Sox third baseman Mike Lowell. ''It’s important. You don’t want to be down 0-1, especially when you’re holding the first two games at your park. I don’t think Josh or the way they were playing changes how important this first game was.'' The Rockies certainly showed their rust Wednesday and Boston continued its momentum as Beckett worked seven innings and struck out nine. ''I’m sure that’s the easy thing to say,'' said Lowell. ''They’re facing Josh, one of the best pitchers in the game, so you have to ask them. I wouldn’t want any extra days, when we had four (prior to the ALDS) everyone was asking if that was too much, but we didn’t miss a beat. Having eight days is something that so unique during the season that, I don’t know. You have to ask them.'' After Beckett struck out the side in order in the top of the first, Red Sox leadoff man Dustin Pedroia continue his hot streak with a solo home run in the bottom of the first. ''It’s tough having nine days off and then coming in and facing the best pitcher in baseball,'' said Pedroia. ''That’s definitely not easy. They took care of their business in the National League early, but I don’t think they were that rusty. We had some good at-bats and we have to continue to play like that.'' That’s the plan, obviously, for the Red Sox with Game Two Thursday night when Curt Schilling takes the mound for Boston and Ubaldo Jimenez toes the rubber for Colorado. Again, the Red Sox are looking for another power surge to keep their momentum cruising along. ''This game is over,'' said Pedroia. ''If it was a 1-0 win or 13-1, it doesn’t matter. It’s a best-of-seven series and the score tomorrow when we come out is 0-0, so I don’t think the score of one game will dictate how a team will come out the next day and play.''
Posted by Joe McDonald POSTGAME: Sean McAdam -- Sox' offense is all aces against opponents' No. 1 this postseasonBY SEAN McADAM BOSTON – It’s one thing to score runs at will during the regular season, when the schedule frequently offers up bad teams and worse pitching. But in October, it gets more difficult. That’s the theory, anyway. But somebody had better tell the Red Sox lineup. Against the best pitchers from baseball’s best teams, the Red Sox are seemingly scoring at will. It happened again last night when the Sox tattooed Colorado Rockies’ ace Jeff Francis for six runs on 10 hits in four innings on their way to a 13-1 romp in Game One of the 2007 World Series.. ''It gives us a lot of confidence,'' said shortstop Julio Lugo, ''knowing that we can hit anybody.'' Indeed, this phenomenon didn’t start last night -- it’s been a hallmark of the Sox’ surge through the postseason. In the American League Division Series, the Red Sox rocked 19-game winner John Lackey of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim for four runs in the first three innings. It was more of the same in the American League Championship Series when the Sox chased Cleveland’s C.C. Sabathia – a certain candidate to finish in the top three for the A.L. Cy Young Award -- with seven hits and eight runs in just 4 1/3 innings in the series opener. Sabathia then got a second chance in the ALCS in Game Five. But with an opportunity to clinch the Indians’ first pennant in a decade, he stumbled again and was knocked around for 10 hits and four runs in six-plus innings. Finally, there was Francis, whose stock in trade is throwing the ball to both sides of the plate without leaving it in the middle. But last night, Francis fell behind to Red Sox’ hitters and when he tried to get even, they predictably took advantage. ''We’ve got a good offense,'' said Dustin Pedroia, whose leadoff homer in the bottom of the first began the barrage. ''We find ways to grind out at-bats. We’ve got guys who work walks and see a lot of pitches, and (the opponents’) starters are up to 100 pitches by the fifth inning. That’s the biggest thing – we wear down their starters.'' And how. The Sox had three runs in the first, sending eight hitters to the plate. They added another in the second, then finished off Francis two more runs in the fourth. He did not come back out for the fifth, having thrown 103 pitches. As has been the case throughout October, David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez helped lead the way. Ortiz had a run-scoring double and a single in his three at-bats against Francis while Ramirez had an RBI-single, a walk and a double in his three plate appearances against the lefty. But they weren’t the only ones doing damage. ''We’re getting contributions from everybody in the lineup,'' said hitting instructor Dave Magadan. ''That’s what you have to do to put up runs like we’ve been doing – everybody needs to do their part.’’ For a stretch in the middle of the ALCS, the Red Sox became too dependent on the long ball. From the middle of Game Two through the end of Game Four, every run the Sox scored against Cleveland came as a result of home runs. But starting in Game Five, the Sox got back to their usual approach – wearing down opposing pitchers, exercising selectivity at the plate and taking a relentless approach. The result? The Sox have totaled 43 runs in the last four games, an average of nearly 11 runs per contest. ''We’re getting back to having big innings,'' said Magadan, ''scoring six and seven runs at a time. To do that, you’ve got to get guys one through nine (in the order) doing some damage. When you can’t pitch around David (Ortiz) and Manny (Ramirez), it’s tough on pitchers.'' As the Sox continue to pile up runs at a record-setting pace, their confidence is correspondingly sky-high. One offensive breakout leads to another, and the Sox fear no one. ''Confidence,’’ said Magadan, ''is huge in hitting. When you have that, everything becomes easier at the plate. You feel that, in any situation, you can hit any pitch.'' And, he might have added, any pitcher – as the Sox have demonstrated in all month long.
Posted by Art Martone POSTGAME: Role callBY SEAN McADAM BOSTON -- When Kyle Snyder left Fenway after the Red Sox' workout Tuesday, he assumed that he would once again be left off the team's active roster, as had been the case for the American League Division Series and American League Championship Series. ''Had that been the case,'' said Snyder last night after the Game One 13-1 victory for Boston, ''I would have been just as happy to part of this club as I would be to be part of the bullpen.'' Snyder had turned his cell phone off around 4 p.m, but a half-hour later, checked his messages and discovered that pitching coach John Farrell had called. Snyder returned the call and Farrell gave the phone to manager Terry Francona, who told Snyder that he had been a last-minute addition to the roster after the team determined that Tim Wakefield wouldn't be available. ''It was as exciting a phone call as I've ever had,'' he said. ''It's every kid's dream to take part in the World Series.'' Thanks to a series of arm injuries, this marked the first year that Snyder was healthy enough to be part of an Opening Day 25-man roster. But that paled in comparison with the thrill of being on the active roster for a pennant-winning team. ''To be part of a World Series team,'' said Snyder, ''with a chance to win a title is a very difficult thing to put into words.''
Posted by Sean McAdam POSTGAME: Beckett living in the momentBy STEVEN KRASNER BOSTON -- The last time Josh Beckett faced the Rockies, he was shelled at Fenway Park, coughing up six runs on 10 hits in a 7-1 loss. It was his first setback of the year. So you might think that he had gone over the video of that poor outing before facing Colorado again last night in Game One of the World Series. If you thought so, you would have been wrong. ''I didn't look at it one time, no,'' said Beckett after limiting the Rockies to one run on six hits in seven innings of the Sox' 13-1 romp. ''I try not to harp on those negative things too much. Obviously that wasn't a start that I want to go back and replay in my mind. I think I just kind of go with my strengths and execute those, and when you need to, you exploit their weaknesses,'' said Beckett, who fanned nine and walked only one in his 93-pitch outing. Beckett is 4-0 with a 1.20 earned-run average in the postseason this year. But don't expect him to become overly analytical or get caught up in his superb performances under the most pressure-packed of situations. ''I hope my teammates are happy," said Beckett. ''That's who I'm really here to please. If they're happy, I'm happy. They go out there and bust their tail for me all the time and I feel like I need to really do my part and help carry my load.'' The right-hander was appreciative of what the Sox' offense did for him last night -- leads of 3-0 after the first and 6-1 after the fourth. It was typical of the offense's approach, he said. ''They really work pitchers,'' said Beckett. ''When you have a team plan like we have every night it's kind of fun to watch. There's not a lot of teams, very few, that do what we do and have that team approach. Every time they go up there they're trying to see five or six pitches and they grind pitchers out. Not many (pitchers) last until the sixth inning against us.'' ''What we try to do is get to the middle guys in the (other teams') bullpens. Those are the guys that are not good enough really to be closers and not really starters. If we can get to those guys, that's where we usually score the runs," he said.
Posted by Steven Krasner POSTGAME: Hurdles for Hurdle and his RockiesBY JIM DONALDSON BOSTON -- It seems safe to that their long layoff cooled off the red-hot Rockies, winners of 21 of 22 games, including seven straight in the N.L. playoffs, heading into the World Series. The downside of their NLCS sweep of Arizona was that it concluded Oct. 15 -- a week ago Monday. The Rockies' starting pitcher in Game One against the Red Sox, lefty ace Jeff Francis, hadn't started since beating the Diamondbacks in the opening game of the NLCS on Oct. 11. But Colorado manager Clint Hurdle refused to say his team was rusty. ''We're a no-excuse ballclub,'' he said. ''Always have been. We just got outplayed.'' The Red Sox rocked the Rockies for 17 hits, 12 of which came with two outs. ''You saw our inability to shut down innings,'' Hurdle said. ''I think they scored all but two runs with two outs. What was it -- nine straight guys? -- got on base with two outs in the fifth. So we've got some things we can work on.'' Like the Angels and Indians before them, the Rockies struggled against Red Sxo starter Josh Beckett. ''He's been effective for a while now,'' Hurdle said. ''His fastball has got good late life. He pitches both sides of the plate when he wants to, and he gets ahead, and he can start spinning the ball effectively well. As advertised, we've seen it before. We saw more of it tonight.'' The Rockies won't see Beckett again until Game Five in Denver. If, that is, the Series lasts that long. Lest we forget, the Sox swept St. Louis in four when they won the World Series in 2004. Despite losing, 13-1, in the opening game, Hurdle insists the Rockies' confidence isn't shaken. ''One of the strengths this club has had throughout the season is our confidence hasn't been shaken by the results of a game. Or a series of games. ''That being said, that's not the way we drew it up. But, you know what, we have to go out and play. We've got some pitchers that have to make some pitches. We've got to see some pitches (at the plate.) I feel real confident we'll get back out there and get after it (in Game Two.)''
Posted by Jim Donaldson POSTGAME: A winning offensive approachBY STEVEN KRASNER BOSTON -- The Red Sox had their way with the Rockies' pitching staff, to the tune of 17 hits, 9 of which were for extra bases. They featured especially good approaches against Colorado starter Jeff Francis, said Boston manager Terry Francona. ''I think that offensively the whole night we did a good job taking what he gave us, laying off pitches out of the zone,'' said Francona. ''And even a couple of innings when he got a couple outs, we didn't let him off the hook and have quick innings. We prolonged innings with two strikes and two outs. We took our walks and when the ball was in the zone we took some pretty good swings,'' he said.
Posted by Steven Krasner FINAL: Red Sox 13, Rockies 1 w/photo
The Red Sox:
Posted by Art Martone October 24, 2007
IN-GAME UPDATE: Record night w/photo
Posted by Joe McDonald IN-GAME NEWS: Julian Tavarez, International Man of Mystery w/photo
BOSTON -- Some found the selection of Kyle Snyder over Julian Tavarez for the final World Series roster spot to be something of a surprise, but there are indications that Tavarez didn't help his cause Tuesday. The team held a workout Tuesday afternoon, for which Tavarez was not present. The veteran righthander had not been on the active roster for either the American League Division Series against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, or the American League Championship Series against the Cleveland Indians. Tavarez had traveled to Cleveland for Games Three, Four and Five and had been taking part in workouts, along with other inactive players. But he was missing from Tuesday's workout. His absence could not have been a protest on his part for being left off the World Series roster since the Sox were unsure about Tim Wakefield's availability until early afternoon and didn't complete their roster until early Tuesday evening when they chose Snyder to take Wakefield's place. When asked if Tavarez had cost himself a roster spot by missing the workout, a team source answered: ''Let's just say it wasn't exactly a positive mark in his favor.'' Tavarez did report to Fenway later Tuesday, only to discover he hadn't been added to the roster. In frustration, he reportedly cleaned out his locker and left, but was back in uniform yesterday and on the field prior to Game One.
