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Carmona Hoping for Big Night

By KEVIN McNAMARA
Journal Sports Writer

BOSTON – C.C. Sabathia showed he wasn’t up to the test in the glare of the playoff lights. Saturday night at Fenway Park, we’ll see if Fausto Carmona can carry the load.
Entering the American League’s Championship Series, the Red Sox had grave concerns about how well they’d be able to dent the 1-2 starting pitching tandem of Sabathia and Carmona. Each won 19 games in the regular season, with impressive ERA’s, and gave the Cleveland Indians the firepower to dream of winning the World Series for the first time since Bob Feller and Bob Lemon beat the Boston Braves back in 1948.
The Red Sox tore through Sabathia in Game One for a 10-3 win and chased Carmona after four innings in Game Two. Sabathia had the chance to close out Boston Thursday night but the Sox got to the big lefty again and won Game Five, 7-1. The Sabathia/Carmona combination owns a 0-2 record and 9.82 ERA in three ALCS starts. Carmona, a Dominican sinker-baller, gets his chance to show that at least one of Cleveland’s aces can get the job done Saturday.
“I’m going to try hard to stay aggressive, the same way I always pitch,” Carmona said. “Whatever happened last time, I’ve forgotten about it. It’s going to be a new start and I’m looking forward to it.”
Carmona ran into control problems in his Game Two matchup with Curt Schilling. He pitched into the fifth inning but was eventually chased after surrendering four runs on four hits with five critical walks. In the third inning, he failed to challenge Boston star Manny Ramirez and a walk forced in a run. The Indians ended up rallying for a 13-6 win in 11 innings.
Carmona’s strength is getting off to a quick start on every hitter and relying on his sinker ball. He led the American League by getting hitters to hit ground balls 3.28 times for every fly ball. The Red Sox avoided a parade of ground balls by exhibiting their classic patience at the plate, said Cleveland pitching coach Carl Willis.
“In reviewing the video tape, there were pitches Fausto made that hitters swing at throughout the course of the season,” Willis said. “The Red Sox, being very disciplined and obviously a veteran lineup of professional hitters, they laid off a lot of pitches that other clubs at times swing at.”
Carmona said that he felt he was a bit ``too fine’’ in trying to nibble around the strike zone and prevent Boston’s batters from squaring up his pitches.
“I was trying to be a little too fine,” he said. “I’ve got to make sure I’m not going to leave any pitch down the middle of the plate. I was thinking just a little too much.”
Carmona’s track record entering this series is impressive. He was 9-4 and led the majors with a 2.26 ERA in 15 starts after the All-Star break and owned a 5-0 mark with a 1.62 ERA in his last five starts of the regular season. In the ALDS against the Yankees, Carmona made his first playoff start a memorable one by holding the Yanks to one run on three hits in nine innings. The Indians captured the game in extra innings, 2-1. Now the Indians hope Carmona regains that form in time to deliver the team to its first World Series since 1997.
“I think he tried to be a little too fine,” in Game Two, Indians’ manager Eric Wedge said. “He has such a great arm and such great movement on his pitches. When he does try to be too fine his ball is going to run off the plate a little bit. What he needs to do is be aggressive with these guys, stay on the plate and run it off when he needs to.”

Posted by Kevin  at 6:58 PM to McNamara | Permalink

Who's the Next Hero?; Indians Notes

INDIANS JOURNAL
By Kevin McNamara

BOSTON – Playoff baseball is littered with heroes who’ve seemingly come out of nowhere to provide a huge impact for winning teams. That’s why Red Sox fans will always remember Bernie Carbo and Mark Bellhorn, to name just two legendary post-season performers.
This fact was not lost on Cleveland manager Eric Wedge when he met with a small pack of media members Friday. Wedge was asked about the struggles of some of his players and if he could do anything to shake things up. The same question could’ve been posed to Boston’s Terry Francona. Baseball gurus may think the final two games of the ALCS will be decided largely on the skills of Manny Ramirez, Curt Schilling, Fausto Carmona and Grady Sizemore but you’d best be ready for a surprise guest.
“Everybody has to remember that when it comes to post-season you talk about everything from yesterday’s game to tomorrow’s game but everything prior to today doesn’t mean anything,” said Wedge. “There’s only one thing that matters and that’s (Saturday) night’s game.”
Boston’s Schilling owns a 9-2 record in 17 playoff starts and several Sox know what it’s like to face playoff pressure with their season on the line. The Indians do not, however. Does this matter?
“We’ll find out,” said Wedge. “When it comes to our guys, the experience that they’re gaining in this series with regard to so many firsts is that really every day for us, or every game for us in a different situation, is another first for us. I think our guys have done a heck of a job handling all of that and they have a sense of security with each other in how they handle things.”