Posted by Sean McAdam IN-GAME TIDBIT: Ba-BooneBY JOE McDONALD BOSTON -- Obviously when the World Series rolls around, current and former major-league players always show up for baseball's biggest event. It's very common to see the players walking around on the field during BP, and throughout the respective ballparks. It was a bit strange, however, to see former Yankees third baseman and Red Sox killer (remember the 2003 ALCS) Aaron Boone standing by himself in the corner of the Roof Box level here tonight. Hopefully for Red Sox Nation, Boone doesn't bring back luck this time around.
Posted by Joe McDonald Photo: The first pitch
Journal photo / Bob Breidenbach
Posted by Donna McGarry PREGAME: Schilling in winterBY SEAN McADAM BOSTON -- In a perfect world, under more prescribed circumstances, Curt Schilling would be making a World Series start with extra rest. But this time of year, Schilling -- and everyone else -- must make do with what the schedule presents. So when Schilling takes the mound tonight for Game 2, he'll be doing so without the extra rest the Sox have been careful to give him the last month. ''I'll be fine,'' assured Schilling. ''I think that a lot of their approach with me was that if you can get the extra rest, good; if not, fine. I mean, mentally, I didn't have to have it. I think it helped. But I don't think it's going to have any effect whatsoever on my stuff and my ability to pitch and win. ''I was getting ready to pitch Game Two, Game Three, Game Four -- whatever it was going to be. It hasn't really changed anything.'' Had Tim Wakefield been healthy and available, Schilling probably wouldn't have pitched until Game Three on Saturday, in Denver. But when Wakefield was scratched from the Sox' roster, the Sox had to adjust and Schilling was moved up in the rotation. That means that Schilling, who has the most experience pitching in Coors Field, is the one Red Sox starter guaranteed not to pitch there. ''Honestly, I don't care,'' he said. ''If I pitched there, I pitched there. It's a tough place to pitch. That being said, I always looked at is as I'm not going through this by myself.'' At this stage of his career, Schilling is focused more on what he has do to -- not where he has to do it. In his prime, he was a classic power pitcher who could set hitters up with a 95 mph fastball and put them away with a devestating splitter. Now, at age 40, he has to make concessions to age and injuries and goes after hitters with lesser stuff. ''I think what it really has done is placed a lot more emphasis on the preparation aspect of it,'' he said, ''and the amount of time and effort I have to put into watching video and going through the scouting reports. (And) now it's having to find multiple ways to do things to different hitters. ''I'm a different pitcher now, so whereas I used to be able to explout with one pitch exclusively, now I've got to be able to use multiple pitches in different spots.'' Of course, every time Schilling has taken the ball this month, it's with the knowledge that it could be the last time he does so in a Red Sox uniform. A free agent this winter, he could be pitching elsewhere in 2008. ''I've thought about it,'' acknowledged Schilling. ''I've had a couple of starts now where it could have been my last one (here). It's not something something (to worry about) beyond the initial disappointment of the possibility. I haven't really thought about it in depth. ''I'm playing in my fourth World Series and second as (a member of the) Boston Red Sox, so I certainly have nothing to be upset about or regretful for.''
Posted by Sean McAdam Photo: World Series
Journal photo / Bob Breidenbach
Posted by Donna McGarry PREGAME: Bronson Arroyo's in the houseBY JOE McDONALD BOSTON -- Former Red Sox pitcher and fan favorite Bronson Arroyo is attending tonight's Game One of the World Series. The right-hander, now with the Reds, never keeps his love for this city and the Red Sox a secret, and that didn't change tonight. It was clear earlier tonight that he was having a lot of fun being back at Fenway with the Red Sox in the Series. ''Just being in the ballpark is unbelievable,'' he said. ''I tell people all the time, I miss it every time I turn on the TV, and it’s a Tuesday night, it’s pouring rain, the playing the Devil Rays and it’s still a packed house. And I’m playing in a ballpark somewhere in the National League that’s only half full.'' He visited the Red Sox clubhouse and all his former teammates, including Manny, Papi and Youk. ''It’s great to be back here,'' he said. ''This atmosphere, and when it starts to get cool, you can start smelling that the fall is here. It’s almost like déjà vu of ’03 and ’04 and being in the playoffs and having those big runs against the Yankees.'' When asked if he would want to play in Boston again, he quickly answered. ''Yeah,” he said. ''It’s hard for guys who haven’t played here to understand how much it gets into your blood being around here. It wouldn’t matter who I was playing for, the honest truth is I would love to play back here. Maybe not now, but at some point before I hang up the spikes I want to play in this ballpark again.'' Most athletes don’t like to give predictions, but Arroyo isn’t playing so he was asked who he liked in the Series. ''I think the Rockies are a team that has a lot of no-name guys, who are pretty darn good,” he said. ''I really think they have a much better lineup than most people realize. I think their starting pitching will be a problem and trying to hold Boston’s lineup down, so I got the Sox definitely winning before Game Seven.''
Posted by Joe McDonald PREGAME: Lester Intended to Pitch Game FourBY STEVEN KRASNER BOSTON -- When Tim Wakefield was unable to answer the bell for a Game Two start tomorrow night, it opened the door for Jon Lester to make a World Series start. Lester is expected to start Game Four in Colorado. He threw a four-inning simulated game Tuesday during the Sox' workout. Of course, circumstances in the first three games could alter the Sox' plan, said manager Terry Francona. ''We fully intend for Lester to pitch Game Four, but again, there could be weather, there could be things that happen during games that change things. Unless something crazy happens, he will pitch,'' said Francona.
Posted by Steven Krasner PREGAME: Nerves are to be expectedBY STEVEN KRASNER BOSTON -- Manager Terry Francona was asked if he felt the need to tell rookie center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury to relax and not think about the fact that he's about to start in the World Series in front of a zillion baseball fans around the world. ''I think the biggest thing we can do as a staff is just remain consistent,'' said Francona. ''We talk to our guys all the time, but not that speech. I think that would set him off and make him nervous. He'll be fine.'' But, said Francona before tonight's Game One, being nervous is natural. It just can't become overwhelming, he said. ''If he wasn't nervous tonight, he'd be crazy,'' said Francona with a chuckle. ''I mean, this is the World Series. I'm nervous now, but it's a good nervous. It's fun. It's okay to be nervous. You just don't want that to get in the way of your success.''
Posted by Steven Krasner PREGAME: Moss heads to the Dominican RepublicBY STEVEN KRASNER BOSTON -- Brandon Moss, who had been with the Red Sox as a non-roster player as Boston moved through the first two rounds of the playoffs, has left the team and reported to a team in Santiago to play winter ball in the Dominican Republic. Moss has been an outfielder in his career since joining the Red Sox as an eighth-round draft pick in 2002. But the Sox have talked about wanting him to play some first base to give him a little more versatility and value to the team. Boston manager Terry Francona said the Sox have made their wishes known to Santiago that they would like him to get some experience at first base, but the Dominican teams are under no obligation to play him there. The Red Sox may have an ''in'' to get him some first-base action, though. The manager of the team is former big-league shortstop Felix Fermin. Boston pitching coach John Farrell knows Fermin from their days in the Cleveland Indians' organization.
Posted by Steven Krasner PREGAME: Best Wishes from Belichick, Doc RiversBY STEVEN KRASNER BOSTON -- They are the head coaches in different sports in the area, but they have sent their congratulations to Boston manager Terry Francona for making it back to the World Series for the second time in four years. Bill Belichick sent a couple of e-mails to Francona, the Red Sox skipper said yesterday. And Francona and Rivers have exchanged text messages. ''I appreciate it,'' said Francona. Francona has become friendly with Rivers. ''Doc Rivers is a really nice guy,'' said Francona. ''He is about as down to earth as you can be.'' Francona said he also has received congratulatory messages from, among others, Scott Pioli, the vice-president for player personnel of the New England Patriots, and Gene DeFillippo, athletic director at Boston College.
Posted by Steven Krasner PREGAME: Injury updates -- Coco, OrtizBY STEVEN KRASNER BOSTON -- Coco Crisp, who banged his left knee on the wall after making a sterling series-ending catch in the triangle last Sunday night, is not in the starting lineup. That wasn't necessarily a surprise because Jacoby Ellsbury had started the last two games of the ALCS, when the Red Sox overcame the Cleveland Indians and earned their spot in the World Series. But Boston manager Terry Francona didn't seem certain that Crisp would be able to play for defensive purposes late in tonight's game if the situation called for it. ''We'll watch him move around and the hope is that there's a lot of improvement today. But as of yet, I can't tell you that for sure," said Francona this afternoon during his pregame press conference. As for Ortiz, Francona said he wasn't permitted because of privacy laws to divulge whether the Sox' slugger had received another cortisone shot in his ailing right knee. But sources indicate that Ortiz, who already has had two cortisone shots in the area since the All-Star break, did not have another one and will do his best to play through the injury, which will require surgery after the Series.
Posted by Steven Krasner PREGAME: Snyder over Tavarez or CoreyBY STEVEN KRASNER BOSTON -- In somewhat of a surprise move, right-hander Kyle Snyder was added to the Sox' World Series roster once it was determined on Tuesday that Tim Wakefield (shoulder) was not going to be able to pitch in the Fall Classic. Manager Terry Francona said this afternoon that the choice to fill Wakefield's vacated spot came down to Snyder, Julian Tavarez or Brian Corey, a trio of right-handers. Snyder, who was 2-3 with a 3.81 earned-run average in 46 games totaling 54 1/3 innings, was not on the active roster for either of the first two rounds of the postseason. ''I think the best way to put it in a nutshell is we tried to cover everything or anything that could be thrown at us, whether it's weather, or whether it's somebody getting hit in the ankle by a line drive. And we felt that this best suited us for the entire series,'' said Francona. Francona was unable to deliver the good news to Snyder face-to-face. ''He snuck out of (the clubhouse after Tuesday's workout)," said Francona. ''We had to call him. I had to give him some bad news a couple of times (before the previous rounds), so this was nice.'' Francona said Corey, who went 1-0 with a 1.93 E.R.A. in 9 games in September after being promoted when the rosters expanded, was given heavy consideration for the spot. Francona expressed some sympathy for Corey's 2007 plight. The Sox, he said, think highly of him as a pitcher, but because of his service time, had they called him up for a week because of a specific need, they thought they'd then lose him because he would have to go through waivers before he could be sent back down. ''We have a lot of confidence in Corey," said Francona. ''He had a real difficult year because of his service time. But I think we all see Corey pitching in the major leagues even though it didn't happen for him this year (until the rosters expanded). I hope in the long run he gets rewarded for that. He deserves that. He's a major league pitcher.''
Posted by Steven Krasner PREGAME: Sox' batting order switchBY STEVEN KRASNER BOSTON -- Boston manager Terry Francona adjusted his batting order for tonight's Game One of the World Series because of the number of left-handed pitchers on the Rockies. J.D. Drew was dropped down from sixth to seventh and Julio Lugo was moved up from ninth to eighth, followed by Jacoby Ellsbury, who will start in center and bat ninth. This gives the Red Sox more of a left-right-left-right balance in their order, something Francona and his staff thought was necessary since the Rockies were starting a left-hander (Jeff Francis) and had left-handers Jeremy Affeldt, Franklin Morales and Brian Fuentes in their bullpen. So Boston will have Mike Lowell, a right-handed hitter, batting fifth, followed by switch hitter Jason Varitek, and then Drew (left-handed), Lugo (right-handed) and Ellsbury (left-handed) with Dustin Pedroia (right-handed) at the top of the order as it turns over. ''This way if we do get to the bullpen they don't have an inning they can have a lefty fly through three guys in a row. That would seem too easy,'' said Francona.
Posted by Steven Krasner PREGAME: World Series Fever!BY JOE McDONALD BOSTON -- Unlike 2004, this World Series has a different feel to it for some reason. Fenway Park was a madhouse three seasons ago for Game One of the series against the St. Louis Cardinals. The day of that game on Oct. 23, 2004, fans spent all day around Fenway, but today is different. It's actually kind of quiet outside the ballpark, but no doubt things will begin to pick up around here once it gets closer to first pitch, which is scheduled for 8:35. Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski, who won Baseball’s Triple Crown and the American League Most Valuable Award in 1967, will throw out the ceremonial first pitch prior to Game One tonight.
Posted by Joe McDonald PREGAME: Game One lineupsCOLORADO Willy Taveras, cf BOSTON
Posted by Joe McDonald Prep for rain tonight at FenwayWet weather in late October is to be expected. But what may really be giving New Englanders agita is how that weather will affect tonight's opening game of the World Series at Fenway. In Boston, the skies are now overcast with a temp of 57 degrees. Tonight, the temperature will continue to drop, perhaps into the 40s. Worse than that, rain is likely, especially after midnight, with a light north wind. Fans at the game should at least bring an umbrella. We'll keep you up to date with how it affects the game, if at all. More rain is due tomorrow morning with cloudy skies expected to give way to sunshine later in the day. The high temperature should reach the mid-50s. Just in time for the second World Series game, also in Boston. Click here for current weather and forecasts for Boston. Looking ahead to the weather in Denver, when the Sox face the Rockies on Saturday? It's predicted to be partly cloudy and in the 50s. Click here for a full forecast.
Posted by Andrea Panciera World Series correctionToday I wrote that Chris Iannetta was the first Rhode Island native to play in the World Series since Davey Lopes. Well, I was wrong. Warwick native, and former Pilgrim High School standout, Dan Wheeler pitched in the World Series for the Houston Astros in 2005. I really can't explain how I forgot about Dan's performance. Joe McDonald
Posted by Joe McDonald Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: Game One previewClick here to listen to today's edition of projo SoxTalk with Sean McAdam. The topics: the Rockies' past success against Josh Beckett; how to tell if the Rockies are rusty; what to expect from Jeff Francis; surprises on the Sox' postseason roster; the disappointing finish to Tim Wakefield's season; and how the Red Sox are preparing Jon Lester to return to the starting rotation. Following are excerpts from Sean's comments. How to tell if the Rockies are rusty: "I think it almost might manifest itself in an opposite form. You might see their hitters being a little more aggressive than they normally would -- swinging early in the count, trying to make things happen -- almost that excess energy that you have when you've had a week and a half-long layoff. ... But I think that once they get into the flow of the game, get through the first inning, you'll probably see that start to settle down." Postseason roster surprises: "I guess it wouldn't have shocked me, from a talent standpoint, had they replaced Doug Mirabelli with Kevin Cash, who I believe the Red Sox regard as a better catch-and-throw guy than Doug Mirabelli. Obviously Mirabelli's value to the Red Sox is often linked to Tim Wakefield, who will not be on the roster now. I think that maybe that was somewhat of a political move, in that Mirabelli is a popular veteran who's been around a number of years, and it might have been tough to take him off the World Series roster. ... The other one, obviously, is adding the pitcher to replace Wakefield -- they went with Kyle Snyder; I think most people would have expected that spot would have gone to Julian Tavarez. But interestingly, Tavarez was apparently not at the ballpark yesterday. Whether there are some personal issues, whether he was told he would not be on the roster and was upset -- I'm merely speculating there -- but I think the fact that they went with Snyder over Tavarez was something of an upset." Wakefield: "He's 41 years old, this is his second opportunity to be part of a World Series team, and while he will obviously be part of that team, he won't be taking part in the games. And for someone whose career is probably starting to wind down, although knuckleballers have a history of being able to pitch into their mid-40s, it was a huge blow. He was pretty upset about not being able to compete in the Division Series, but I think that he thought, and so did the Red Sox, that if he took that time off, it would help him later on, and it turned out it did not. The shoulder continues to bother him, and there was a question of, if he made one start, could he make another five days later. And the consensus seemed to be that was unlikely. So it was a tough decision for them and tough for him. I think it's probably the right move for the team, but you could see that he was in a lot of emotional pain yesterday."
Posted by Mike McDermott Download today's sports coverSee a position-by-position comparison of the Red Sox and Rockies on today's sports section front. Download a copy of the page in PDF format
Posted by Mike McDermott October 23, 2007
Red Sox announce rosterPITCHERS (11): Josh Beckett, Manny Delcarmen, Eric Gagne, Jon Lester, Javier Lopez, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Hideki Okajima, Jonathan Papelbon, Curt Schilling, Kyle Snyder, Mike Timlin. CATCHERS (2): Doug Mirabelli, Jason Varitek.
INFIELDERS (7): Alex Cora, Eric Hinske, Mike Lowell, Julio Lugo, David Ortiz, Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis.
OUTFIELDERS (5): Coco Crisp, J.D. Drew, Jacoby Ellsbury, Bobby Kielty, Manny Ramirez.
Posted by Joe McDonald The Rematch is on!By Joe McDonald BOSTON _ The last time Jeff Francis faced Josh Beckett, the Colorado Rockies starter out-dueled the Red Sox ace. It was June 14 this season when the surging Rockies came to Fenway Park with Beckett sporting a 10-1 record, but Francis pitched a gem as Colorado beat Boston, 7-1. The 26-year-old lefty worked five-plus scoreless innings and allowed just seven hits with two walks and six strikeouts. Beckett, 27, who was pitching at the top of his game at the time, surrendered six runs on 10 hits in five innings of work. “I don’t know him personally,” said Beckett. “I’ve obviously watched him in October and he pitched against me here during the season. He competes and throws all of his pitches for strikes. The thing that really impressed me about Jeff, watching him in October, was that he never changes his moods. It was really impressive to watch him pitch in both of those playoff games. . . It impressed me how even keel he was.” While Beckett is a strong candidate for the Cy Young Award in the American League with a 20-7 regular-season mark, Francis finished with a 17-9 mark, including his victory over Beckett in June. During the respective press conferences yesterday, Beckett and Francis proved to be two completely different individuals, at least publicly. Beckett is curt, quick and clearly does not like to deal with the media in this type of setting. Francis gave the old ‘golly-gee’ response to everything he was asked, like a kid at a carnival with a fist-full of quarters waiting for his turn at the radar gun. Beckett probably wished he had a gun. Back in June was Francis’s first time at Fenway and he pitched pretty well. He said he’ll take that experience with him when he toes the rubber in Game One of the World Series tonight. “Now we can come here and concentrate on the game,” said Francis. “We’re not in awe of the stadium. We’re not kind of blown away.” Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said Francis was able to stay within his skill set and stayed with his strategies during his only outing at Fenway in June. If Francis can do the same tonight, the Rockies will have a chance, according to the manager despite the Fenway crowd. “He worked both sides of the plate, keeping it down and elevated when he wanted to,” said Hurdle. “He was throwing some secondary pitches on offensive counts. He’s got a pretty slow heartbeat.”
Posted by Joe McDonald Rockies announce starting rotationGAME ONE GAME TWO GAME THREE GAME FOUR
Posted by Joe McDonald Tickets for games at Coors Field sell out / Photo
The Colorado Rockies sold out all three World Series games at Coors Field today, one day after their first attempt collapsed in a computer-system crash the team blamed on an "external, malicious attack." "The online system, after a slow start, certainly worked very, very well for us," club spokesman Jay Alves said. Alves said tickets were selling as fast as 1,500 per minute today and all were gone in 2 1/2 hours. Yesterday, the Rockies were forced to stop the online-only sale of tickets after about two hours when 8.5 million hits overwhelmed the servers set up to take the orders. The Rockies later said they were victims of an attack. Neither the team nor the company hired to run the sale, Irvine, Calif.-based Paciolan Inc., have offered any specifics about what happened. The Rockies are pitted against the Boston Red Sox in the World Series, which begins tomorrow night at Fenway Park in Boston. The visitors were in Bean Town today taking practice. The games move to Denver on Saturday. Dave Marcus of McAfee Avert Labs, the research arm of antivirus software maker McAfee Inc., said Paciolan could have been the target of a "denial-of-service" attack yesterday. Under that scenario, attacking computers overwhelm Web servers with repeated but false requests to connect. When the Web server signals the attacking computer to proceed, the attacker doesn't respond, tying up the server. "In a certain kind of denial-of-service attack, you never complete that handshake," Marcus said. Alves said he was unaware of any criminal investigation into what happened yesterday. The FBI did not immediately return a call from The Associated Press. -- Associated Press
Posted by Andrea Panciera Iannetta World Series bound By Joe McDonald
Providence native and St. Raphael Academy standout Chris Iannetta is the backup catcher for the Colorado Rockies and he’s in town to face the Red Sox in the October Classic, which begins tonight at Fenway Park. Growing up a Red Sox fan, Iannetta returned “home” last June when the Red Sox hosted the Rockies in a three-game series that Colorado won, 2-1. Unfortunately, he did not get to play and manager Clint Hurdle took some heat for it from Rhode Islanders, but everything is going very well for the kid who grew up just a hit-and-run away from Fenway Park. When he was here in June, Iannetta – the Rockies’ fourth-round pick in 2004 – never imagined he would return in October for the World Series. “No,” he said. “But it’s been great. It’s been an exciting ride and it’s been fun to be a part of. Experiencing the whole thing has been awesome. It’s really hard to explain in a few words.” Especially tough for a local kid who imagined his backyard was Fenway Park, and now he’s playing here on baseball’s biggest stage. He’s come a long way from Little Rhody. “It’s something that you can’t even imagine,” he said. “You can put yourself in factious situations where you’re in it, but to say this is how you’re going to get here and this is the process you’re going to take, you can never really fathom that. To experience this for the first time is really exciting.” While the rest of the Rockies squad arrived at Fenway around 1:30 yesterday afternoon, Iannetta had already hit in the batting cage and worked out. It’s that work ethic, combined with his obvious talent, are the reasons Iannetta finds himself in the World Series. The 24-year-old was the Rockies opening-day starting catcher, but struggled during the season before he was optioned to Triple-A Colorado Springs on Aug. 6. He played 16 games for the Sky Sox and produced a .296 average in 54 at-bats before the Rockies recalled him for good Aug. 26. He hit .348 for the Rockies during his final 16 games of the regular season to finish with a .218 average with four homers and 27 RBI. “He’s handled this very well,” said Rockies manager Clint Hurdle. “This has been a challenging year for Chris. He has very solid skills, and we do believe that he’s going to be an important part for us as we moved forward.” Iannetta made his pro debut with Single-A Asheville in 2004, he spilt 2005 between Single-A (High-A) Modesto and Double-A Tulsa. He played 44 games for Tulsa last season before making the jump to Triple-A Colorado Springs. In August of 2006 he was told he was being called up to the big club and he would be making his major-league debut. He started 20 of Colorado’s final 33 games of the season and he made the big club out of spring training this season. Now he’s participating in the World Series. “I’ve been fortunate enough to be on a great team,” he said. “Things have been good, but obviously I didn’t have the offensive year that I’m capable of, and the one I would be happy with. But it was a good step and a good experience, and hopefully I can build from it." Participating in the World Series at Fenway Park would be a hair-raising experience for any young player, especially Iannetta. “We like Chris,” said Hurdle. “We actually like him with a beard. Have you seen him with a beard before? He’s got more hair on his face than he does on his head. But we like him a lot.” Native Rhode Islanders do, too.
Posted by Joe McDonald Photo: Beckett getting ready
Journal photo / Gretchen Ertl
Posted by Donna McGarry TUESDAY WORKOUT: Fenway "special" to Rockies' FrancisBY STEVEN KRASNER BOSTON -- Left-hander Jeff Francis, who will start Game One of the World Series Wednesday night at Fenway Park, has already pitched in Boston. Francis blanked the Sox on seven hits over five innings in a 7-1 win on June 13. He very much enjoyed the experience of pitching at Fenway. ''I was here for the first time in June. Being a young fan for all of my life and watching a lot of big games here, a lot of special things happen here," said Francis. ''It's a ballpark with a lot of history. It's a special baseball place, the fans, the players, the team, the city. You can't really say enough about it. It's a special place and (pitching at Fenway) is something you never forget," said Francis.