While Boston fans are ready to strangle Coco Crisp and Julio Lugo for their awful showings in the series, in Cleveland Travis Hafner is the goat of the moment. Hafner, who hits out of the critical third hole, is scuffling along at a .158 (3-of-19) clip. His only extra-base hit was a home run off Josh Beckett in Game One. That’s not the output the Indians need from their strong designated hitter.
“Haf’s had a couple of tough games but I’ve got a lot of confidence in him,” said Wedge. “I think what we need him to do is just to maybe simplify things a little bit. He’s a great hitter. He’s stepped up for us time and again.”

After jumping out to a 3-1 series lead, the Indians had every right to hope for a clinching win on Thursday night. In fact, they had no plans on flying to Boston. Instead, they recovered from the 7-1 defeat, slept in their own homes and flew East Friday afternoon. The Red Sox left Cleveland a few hours after the game and arrived home by 6 a.m. Neither teams worked out at Fenway Park Friday.
“We weren’t going to the ballpark expecting to lose,” Wedge said. “We were going in expecting to win so if we didn’t, we were going to come in (to Boston Friday).
Wedge said that the balance of the two teams told him at the start of the series that neither team was likely to roll to an ALCS win in four of five games.
“I think prior to this series we felt like we were going to go pretty deep into it, we really did,” said Wedge. “You look at just how well both teams performed in the regular season as well as the post-season prior to this series. You’ve got two pretty good teams that are going to battle it out and work hard to create opportunities for themselves. I think that’s what you’ve seen so far.”

Tempers often flare in a long playoff series but the Josh Beckett-Kenny Lofton stare down in Game Five was the first example in this series. With mounting pressure, don’t rule out additional dust-ups.
“I’m surprised that we haven’t seen more of that when it comes to the post-season because emotions run high,” said Wedge. “There was some verbiage back and forth and they toed up a little bit and everybody ran out and got some exercise and everybody ran back, which is usually how it works. But nothing really happened.”

Game time for both Saturday and Sunday is 8:23 first pitch….Spotted in Cleveland: Indians’ World Series T-shirts, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Also, Indians’ assistant general manager Chris Antonetti is expected to interview for the vacant G.M. job in St. Louis….Victor Martinez is 7-of-11 (.636) against Curt Schilling. Grady Sizemore is 4-of-9 lifetime…The World Series starts Wednesday and Thursday in either Boston or Cleveland.

Posted by Kevin  at 6:15 PM to McNamara | Permalink

Matsuzaka Works Out

Inclement weather forced the Red Sox inside for their workout this afternoon at Fenway Park.

It was an optional workout, but most of the team's everyday players and several pitchers were on hand, including Daisuke Matsuzaka, who will be Boston's starter for Game 7 on Sunday if the Sox can win tomorrow night.

The rain stopped as the afternoon went on, so Dice-K was able to take his workout outdoors, participating in an extended long-toss session.

Boston pitching coach John Farrell said he has faith in Matsuzaka, but that in a win-or-go-home circumstance, which is what it would be, Dice-K and all pitchers used in such a game would be on a short leash.

"We're confident he's going to be able to provide us quality innings to get us hopefully into the sixth or seventh inning. We will go in with an attitude that all hands are on deck. Pitch execution is going to be the key regardless of who's on the mound," said Farrell.

Posted by Steven Krasner  at 5:19 PM | Permalink

Different (Great) Expectations

Boston manager Terry Francona has come to the realization that expectations on managers and organizations in New York and Boston are different than in other cities.

"(General manager) Theo (Epstein) and I have talked about this a lot lately," said Francona. "Because of the money that's spent and all the passion that's (in Boston) . . . things have gotten a little bit skewed around here. Sometimes the big fight for me and (for) Theo . . . too, is not losing sight of what's important, what's meaningful to you.