Posted by Steven Krasner TUESDAY WORKOUT: The trade that wasn't madeBY STEVEN KRASNER BOSTON -- During the offseason, and into spring training, there were rumors that Colorado first baseman Todd Helton would be heading to Boston in a deal that would include incumbent Red Sox first baseman Kevin Youkilis. The trade, obviously, did not come to pass. And while Youkilis had a solid season, Colorado manager Clint Hurdle was happy the Rockies kept Helton, who turned 34 this season, his 11th year with the Rockies. ''I can't take you through how close it came (to being a done deal). That would be a question for ownership or a general manager. Things happen for a reason,'' said Hurdle this afternoon during his press conference prior to the Rockies' workout at Fenway Park. ''I think Todd made it clear that in his career he would rather get things accomplished in Colorado and that's the way it worked out. I don't think you could ever find Todd Helton more engaging and more emotionally satisfied than going through what he's going through and having this opportunity in front of him. He has been the face of the organization in many different ways,'' said Hurdle. ''The accomplishments on the field are very special, but the presence in the clubhouse, the way he embraced the younger players as they started to develop (was great). Guys like Todd Helton don't come around very often and we're very fortunate to have him still involved, playing first base and hitting cleanup for us in the 2007 World Series,'' he said.
Posted by Steven Krasner UPDATE: Wakefield will not pitch in Series
Journal photo / Gretchen Ertl
BOSTON _ Tim Wakefield’s season is over. During in impromptu press conference yesterday afternoon, as the Boston Red Sox were preparing to face the Colorado Rockies in Game One of the World Series that begins tonight at Fenway Park, the veteran knuckleballer announced he was done for the season. Due to recurring shoulder problems, the veteran knuckleballer said he spoke with Red Sox management and the club's medical staff, and the decision was made in Wakefield's best interest to shut it down for the remainder of the year. It is believed that he will not need offseason surgery, but he will undergo extensive testing at season’s end, including an arthrogram MRI where dye is injected into the shoulder. It’s not known at this point whether it’s a rotator cuff issue or a torn labrum. According to Wakefield, the injury began with inflammation in his shoulder, posterior shoulder and back two months ago. While Wakefield addressed his situation with the media, lefty Jon Lester was on the mound throwing a simulated game in preparation for a start that is yet to be determined. “I really wish I was up here talking about starting Game Two,” said Wakefield. “But unfortunately that’s not the case today. After long talks with Tito, (pitching coach) John Farrell, Theo (Epstein) and advice from the doctors, with my health, it’s not going to happen.” Wakefield said he could probably pitch in Game Two, but he would not be at 100 percent, and that’s not fair to his teammates. While dealing with this shoulder injury, he said his recovery after starts has been getting longer and longer. “Trust me,” he said. “This stinks. As a competitor I want to be out there competing. This is the ultimate stage and this is what I’ve worked hard for since spring training and through the course of the season to get to this point.” Wakefield, Red Sox management and the medical staff have been discussing the pitcher’s health behind closed doors for some time, according to Francona. And, at this point everyone was in agreement this move was best for Wakefield’s health and the impact it would have on the club. During this decision-making process Wakefield said he has thought about his future and his potential to pitch again. “Yeah, I have," he said. "If I continue to do this, based on the information I'm getting from the doctors, I'm seriously at risk of injuring myself for the rest of my life. So, that had a lot of weight in the decision. Even though it's the World Series, and Tito has been around me, a lot of you guys have been around me long enough to know I'll go out there 50 percent -- I don't care. I don't think it's fair to the organization or to me that I go out there and injury myself and I'm not available for next year or the year after that.” He said he attempted to throw a side session on Monday because doctors wanted to have a gage for how he felt the next day, but he couldn’t even get through the session without pain. “I was at a maximum of 75 percent, maybe 60 percent,” he said. “Trust me, this stinks. As a competitor I want to be out there competing. This is the ultimate stage and this is what I’ve been working hard for since spring training and now I’m not available. It sucks to put it bluntly.” Wakefield missed a start in September and received a cortisone shot, which he said helped. The problem wasn’t when he was pitching it was the days in between when the shoulder really bothered him to a point where he couldn’t play catch, he said. Because of the injury, the Red Sox decided to keep Wakefield off the ALDS roster against the Angels in order for him to get the proper rest in case the team reached the ALCS, which it did and he was able to pitch Game Four against the Indians. He allowed five runs on five hits in 4 2/3 innings which proved to be his last outing of the 2007 season. Until early last month, this season was a good one for Wakefield, his 13th with the Red Sox. He matched a career-high in wins with a 17-12 record, along with his 4.76 ERA. "It wasn't a lot of fun," said Red Sox manager Terry Francona when asked about the decision to keep Wakefield off the World Series roster. "That's part of the reason Wake is sitting here now, because of our respect and regard for him. It wasn't just a move made on paper and we'll go on. Sometimes doing the right thing is certainly not the fun thing, but it comes back to having respect for the organization, for the team and for the players. That will never change."
Posted by Joe McDonald BREAKING NEWS: Wakefield's off the World Series rosterTim Wakefield's shoulder injury has forced the Red Sox to leave him off the World Series roster. More to come from Joe McDonald . . .
Posted by Art Martone PHOTO: Matsuzaka chats with Matsui
Daisuke Matsuzaka talks with Rockies second baseman Kaz Matsui, a fellow Japanese import, during Tuesday's pre-World Series workouts at Fenway Park.
Posted by Art Martone TUESDAY WORKOUT: Clairvoyant TulowitzkiBY STEVEN KRASNER BOSTON -- When the Rockies polished off the Red Sox, 7-1, on June 14 in the rubber game of a three-game series at Fenway Park, rookie shortstop Troy Tulowitzki had a prediction for his teammates. ''After the series I actually said, 'We're going to come back here and play in the World Series.' '' Tulowitzki said Tuesday afternoon. ''The guys on the team looked at me like I was crazy,'' he said. ''But here we are.'' Maybe Tulowitzki should become a fortune teller when his baseball-playing days are behind him. At the time of his prediction, the Rockies were hardly a lock to win the National League wild card, let alone find their way into the World Series. The June 14 victory boosted their record to just 33-33, leaving them fourth in the N.L. West.
Posted by Steven Krasner TUESDAY WORKOUT: Realizing a dreamBY STEVEN KRASNER BOSTON -- There's no question players will be a little nervous when the World Series opens Wednesday night in Fenway Park. But to the Rockies' Brad Hawpe, it will almost be a case of deja vu when the Series commences even if this is his first postseason experience. ''For most of us, this is something we've been thinking about and dreaming about for the last 25 years, not just for the last week-and-a-half,'' said Hawpe. ''That gives you a comfortable feeling. You've thought about it so much that it's like you've been there already.''
Posted by Steven Krasner TUESDAY WORKOUT: Lopez a former RockieBY STEVEN KRASNER BOSTON -- Javier Lopez will be in the Red Sox' bullpen in the World Series, but he has a soft spot in heart for the Colorado Rockies. ''It's kind of special (to be playing the Rockies) because that was the team I broke in with,'' said Lopez, who was acquired by Colorado from the Red Sox on March 18, 2003, after Boston had claimed the submarining left-hander via the Rule 5 draft the previous December. ''It's going to be fun. Those guys have had some tough years I knew they had the talent with a lot of young players,'' said Lopez, who spent parts of three seasons with Colorado, going 5-3 in 142 games for the Rockies. Lopez realizes that once the series shifts to the mile-high atmosphere in Coors Field, the Red Sox' are in for a bit of a change. ''The challenge won't be with the ballpark, but on the body,'' said Lopez. ''The altitude makes you feel more sluggish because your body has to get acclimated (to the atmosphere). You have to be ready to be a little more sore. Your body just has to get used to it.''
Posted by Steven Krasner TUESDAY WORKOUT: Is it the Stanley Cup Finals or the World Series?BY SEAN McADAM BOSTON -- The World Series features two Canadians -- Colorado starter Jeff Francis and Red Sox reliever Eric Gagne. That's something of a rarity, acknowledged Gagne. ''It's not something that happens every day,'' he said. ''I've spoken with (Francis) a few times. We know each other from Baseball Canada (a national program) and we've seen each other at some dinners and charities. I first met him three or four years ago and we've spoken a few times. ''It's pretty cool. When I came to the major leagues, there were probably two or three Canadians. Now, there's a bunch.'' Gagne had a clean inning in mop-up duty in Game Six of the ALCS and was asked if his effectiveness might persuade the Sox to use him in a more meaningful role. ''I feel great physically,'' he said. ''I don't care what they do with me; I just want to pitch. They can use me in the second inning. I just want to help the team win a World Series. That's what I came here for.''
Posted by Sean McAdam TUESDAY WORKOUT: Pedroia's over the jitters / Photo
BY SEAN McADAM BOSTON -- Rookie second baseman Dustin Pedroia, who had five RBI in Game Seven of the ALCS, believes his postseason slow starts are over. Pedroia was 1-for-9 over the first two games of the ALDS and had just one hit in his first nine plate appearances in the ALCS. ''It was tough,'' he said of the first few games of the first two rounds. ''I didn't know what to expect. But once I got into the flow of the series and played, it was better. In the playoffs, everything happens so fast. ''But as I've been saying, it's now how you start, it's how you finish. I'm not concerned. I'm comfortable now, regardless. I've played this game all year and had a great year. I'm ready.''
Posted by Sean McAdam TUESDAY WORKOUT: Is Ortiz on first for all three games in Colorado? / Photo
BY SEAN McADAM BOSTON -- David Ortiz, who hasn't played first base since the Sox' last interleague trip in June, has been battling a bad knee for the second half of the season. Ortiz (above, working out at first base Tuesday), of course, has served as DH only for most of the regular season and the first two rounds of the postseason. Asked today if he could play first base in the middle three games in Denver, Ortiz said: ''Hopefully. I don't even know if I'm playing first base. I guess -- wish me good luck.'' When asked how his balky knee would hold up, Ortiz said: ''I don't know. I'll tell you after I played the first game. (The knee) feels good right now. It's a short series -- you've got to suck it up.'' Ortiz is one of eight players who were on the 2004 World Series team and said he had some advice for those making their Fall Classic debut. ''You don't get a chance to do this every day,'' said Ortiz. ''Whenever you get the opportunity . . . there's one thing I want everybody to keep in mind -- this could be a one-time thing in your career. ''I tell everybody, 'Go out and play your best. If you go down, go down swinging.' ''
Posted by Sean McAdam TUESDAY WORKOUT: Sign here, pleaseBY STEVEN KRASNER BOSTON -- When the Red Sox walked into their clubhouse Tuesday morning, their autographs were requested. Not by fans, mind you. But by Major League Baseball. MLB had spread out more than a dozen boxes of baseballs on a table for the Red Sox to sign for the Commissioner's Office. There also were bats for them to sign, with the memorabilia, presumably, going to various sponors and for chairty purposes. The incentive for the players? MLB was offering them an Apple iTouch.
Posted by Steven Krasner TUESDAY WORKOUT: Who's the favorite?By STEVEN KRASNER BOSTON -- The Red Sox have been installed as 2-to-1 favorites to win the World Series by various establishments in Las Vegas. That's not really a surprise in most quarters. Boston finished tied with Cleveland for the best record (96-66) in the majors this season and features one of the game's all-time great postseason starting pitchers in Josh Beckett, who can start at least twice in the best-of-seven Series against the Colorado Rockies. Well, at least not too many are surprised by that oddsmaking designation. But Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon wasn't buying it. ''How are we the favorites?'' asked Papelbon Tuesday morning, holding court in front of his locker in Boston's clubhouse prior to the team's workout. ''They've won 25 in a row or whatever. The playoffs are all about momentum, so how are we the favorites?'' he continued with a twinkle in his eye. Papelbon was exaggerating the Rockies' recent string of success, but not by much. Colorado swept its first two rounds of the postseason, going 7-0 against Philadelphia and Arizona. The Rockies have won 21 of their last 22 games overall. Colorado will have gone eight days between games, but Papelbon dismissed that as a factor. ''The layoff doesn't matter,'' he said. He was pressed about his contention that the Rockies should be favored. ''Have you been listening to the words coming out of my mouth?'' asked Papelbon good-naturedly. ''They should be the favorites. Or have you ever heard about an even point spread? Just because Vegas thinks (the Sox should be favored) doesn't mean the players in the clubhouse think so.''
Posted by Steven Krasner Reporter's query: Seeking stories from World SeriesAre you going to the World Series? Willing to tell us your story from the games? We'll even take stories from non-Red Sox fans :) If so, please e-mail The Journal newsroom, at pjnews@projo.com, with your name, telephone number and e-mail address, and a reporter may contact you.
Posted by Andrea Panciera Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: Countdown to the World SeriesClick here to listen to today's edition of projo SoxTalk with Sean McAdam. The topics: Game Seven on Sunday night, the resurgence of Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis; whether the Red Sox or the Rockies have more momentum entering the Fall Classic; how the young Rockies will handle the Fenway pressure cooker; unfamiliar faces on the Colorado staff; overall edge to the Red Sox; and the workout schedule today. Following are some excerpts from Sean's comments. On Joel Skinner holding Kenny Lofton at third Sunday night: "It certainly seems like it changed the game, because Lofton would have scored the tying run. It turns out that Casey Blake grounds into the double play on the next at-bat, and the Red Sox get out of it with some help from third-base coach Joel Skinner. Consequently Blake makes that error at third, and maybe that's because he's thinking about the play that didn't get made and the double play that he hit into in the top of the inning. It's hard to say; you can't really rewind the tape and assume that things are going to unfold the same way, but certainly whatever momentum Cleveland had going into the top of the seventh seemed to completely dissipate after the error in judgment by Skinner." Would you rather be the well-rested Rockies or the surging Red Sox? "I think the Red Sox' situation is probably more advantageous. Two days off seems just about right -- enough time to catch your brearth so that you're not playing one game right after another. You're at home, so you don't have to change cities until later this week. Conversely, the eight days [of rest for Colorado] does seem excessive. Obviously there's nothing the Rockies can do about that -- that resulted from their sweeping the Diamondbacks in the NLCS and being a very dominant team. But you would think that, for a team without a lot of playoff experience and a lot of guys there for the first time, the eight days might be a lot of sitting around and maybe thinking about things a little too much. If I could pick A or B, I think the Red Sox are a bit more fortunate in their timing." Prediction: "I don't think there's much question -- I don't think I'm being parochial here -- that the Red Sox have more talent on paper. They have more experience, they have more power, they have an edge in the closer's role, their rotation is deeper and more experienced. But we've seen before -- last year a Detroit Tigers team seemed to be clearly superior to the St. Louis Cardinals, and they lost the World Series. So it isn't all about talent and who looks better on paper this time of year; it's who plays the game better, who's playing better when the series begins, momentum, a lot of the intangibles. I expect a pretty competitive series, although I think the Red Sox will eventually prevail."
Posted by Mike McDermott Download today's sports coverGet in on the Red Sox celebrations, an overview of this year's postseason play and look ahead to the World Series. Download a copy of the page in PDF format
Posted by Rich Lee October 22, 2007
Photo: Red Sox Nation decks itself out
At Dick's Sporting Goods in Warwick, Tom Mullins, of Warwick, had waited at the front door from 5:40 a.m. until “locker room” hats -- the style worn by the Red Sox during their locker room celebration last night -- arrived at 5:45 tonight. “Every time they win, I make sure I’m down here the next morning. When they celebrate on the field, I celebrate the next morning," he said. -- With reports from Journal staff writer Paul Edward Parker
Posted by Andrea Panciera Jonathan Papelbon's Riverdance redux / Photo, video
Of course, what would such a performance be without being uploaded to YouTube. Here's one videographer's version of the jig. Gallery: See more Journal photos of the Sox' celebration after the game last night.
Posted by Jack Perry POSTGAME: Sox fans salute IndiansBY ART MARTONE BOSTON -- As the Indians' players made their way from their clubhouse to the team bus, which was parked in right field, they found themselves being honored by an unlikely group of people. Red Sox fans who had stayed behind at Fenway Park for the post-clinching celebration stood to the sides and created an alley for the players to walk through. And as they passed, the fans applauded, making comments like, ''Good series,'' and ''Good luck next year.'' Ex-Sox right fielder Trot Nixon was the first to pass, and he seemed surprised by the ovation. The other Cleveland players passed stoically, but Travis Hafner had a smile on his face. It all occured at around 1 a.m. And at 1:04 a.m., with the field finally clear of Red Sox players but the lights still on and the grounds crew beginning its work, the Fenway Park organist began playing ''The Impossible Dream.''
Posted by Art Martone POSTGAME: Dice-K swarmedBOSTON - The scene said an awful lot about how close the players are on this Red Sox team. But then Matsuzaka hit a wall. Veterans Curt Schilling and Mike Timlin made sure to surround the winning pitcher in the pennant-clinching game and drench him with a twin-engine shower of champagne. Dice-K laughed and smiled and shot his arms into the air in celebration.
Posted by Kevin POSTGAME: Wake tips cap to old friend MillarBy KEVIN McNAMARA BOSTON – Tim Wakefield actually felt that having old friend/cheerleader Kevin Millar at Fenway Park Sunday night helped spur the Red Sox to the World Series. Millar was an emotional leader in 2004 when the Sox won the world championship and he was invited back to town Sunday to throw out the first pitch of Game Seven of the ALCS. After the Red Sox pulled away for a convincing 11-2 win over the Indians, Wakefield made sure to give a shout out to his former teammate when asked about the feeling around this team and the `04 club. ''It’s very similar, very similar,” said Wakefield. ''We don’t have Millar here to keep everything loose but to be honest I think we learned a lot from him about being loose. It helped once we got down 3-1 in this series.” Wakefield was the controversial starter in Game Four of this series. He threw the ball very well for four innings bit got knocked around and chased from the game in the fifth. He says he never worried once the Sox fell down 3-1 in the series because Josh Beckett was the scheduled starter in Game Five. ''We had the right guy on the mound in Game Five. That was big,” he said. ''As long as we won a Game Five to get it back to Boston I felt good. I knew we’d be all right.” With two World Series appearances in four seasons, the Red Sox are now clearly the model franchise in the American League. Wakefield said the team’s ownership and front office should see plenty of credit for the achievement. ''Ever since Mr. (John) Henry took over, they’ve just done tings right,” he said. ''The right manager, the right way to treat people and the right players. Just doing all the right things. The chemistry is huge and I think they understood that. It’s a big philosophy in the front office. From the coaching staff to the manager to the players, it’s a perfect fit. You can’t say anything negative about the whole situation.”
Posted by Kevin POSTGAME: Beckett earns ALCS MVPBy JOE McDONALD BOSTON -- Curt Schilling fought his way through a crowded clubhouse to find Josh Beckett. The pair of Red Sox aces found each other near the door in the midst of champagne and beer. They embraced, and for once the always-confident Beckett appeared humble, asking the veteran why he won the Most Valuable Player Award for the ALCS. ''Because you are the MVP,” Schilling told him. ''In the postseason [the voters] actually get it right.'' Beckett pitched a complete-game four-hitter in Game One of the ALDS against the Angels, then tossed six solid innings in Game One of the ALCS against the Indians when he surrendered two runs on four hits. In was lights out again in Game Five of this series, working eight strong innings, allowing just one run on five hits. The right-hander finished the ALCS with a 2-0 record and a 1.93 ERA to become the third Red Sox player in LCS history to win the honors, joining David Ortiz (2004) and Marty Barrett (1986).
Posted by Joe McDonald POSTGAME: Matsuzaka gets win in second chanceBy STEVEN KRASNER BOSTON -- After losing Game Three in Cleveland, Daisuke Matsuzaka was distaught, knocked out after only 4 2/3 innings. But his teammates kept telling the right-hander that they would give him a chance to redeem himself. That opportunity came Sunday night, in the deciding game of the ALCS because the Sox had captured Games Five and Six in forcing a winner-take-all contest at Fenway Park. And while Matsuzaka wasn't dominant, he turned in five solid innings, leaving with a 3-2 lead as manager Terry Francona turned to his bullpen duo of Hideki Okajima and Jonathan Papelbon, who held Cleveland in check in what ballooned to an 11-2 win. ''The team kept telling me to get ready to pitch Game Seven,'' said Dice-K through translator Masa Hoshino. ''I think everybody on this team worked very well together to bring us into Game Seven. I just wanted to respond as best I could to my teammates today. ''I felt very lucky that this start came along and belonged to me, but I also felt that with the momentum we had going into the game, there was no way we were going to lose," said Matsuzaka, who won the title game for Team Japan in the World Baseball Classic last year, prompting the Sox to shell out $103 million in posting fees and salary to bring him to the Red Sox. He was happy enough that he was able to turn a lead over to the bullpen, though he was by no means totally satisfied with his performance. ''My velocity itself was okay, even in my last start. But today I wanted to get ahead in the count and even if I missed a few spots, I wanted to throw with a lot of power. I think I was able to do that,'' said Matsuzaka, who gave up six hits, fanned three and didn't walk a batter. ''Once I was in the game I tried not to worry about all the small things. I wanted to go out there and swing my arm hard and put my heart into it, and I wanted to display that to everybody that was watching,'' he said. That audience included fans in Japan, where the game was broadcast live, starting at around 9:30 a.m., Monday, local time in Japan. Now he is looking forward to pitching in the World Series in his rookie season in the big leagues. ''I think the first repsonse (to his outing Sunday night) is the team winning, and in that sense, I'm very happy," he said. ''But there is more to play and I'm not 100 percent satisfied with my own pitching today. I want to address some of those things in my next outing. The world's biggest stage is still waiting for us, and I'd like to see what I can do."
Posted by Steven Krasner POSTGAME: Taking it all inBy JOE McDONALD BOSTON -- He played two games, and the Boston Red Sox won both of them. Coincidence? Probably not. Every time this season the Red Sox summoned the duties of Jacoby Ellsbury, he shined. Not just on one occasion, he performed at a major-league level every time he stepped onto the field. Because of his success during the regular season, and with the struggles of Coco Crisp in the postseason, Red Sox management decided it was time for a change. Ellsbury made things happen in Boston’s Game Six victory, and again in Game Seven to help the club to its second World Series appearance in four years. He’s a rookie, but there he was standing in the middle of the clubhouse celebration, getting drenched with champagne and beers. He’s part of the team now. A big part. ''Words can’t explain this,” he said. ''This is awesome. To come like this is awesome. We stayed relaxed and had confidence. This is awesome. We’re tight and we never had our backs to the wall. The veterans and everybody, we all had confidence in ourselves. We stayed true to ourselves.'' Someone asked Ellsbury if the champagne tasted sweeter at Fenway, a veiled remark to Ryan Garko. ''It does,'' said Ellsbury. ''It definitely tastes sweeter at home.''
Posted by Joe McDonald POSTGAME: Coco's knee is fine. And happy.By KEVIN McNAMARA BOSTON -- Coco Crisp may have felt the last out of Sunday night’s pennant-winning game more than any other Red Sox. With the 11-2 win over the Indians assured, Casey Blake drove a Jonathan Papelbon pitch deep towards the triangle in center field. Crisp ran hard to his left and made a running catch that left him sliding into the bullpen wall. As Fenway Park erupted, Crisp stayed on his knees, shook off the pain and began celebrating. ''I was really shook up, but my knee caught the padding out there. I’m OK,'' Crisp said as champagne flowed in the Boston clubhouse. ''I was feeling a little pain but it feels nice now.'' Crisp’s defense is a major reason why the Red Sox captured their second A.L. title in four seasons. ''We try to prepare all season for this moment,'' he said. ''This was the first time all season we had our backs against the wall and we were resilient and we got the job done. We proved we can be the best team in baseball. Now we have one more step to go.''
Posted by Kevin POSTGAME -- Mike Lowell comments-- On starting the key double play, when the Indians had runners at first and third with one out in the seventh, trailing by only a run, at 3-2. "The ground ball (hit by Casey Blake) had a lot of topsin on it. I just wanted to make sure I caught it. It wasn't the greatest feed (to second baseman Dustin Pedroia), but because he's 4-foot-8 he was able to turn that one easily," said Lowell with a chuckle. -- On Daisuke Matsuzaka's performance -- two earned runs in five innings. "He was very relaxed and comfortable going through the first three innings. He was pitching well. If this had been the regular season I'm sure he would have gone seven innings, but we had the luxury of a good bullpen in a game where there was no tomorrow," said Lowell. -- On being able to overcome the Indians' 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. "I think we did a good job of not looking ahead to win three games. We took a good approach into Game Five, that we had to win that game. We couldn't be thinking about facing (Fausto) Carmona in Game Six when we were facing (C.C.) in Game Five. Then after (winning) Game Five, we worried about winning Game Six. That's the approach we took," he said. -- On the series in general. "I think it was a great series. Their bullpen was lights out the first five games. We had some good pitching. I thought there was a lot of excitement and a lot of drama. Fans on both ends got their money's worth," said Lowell. -- On hitting in Coors Field, the high-altitude home of the Colorado Rockies, the Sox' opponent in the World Series. "Everyone thinks you hit a popup to shortstop and it goes out. But that's not the way it is. It's just that it's a big field and there's a lot of room for hits," said Lowell.
Posted by Steven Krasner POSTGAME: Pedroia the Destroy-aBy JOE McDONALD BOSTON -- The toss of the bat told the entire story. Red Sox rookie Dustin Pedroia put bat to ball in the seventh inning, and as soon as he did he immediately tossed the bat end-over-end. He knew he had just hit a two-run homer into the Monster seats to break open a 3-2 game. That homer put Boston in front 5-2, and the Sox added six more in the eighth -- three riding home on a bases-loaded double by Pedroia -- as they coasted to an 11-2 victory and the American League pennant. ''I was excited,'' he said with a bit of a sinister laugh. ''I hit it real well and I was just worried because the wind was pushing it towards center, and I was thinking, ‘Oh, no,’ because I didn’t want it to hit off the top of the wall. I was just trying to get the run in and put a good swing on the ball.'' As he rounded first base and knew it was gone, Pedroia unleashed one of his vintage vocal fist-pumps because he just ignited a team. He had ignited a city. He had ignited a Nation. ''I really don’t think too much,'' he said when asked what he was thinking about running the bases. ''I just try to play the game, have fun and go on from there. This year has been such a grind. It’s my first full year of playing and the veteran guys have taken care of me and shown me how to do things. It’s been unbelievable.'' When Pedroia was struggling in the first half of the month, he knew he would finish the season strong. There was a time when David Ortiz pulled him into the batting cage, not only to work on hitting, but just to talk about the game in general. The hour-long talked worked. ''I’ve been through a lot,'' said Pedroia. ''Everyone has been through a lot. That’s why we’re a team. This is special. It’s a special time right now.'' Mike Lowell has been in this game for a long time, and he and the rest of the older players on the club quickly realized how special this Pedroia was . . . and is. ''You get contributions from guys you don’t always expect,'' said Lowell. ''I’m not saying we didn’t expect him to do well, but he’s gone beyond the call of duty and today he had two huge hits. We are very proud of him.'' When things weren’t going so well for Pedroia at the start of the season, manager Terry Francona fielded a ton of questions why he continued to stick with the pint-sized infielder. Francona kept preaching patient, and it paid off just like the organization knew it would. “That’s why we don’t run away from guys,” said the manager. “He’s a winning player. Again, that doesn’t assure that you’re always going to get hits, but he still knows how to play the game, and his hits were welcome and they were clutch.” Pedroia finished Game Seven 3-for-5, including five RBI and three runs scored. Up next: The World Series. ''I’m tired, man,'' he said. ''We’ve been locked in for so long and you don’t real get a chance to sit back and enjoy it. Everything happens so fast and you work so hard for this opportunity, this is just a great night for us.'' From the time the Red Sox drafted him in 2004 -- the same year the Red Sox won their first World Championship in 86 years -- Pedroia was always considered an underdog in some peoples’ mind. Not in his own. Not in the minds of Red Sox management. And even though he started the season slow, he finished strong and proved why he’s one of the best young players in the majors. ''I don’t think about it,'' he said of the slow start. ''If you start slow that just means you have to finish strong. I just go out there and play the game hard, and play the game it is supposed to be played.''
Posted by Joe McDonald POSTGAME: Eric Wedge's reactionBY BILL REYNOLDS BOSTON -- Before the game Indians' manager Eric Wedge was well aware of the significance of a seventh game against the Red Sox. ''We have a chance to win a pennant tonight,'' he said, ''and there's almost a sense of peace about that. One way or the other it will end. And when you talk about Game Seven, that says it all.'' But it wasn't to be for the Indians' manager. ''Any time you go a seventh game in a series like this, you know it's going to go back and forth,'' he said. ''We won three in a row, then they won three in a row. We talked about it even prior to today's game because obviously the score was much closer than it edned up being. ''You knew that whoever took advantage of opportunities, or if mistakes were made, that was probably going to be the difference, and I think it probably was today.'' That being said, Wedge was obviously disappointed, especially after having been up 3-1 with the fifth game in Cleveland. ''I'm disappointed we weren't able to finish it off,'' he said. ''But I'm proud as I could be of our players. I've told them it's been my honor and privilege to manage this baseball team. ''The respect that they show for the game, what it means to be a great teammate, and how they play the game means more to me and to us as the Indians' organization than anything. We fell short, but I think we learned a great deal in this postseason.''
Posted by Joe McDonald POSTGAME: Francona's prize -- managing the All-Star Game at Yankee StadiumBY ART MARTONE When Terry Francona got to the podium in the interview room, he was reminded that, by virtue of winning the 2007 American League pennant, he'll be managing the 2008 All-Star Game. At Yankee Stadium. The All-Star Game will be held at the Yankees' home next season, the final year the Yanks will play there. (They'll move into their new stadium in 2009.) Francona's earning the All-Star managing job is somewhat fitting, since then-Yankee manager Joe Torre was the A.L. manager when the All-Star Game was last held at Fenway Park, in 1999.
Posted by Art Martone POSTGAME: Celebration beginsBOSTON -- It took until 12:17 p.m., but the fans at Fenway Park who waited around after the Sox had clinched the American League pennant -- about half the 37,000-plus who attended Game Seven -- got what they were waiting for. David Ortiz, American League championship trophy in tow, came back onto the field, placed the trophy near the pitching mound and saluted the patrons. The fans roared. Soon the entire team, wearing the red T-shirts commemorating the A.L. championship, where on the field with Ortiz. And Jonathan Papelbon, as he'd done when the Sox clinched the A.L. East, did his Irish dance to the tune ''I'm Shipping Up To Boston'' by the Dropkick Murphys.
Posted by Art Martone October 21, 2007
POSTGAME: Indians pen failsBy KEVIN McNAMARA BOSTON -- After emerging as one of the elite relief pitchers in baseball over the last few months, Rafael Betancourt could not get the job done Sunday night. The Cleveland right-hander was rocked for seven runs on five hits in his 1.2 innings as the Indians' bullpen crumbled and Boston rolled to a 11-2 win. Betancourt, a one-time Red Sox farmhand, entered the game with Boston clinging to a 3-2 lead. He struggled right out of the gate in the bottom of the seventh, however, as Dustin Pedroia smashed a two-run home run to push the Red Sox lead to 5-2. He fell apart further in the bottom of the eighth inning as the Sox pushed across runs to ice the game. Betancourt came into Sunday's game with sterling postseason numbers. In six games this October, he had pitched 8 scoreless innings. He allowed just two runs and retired the first batter he faced seven out of seven times.
Posted by Kevin FINAL: Boston 11, Cleveland 2By Joe McDonald BOSTON _ The Red Sox belong where they’re going! After trailing three games to one in the American League Championship Series, Boston pulled off another dramatic postseason comeback and pounded the Cleveland Indians in Game Seven at Fenway Park last night, 11-2. Now, it’s on to baseball’s holy grail as the Red Sox will have a chance to win their second World Series Championship in the last four years when they face the National League’s Colorado Rockies, beginning Wednesday at Fenway Park. From the time new ownership took control of this organization in December of 2001, principal owner John Henry and his partners promised to change the landscape and the philosophy of the organization that had not won a championship since 1918. The Red Sox accomplished that feat in 2004, and now they have another chance for Fall immortality. Momentum in last night’s game shifted back and forth with nail-biting intensity before Red Sox rookie second baseman Dustin Pedroia delivered the crushing blow with a two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh inning off Cleveland reliever Rafael Betancourt en route to victory. Pedroia then added a base-clearing double in the bottom of the eighth. Kevin Youkilis added a two-run homer in the eighth inning. Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon was called upon to record the final six outs and he did just that. In order to reach the World Series of America’s Pastime, the Red Sox handed the ball to a Japanese pitcher to get the club to the promised land as Daisuke Matsuzaka, who had struggled in his other two postseason starts, tried to mimic what fellow starters Josh Beckett and Curt Schilling have been able to do. He showed signs of brilliance in the first three innings, but needed fellow Japanese reliever Hideki Okajima to keep the Indians at bay in the later innings before Papelbon took over in the eighth with two on and no outs. Matsuzaka finished five innings and allowed two runs on six hits, while Okajima worked two-plus innings and allowed three hits. Papelbon earned the save. Like Games Five and Six, the Red Sox received a huge jumpstart from their top two hitters – Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis – in the first inning. After Matsuzaka retired the Indians in order in top of the first, the Red Sox pushed a run across in the bottom half for a 1-0 advantage. Pedroia led off with a single to left, followed by a Youkilis single to left. David Ortiz struck out before Manny Ramirez provided an RBI-single. Mike Lowell singled to left to load the bases, but J.D. Drew couldn’t repeat his Game Six grand-slam performance, and grounded into a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning. Again, Matsuzaka retired the side in order in the second and the Sox’ offense responded in the bottom half with another run for a 2-0 lead. The third was much of the same, this time the Red Sox starter surrendered his first hit, a two-out single by the Indians’ Casey Blake, but Cleveland couldn’t convert. Boston scored its third run in the bottom half after Youkilis led off with a double, reached third on an infield ground out by Ortiz and was stranded when the Indians intentionally walked Ramirez. Lowell answered with a sacrifice fly for a 3-0 advantage. Matsuzaka began to struggle in the fourth when he allowed one run on two hits, and then Cleveland pushed across another in the top of the fifth to cut its deficit to one run, 3-2. He was finished after five innings and replaced with Okajima, who was solid in his two innings of work. The lefty reliever was helped out big time with a couple of solid defensive plays, to go along with a few miscues by Cleveland. With one out in the top of the seventh inning, Lugo committed an error when he dropped a Kenny Lofton pop up to shallow left field, allowing the runner to reach second. The Indians’ Franklin Gutierrez lined a base hit down the third-base line, and with Lofton rounding third in an attempt to tie the game, was held up by third-base coach Joel Skinner. That proved crucial because Casey Blake grounded into a 5-4-3 double play to end the threat. The Red Sox responded. After Jacoby Ellsbury reached, and advanced to second, on an error by Blake at third that set up Lugo sacrifice bunt. That’s when Pedroia delivered his crushing two-run homer into the Monster Seats for a 5-2 lead, before the Red Sox scored six runs in the bottom of the eighth inning for an 11-2 final. This team was built for the postseason. It was built for the World Series. That’s exactly where Boston is heading.
Posted by Joe McDonald IN-GAME NEWS: Sox' Japan trip still up in the airBY SEAN McADAM BOSTON -- Industry sources say the Red Sox' proposed trip to Japan to open the 2008 season has yet to be made official, though it continues to inch toward finality. Major League Baseball is attempting to stage two games between the Red Sox and Oakland A's next March to kick off the season, but a number of issues must still be resolved. The Major League Baseball Players Association, which is helping to broker the deal, has asked MLB to hold off on negotiations with the Sox' players until their season is complete.
Posted by Sean McAdam IN-GAME TIDBIT: Welcome to the breakfast showBY SEAN McADAM BOSTON -- Major League Baseball expects record-setting ratings for the broadcast of Game 7 in Japan, which will begin at approxiamtely 9:20 Monday morning.
Posted by Sean McAdam Pregame photos
Posted by Rich Lee PREGAME w/photo: First Mueller, now Millar
BOSTON -- Former Red Sox utilityman, and current Baltimore Oriole, Kevin Millar will throw out the first pitch tonight. His former World Series teammate in 2004, Bill Mueller, tossed out the first pitch prior to Game Six on Saturday. The weird thing here is, Millar is still playing. And, for an A.L. East team. How he and the Red Sox were able to pull this one off is crazy. "I don't get it," said Red Sox manager Terry Francona with a huge smile. "This is another one of those things where he can pull it off. He's a member of the Baltimore Orioles and he's going to be spurring on the Red Sox, and nobody is going to say a word. He'll probably bring the house down. "I don't get it. I love it, but I don't get it. It's Millar. The whole place will be coming down. It's hilarious." Since Millar left the Red Sox, he has kept in close contact with many remaining players, including Francona. Usually, when the Red Sox are on the road and going to a city where the Orioles just left, Francona will always find a "treat" on his desk. It usually stinks and is placed in a brown bag.
Posted by Joe McDonald PREGAME: Westbrook offers a challengeBY JOE McDONALD BOSTON -- All the talk heading into this ALCS was the starting pitching from the No. 1 and 2 spots in the both club's rotations. It turns out, at least for the Indians, their best starter in this series has Jake Westbrook, who stifled the Red Sox in Game Three. The veteran worked 6 2/3 innings and allowed just two runs on seven hits, and he's getting the ball again tonight. "I don't think our approach was bad," said Red Sox manager Terry Francona. "I thought his approach to us was tremendous. He threw strike one and never threw down the middle. He was really good. I think we have to expect him to be really good again tonight." If, for some reason, Westbrook isn't as good, Cleveland manager Eric Wedge said everyone in his bullpen is available to pitch, besides Fausto Carmona and Aaron Laffey.
Posted by Joe McDonald PREGAME: Gagne enjoys a boostBY SEAN McADAM BOSTON -- Embattled reliever Eric Gagne had a clean 1-2-3 inning in the ninth Saturday night, which naturally pleased Terry Francona. ''I'm sure he felt good about it,'' said Francona. ''He threw the ball well and it enabled us stay from everybody else (in the bullpen).
Posted by Sean McAdam PREGAME: Confidence high for Dice-KBY JOE McDONALD BOSTON -- Red Sox manager Terry Francona said he didn't check with Daisuke Matsuzaka, tonight's Game Seven starter for Boston, when the right-hander arrived at the ballpark today, but the manager and the rest of the club has faith in him. The Japanese import struggled in his two other postseason starts against the Angels in the ALDS and the Indians in Game Three of this series. Now, with a World Series berth on the line, the Red Sox will give him the ball. "Daisuke is very excited about pitching and we're excited for him," said Francona. His teammates legitimately wanted to give him another crack. It honestly means a lot to us to play another game tonight and try to win." Following Game Five in Cleveland, Matsuzaka sat at his locker in the clubhouse in disgust due to his brief 4 2/3 innings of work where he allowed four runs on six hits with two walks and six strikeouts. He didn't talk with the local, national or even the Japanese media, only releasing a statement that said he was disappointed. "Daisuke is taking this kind of personally," said Francona. "He wants to do something to help our cause."
Posted by Joe McDonald PREGAME: Crisp sits again -- despite matchup numbersBY SEAN McADAM BOSTON -- Jacoby Ellsbury was in center field for the second straight game, but Terry Francona admitted that he gave some thought to playing Coco Crisp. Crisp is 6-for-11 (.545) lifetime against Cleveland starter Jake Westbrook. ''I was aware of his history,'' said Francona. ''But he's having a tough time swinging the bat (3-for-21, .143 in the ALCS) and we had a good night (in Game Six), so I didn't want to go back the other way.''
Posted by Sean McAdam PREGAME: Rested Red Sox bullpenBY STEVEN KRASNER BOSTON -- With the exception of Curt Schilling and Tim Wakefield, the rest of the Red Sox pitching staff is available for use tonight in the deciding Game Seven of the ALCS. And while that includes a possible inning or two from starter Josh Beckett, the largest onus for securing Boston's second World Series berth in four years very well may rest with the relievers if starter Daisuke Matsuzaka should falter. To that end, Boston's regular bullpen corps is rested and ready to go, but not necessarily rusty, thanks in part to the events of Saturday night's Game Six. Javier Lopez worked a spotless inning, as did Eric Gagne, though Gagne likely will be one of manager Terry Francona's last options out of the bullpen tonight. Hideki Okajima warmed up as did Mike Timlin, and while they didn't get in the game, Francona said that activity helped chip away at any rust that might have developed from a lack of use in the series. ''We were able to stay away from some guys we might be able to extend tonight if we need to,'' said Francona. Jonathan Papelbon didn't throw but pronounced himself ready to work multiple innings tonight.
Posted by Steven Krasner PREGAME: Ellsbury earns praiseBY JOE McDONALD BOSTON -- Red Sox rookie Jacoby Ellsbury made his postseason debut in Game Six on Saturday and played well as Boston blew out Clevleand at Fenway Park, 12-2. A smart move on his part, Ellsbury wasn't available after the game to talk to the media, saying today he just wanted to get out of here. Meaning, he wanted to act as a classy individual and live by the moto of rookies should be seen and not heard, especially in the ALCS. Red Sox manager Terry Francona said he was quite impressed with Ellsbury's performance. ''I thought he handled himself fine,'' said the manager. ''If you pick it apart a little bit, he probably could have got back to the wall [on a play in which he missed a ball hit off the wall] because he's athletic enough to make those plays. I didn't think he looked overwhelmed by what was asked of him, or we wouldn't have played him.'' Ellsbury went 1-for-5, including a RBI-single in the third inning. ''He had a real good at-bat against the left-hander and he didn't crush, but he stayed back and let the ball get to him,'' said Francona. "I think all the things we've talked about with Jake are true. He competes, and for a young player, put in that situation, I think that's pretty high praise. Just the fact we played him shows the amount of confidence in him.'' So much so, Ellsbury is back in the lineup tonight, replacing the struggling Coco Crisp again.
Posted by Joe McDonald PREGAME: Different year, different personalityBY SEAN McADAM BOSTON -- Manager Terry Francona was asked to compare how his clubhouse would be prior to this Game Seven compared to the atmosphere before Game Seven of the 2004 ALCS. The 2004 team, of course, was a self-described ''bunch of idiots,'' who were led by notorious free spirits Kevin Millar and Johnny Damon. ''Nobody will be as boisterous (as that bunch),'' said Francona. ''But that was their personality. Consistency is what you're looking for. You have to be who you are. J.D. (Drew) is not out (in the clubhouse) doing magic tricks.'' ''It's the same as (Games) Five and Six,'' said Francona, ''because if we had lost those, we're going home.'' ''Your heart's in your throat,'' he said, ''but you wouldn't exchange it for anything.''
Posted by Sean McAdam PREGAME: No Cora for Lugo switchBY STEVEN KRASNER BOSTON --The Red Sox gave some consideration to replacing struggling shortstop Julio Lugo with Alex Cora for Game Six. One of the reasons manager Terry Francona opted not to make that move was the speed that Lugo offers the team. If he gets on he's a stolen-base threat, which Cora is not. Lugo whiffed his first time up in Game Six, but in his second at-bat, he grounded a two-run double inside the third-base bag, putting the Sox on top, 8-1, en route to a 12-2 victory that forced a deciding Game Seven tonight. ''I think that was huge for him,'' said Francona of Lugo, who was 1 for 4 in the game and still is batting just .182 (4 for 22) in the series. ''You don't want to make changes just to make changes,'' said Francona. ''You play your guys and hope they're good enough.'' Cora, meanwhile, may be good enough to play more on most teams, but he's a valued utilityman in Boston, and he accepts his role with maturity and good humor. He played the final inning of Game Six at shortstop, giving Lugo a little break. He has been in two ALCS games but has yet to receive an at-bat. ''He came in (to the manager's office) and said he was going to go home and work on his speed,'' said Francona with a chuckle. ''AC has been an unbelievable leader even though he hasn't gotten in much. He's on the top step of the dugout (rooting) for the guys. He knows what buttons to push on guys to keep them loose, make them laugh.''
Posted by Steven Krasner PREGAME: Everyone available except Schilling and WakefieldBY JOE McDONALD BOSTON -- Red Sox manager Terry Francona said everyone is available to pitch tonight's Game Seven against the Indians, besides Curt Schilling and Tim Wakefield. That means there is a good chance ace Josh Beckett, who pitched Thursday's Game Five in Cleveland, will pitch if needed. Today would be the right-hander's normal day to throw a side session, so there's no reason he can't work tonight. ''Because he says he's available or wants to be available, doesn't mean we will create a situation for him to be available,'' said Francona. ''Saying that, you could see him in this game, but those are two different things. It's a lot to ask. We think he can do it, but we're not just going to try to create that situation.'' If Dice-K struggles, it's likely Francona will empty the bullpen in order to win. If the Japanese import pitches well, it will be business as usual.
Posted by Joe McDonald PREGAME: Indians' statement on ByrdBY SEAN McADAM BOSTON -- Cleveland Indians general manager Mark Shapiro issued a statement this morning regarding pitcher Paul Byrd. A story in this morning's San Francisco Chronicle reported that Byrd, who won Game fOUR of this ALCS, purchased $25,000 worth of human growth hormone between 2002-2005. ''We aware of the story regarding Paul,'' said Shapiro. ''I have spoken with Paul about the situation, however, at this time I don't feel I have enough information to make any further comments on the matter. He has been an important member of this organization - on and off the field – over the last two years and we support him in this process.'' Byrd told Fox Sports.com that he took the hormone to combat a pituatary gland problem.
Posted by Sean McAdam PREGAME: Game Seven lineupsCLEVELAND BOSTON
Posted by Joe McDonald POSTGAME: Garko talks big; Sox listenBOSTON - Here are the words written on a bulletin board in the Red Sox clubhouse last night, attributed to Cleveland first baseman Ryan Garko. ''This Indian team is better than the Red Sox and will prove it once and for all in cramped Fenway Park. Sure a home field celebaration would've been nice but silencing Red Sox Nation in its House will be just as sweet. ''The champagne tastes just as good on the road as it does at home.''
Posted by Kevin POSTGAME: Bill Reynolds -- Here's why home-field advantage mattersBY BILL REYNOLDS BOSTON – All those people who say home field advantage doesn’t matter? All those people who say winning the division doesn’t matter, that all that matters is getting into the playoffs, using the evidence that the Marlins, Angels, and Red Sox were all wild card teams that have won the World Series titles in the past six years? This is why the home field matters. This is why the Red Sox have climbed back from the near-dead to even this series at three apiece. This is why the Red Sox will be a favorite Sunday night to return to the World Series for the second time in four years. Why? Because they have the home field and the home field matters, that’s why. Last night was a great example. The Red Sox in Fenway Park are an appreciably better team then they are on the road, Fenway like a Red Sox version of a some child’s personal sandbox. They hit better. They feed off the incredible energy that’s as much a part of Fenway Park as the Green Monster. They have a swagger they don’t have anywhere else. They own the night in ways they don’t do anywhere else. Or as Curt Schilling said afterwards, ''I hope this pooh-poohs the notion around here that home field advantage doesn’t matter.'' No doubt. Last night was an example of how important the home field can be, a night when it became more and more evident that the Indians had their chance Thursday night in Cleveland, up 3-1, their ace C.C. Sabathia on the mound, the same C.C. Sabathia who is a legitimate Cy Young candidate, given that the voting is done before the playoffs started. But Sabathia imploded, the Red Sox climbed out of their casket, and got the chance to come back to Fenway. If the Indians do end up losing this series, it will not be this weekend that did them in as much as it was letting the Sox off the hook when they were down 3-1 in Jacobs Field with their ace with the ball. For last night the game got away from as early as the first inning when the much-maligned J.D. Drew, the same J.D. Drew who has been a colossal bust all season long, got some much-needed redemption with a grand slam. That got the Sox off to a great start, a huge message to the Indians, who once again, for the second straight game, saw one of their aces fall apart. This time it was Fausto Carmona, whose performance was remarkably similar to the one he had in the second game of the series, ineffective, unable to throw strikes when he had to, putting the Indians into the kind of hole they weren’t going to be able to climb out of. Sabathia on Thursday night. Carmona last night. The two Indian aces coming up empty back to back. One of the big reasons this series is now tied, down to a final game. The key reason the Indians will point to if they end up losing this series is the fact that in four of the six games already played they’ve gotten nothing out of their two aces. By the end of the third inning the game the suspense was as gone as a movie you’ve already seen. The score was 10-1, and the garbage time was beginning. Schilling had been a little shaky in the third, giving up two quick singles, but he settled down to get out of the inning, the game still 4-1, and by the time he came out an inning later the score was 10-1 and he didn’t have to be great, all he had to was manage the game. ''He pitched the way we needed him to,'' Terry Francona said, No doubt about that either. But in the end last night really wasn’t so much about the Red Sox, Drew’s heroics not withstanding, but about the failure of the Indians to make the game competitive on a night in which the Sox were facing elimination. Giving up 10 runs in just three innings does that. Having one of your aces, a guy who won 19 games, self-destruct, does that, too. How much does this had to do with the magnitude of the game, and how much did it depend on being in hostile Fenway Park? Interesting question. The Indians are a young team, and now they have let two chances to end this series go by. ''How much do you worry about the momentum that’s been built up the last two games and sort of stopping that and having them go into tomorrow with their heads clear?'' Indians manager Eric Wedge was asked. ''Well, you said it,’’ Wedge replied. ''It just has to stop and it has to stop tonight. They need to go to bed tonight with clear heads and think good thoughts and come here tomorrow expecting to win.'' Easier said than done, of course. For the Indians will have to battle more than Dice-K Sunday night, and even more than the realization that they had the Sox down 3-1 and now this series is tied, and that curious thing in sports called momentum now all but sits in the Red Sox dugout. They are going to have to battle Fenway Park, too. And that’s no small thing. So for all those people out there who still think the home field doesn’t matter? This is why it does.
Posted by Art Martone POSTGAME: Drew goes downtownBY KEVIN McNAMARA BOSTON - Jonathan Papelbon was convinced that J.D. Drew would lay off the pitch that all but iced Game Six of the ALCS for the Red Sox Saturday night. Drew had worked Indians' starter Fausto Carmona to a 3-and-1 count but Carmona was struggling badly with his control. Drew, perhaps the Sox' most patient hitter, could've resisted the urge to swing at a fastball right down the middle fo the plate. Instead, he lined a lazer into the center-field stands for a grand slam and a 4-0 first inning lead. The Sox went on to cruise to a 12-2 win and force Game Seven. ''I'm thinking J.D.'s got to 3-1 and I turned and said, 'No way he's swinging at this one. Then he he got a big one. Wow he crushed it.'' Drew's hit was a very popular one in the Red Sox clubhouse. Julio Lugo knows all about the trouble Drew has faced in his first year as a player in Boston. Both men have struggled at the plate and heard boos from the Fenway fans. Last night, those boos turned to cheers. ''Change is tough, here or anywhere," Lugo said of joining the Sox. ''You're in the spotlight here every day but that doesn't matter now. It doesn't matter what happened yesterday or today. It's only what happens in the next game."
Posted by Kevin POSTGAME: Papelbon ready to throwBy KEVIN McNAMARA BOSTON – Whether it takes one, two or even three innings, Jonathan Papelbon says he’s ready to throw. That’s the Red Sox’ reliever’s line of thinking heading into the first Game Seven of his major league career. ''I’ve got to be ready to go two innings or more. That’s what I’m thinking,'' the Red Sox closer said last night. ''I must be ready from the seventh inning on.” Papelbon hasn’t pitched much in this series and the Red Sox still found a way to scratch back from a three games to one hole and force a 3-3 tie. Now he expects to get the ball and help nail down the pennant for the Red Sox. ''I still say that in the playoffs it’s 110 percent about momentum and right now we have a little momentum,” he said with a smile. “We have to keep it right from the start (Sunday).'' ''I’ve got a ton of confidence in him,” said Papelbon. “He was kind of grinning in here when we won. I think he’s up for the challenge. I think he likes the challenge.” Francona says his entire pitching staff will be ready and waiting to help Matsuzaka is he falters or runs out of gas after a good start. The relief staff could even include Josh Beckett for a spell. ''Obviously everybody is on hand pitching-wise. You use everybody,” said Francona. “You certainly go to different guys in the bullpen maybe earlier than you would in the regular season. But other than that, we’ll show up tomorrow and do the same thing we do every day. We’ll kick (Dustin) Pedroia’s (butt) in cribbage and try to win a baseball game.”
Posted by Kevin UPDATED GAME STORY: Red Sox 12, Indians 2By JOE McDONALD BOSTON -- All the Red Sox needed was to get back to Boston. Back to Fenway Park. Back in front of their fans. Saturday night they showed why they love calling this place home. Facing elimination from the American League Championship Series at the hands of the Cleveland Indians, the Red Sox responded in a monumental way en route to a 12-2 victory in front of 37,163 fans. The club is now one win away from advancing to its second World Series appearance in four seasons, with Game Seven of this series tonight at Fenway Park. After winning Game One of this series, Boston dropped the next three before forcing the series back here with a victory in Game Five at Jacobs Field. Everything the Red Sox needed to happen Saturday night did. Every player the Red Sox needed to contribute did. ''To play in this environment, in this stadium in front of these people,” said Red Sox starter Curt Schilling, ''I would argue that you’ll never hear home-field advantage being pooh-poohed against this city. The crowd tonight from the first inning on, I thought had an incredible effect on me. I don’t know they effect other people, but it’s a privilege to be able to play here and experience this.'' The oft-booed J.D. Drew agreed. He provided his biggest hit as a Red Sox, a grand slam in the bottom of the first inning. Then, in the third inning, he provided a RBI single and another single in the eighth inning. He certainly had his peaks and valley, mostly low points in his first season in Boston, and the fans made sure he knew how they felt. Red Sox Nation feels differently now. ''The atmosphere here was great,'' said Drew. ''It has been a tough year (personally). My expectations were high and I didn’t have the year I would have liked to have. I feel like I had a good September, I was getting things turned around, and just wanted to go into the playoffs and get good at-bats. In that situation, I couldn’t have asked for anything better. It was just one of those situations and I was very relaxed in the at-bat. With two outs I didn’t want to walk off the field without any runs. I was trying to hit the ball hard and it worked out great.'' Schilling was spotted a nine-run lead after three innings and cruised to victory, working seven strong innings and allowed just two runs on six hits with no walks and five strikeouts. The veteran right-hander threw only 90 pitches (60 strikes). ''We’re playing a Game Seven,” said Schilling. ''There’s nothing more fun in sports then a Game Seven, regardless of the venue.” The Red Sox’ top two hitters – Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis – needed to get on base in order for the club to have success offensively. The Indians did a pretty good job keeping those two hitters off base earlier in the series, but both have come alive the last two games. The pair combined for five hits and four runs to lead the way. ''We scored 10 runs tonight,” said Schilling. ''This was just about our offense doing a phenomenal job of working counts, not being overly aggressive” Boston pounded Cleveland starter Fausto Carmona for seven runs on six hits in two (plus three batters in the third) innings before the Sox took advantage of the Indians bullpen. After Boston scored four in the first thanks to Drew’s grand slam, the Indians scored their first run off Schilling on a solo homer by Victor Martinez in the second inning. The Red Sox then pushed across six runs in the third and never looked back. Schilling surrendered only one other run in the seventh before his night was over. Boston reliever Javier Lopez retired the side in order in the top of the eighth inning, before the Sox pushed across two more in the bottom half for a 12-2 advantage. The let reliever Eric Gagne finish things up in the ninth. Now it comes down to one game. One team will advance to face the Colorado Rockies in the World Series, beginning Wednesday in either Boston or Cleveland. The Red Sox go with Daisuke Matsuzaka, the Japanese import who has struggled in his first major-league postseason. If he has problems early, it’s a safe bet Tim Wakefield and Jon Lester -- and perhaps even Josh Beckett -- could work out of the bullpen. For the Indians, Jake Westbrook takes the hill after beating Dice-K and the Sox in Game Three of this series. ''We’re confident,” said Schilling. ''We’re going to lean on Daisuke and I believe he’s going to come out and do something special (today).” It’s up for grabs. Fortunately for the Red Sox, they’re playing at Boston in front of their fans. As Red Sox manager Terry Francona said prior to the game, there’s nothing like Fenway Park. ''Tonight these fans brought something special,” said Mike Lowell. ''We’re going to need the same thing tomorrow. If you don’t enjoy playing in this atmosphere, you have to have your pulse checked.”
Posted by Joe McDonald POSTGAME: Garko provides bulletin-board materialBY SEAN McADAM BOSTON -- Cleveland first baseman Ryan Garko may have utwittingly provided the Red Sox with extra motivation for Game Six. The reference, of course, was to the celbratory champagne that winning teams drink in postgame parties.
Posted by Sean McAdam POSTGAME: Sox call on another 2004 heroBY SEAN McADAM BOSTON -- The Red Sox announced late last night that Kevin Millar, the emotional ballast/clown prince from the 2004 championship team, will throw out the ceremonial first pitch for Game Seven.
Posted by Sean McAdam POSTGAME: Big Papi Ready for Game 7By KEVIN McNAMARA Ortiz said the Sox are healthy and happy after watching Josh Beckett and Curt Schilling shut down the Indians and pitch Boston back into a 3-3 tie with the Cleveland Indians. Now it’s Daisuke Matsuzaka versus Jake Westbrook for the right to advance to the World Series. ''We’re not comfortable, we’re confident,” said Ortiz. “This is it. This is where you want to be. I like to be in this situation. There’s no tomorrow. Tomorrow the best team is going to win.'' ''I don’t like to get to Game Seven. I like to get it over earlier. It’s a lot of stress. Sometimes you get to over-do things. It’s not like you can fix it tomorrow. If you make any mistakes you have to wait until next year.'' Now it’s Matsuzaka’s turn. After getting knocked around (4.1 IP, 4 R, 6H) in Game Three in Cleveland, Dice-K watched plenty of video and heard plenty of encouragement from his teammates. Now it’s his turn to contribute to the Red Sox’ ALCS comeback. ''I feel good,” Ortiz said when asked about Matsuzaka. “He’s watched a lot of video, trying to figure things out. |