"Being part of what we're doing, I absolutely love and I really love who I'm doing it with. But it is a fight sometimes to keep the perspective. I mean, we're sitting at 101 wins (regular season and postseason) and people don't seem to be very happy much of the time. That is a little perplexing, but that's the way it is, so you deal with it the best you can," he said.

Posted by Steven Krasner  at 5:12 PM | Permalink

Francona on Joe Torre

Boston manager Terry Francona delayed his entrance into his workout press conference so he could watch the opening the remarks made by Joe Torre, who opted not to accept the Yankees' contract offer and left the organization after serving as the team's manager for 12 years.

"It's almost like the Bronx is burning," said Francona. "I hope Joe is very content and happy moving forward because I feel like he was -- in this game organizations not only have the right they have a responsibility to do whatever they want with their teams. That's the way it goes. But to do it very publicly, which Joe had to endure, I think was dfifficult. I'm sure it was difficult and I feel for him."

Posted by Steven Krasner  at 5:07 PM | Permalink

Francona, Farrell in Schilling's Corner

Curt Schilling struggled in his Game Two starts against the Indians, surrendering two homers and five earned runs in only 4 2/3 innings.

But with the Sox' season on the line tomorrow night, manager Terry Francona and pitching John Farrell are expecting their erstwhile ace to respond with a solid outing.

Francona reached back to 2004 memories, when Schilling not only took the ball but beat the Yankees in Game Six of the ALCS in another elimination game.

"It's probably unfair," said Francona of his high expectations for tomorrow night.

"Even dating back to the (bloody) sock (in 2004). I remember the soap opera watching him throw in the bullpen and having the doctors and the trainers out there and he really shouldn't have pitched. And I can't remember one moment ever thinking he wouldn't pitch and not only that, but that he wouldn't win. And that probably wasn;t fair, but that kind of sums up how I feel about Schill.

"You know, he's a pro in every sense of the word when it comes to competing, and at this time of year, that is comforting," said Francona.

Farrell, meanwhile, was similarly excited about the prospect of having Schilling take the mound in the big game despite the fact Jhonny Peralta and Grady Sizemore each homered last week.

"I think we're all very confident that he'll perform tomorrow as he's done really over the last four to six weeks since returning from the disabled list," said Farrell. "To me (Schilling's performance in Game Two) was a matter of four runs on two pitches (the homers). Other than that, I thought he was very consistent as in his most recent outings."

Posted by Steven Krasner  at 5:06 PM | Permalink

Last Start, Doubts for Schilling?

By STEVEN KRASNER
Journal Sports Writer

BOSTON -- Curt Schilling's resume offers a strong statement that the man is a clutch pitcher when the stakes are the highest, in the postseason.

But Schilling's stuff at this stage of the 40-year-old's career suggests that he's not the postseason stud he used to be, such as in 2004, when, pitching on one ankle, he practically willed himself to a key Game Six victory over the New York Yankees in the ALCS, helping propel Boston to its World-Series-drought-snapping triumph.

Tomorrow night, Schilling will find himself on the mound once again in a Game Six of the ALCS, once again with the Red Sox knowing a loss eliminates them from the playoffs. Schilling will start tomorrow night against the Indians' Fausto Carmona at Fenway Park.

He is not the same pitcher. Even the right-hander acknowledges that, having come to grips with the fact that he no longer can blow people away with 97-mph fastballs and has to be precise with the location of his now-88-mph fastball and his other pitches.

Schilling will be trying to reverse his fortunes of Game Two of this series, when he was torched for five earned runs on nine hits, including a pair of homers, in lasting only 4 2/3 innings in an eventual 13-6, 11-inning setback.

He will be feeling a bit of trepidation as he takes the mound, but the re-invented pitcher says he still will be feeling confident, partially because of his Game Six experience in 2004.

"One of the things I was thinking about this morning was that a lot of people were going to try to draw parallels to the things that happened in 2004 and to some degree maybe you can," said Schilling, who spoke via a conference call, skipping the optional workout at rainy Fenway this afternoon.

"What (the Game Six experience) does for me . . . I thought, listen, I went out against a Yankees lineup in '04 that was as good an offense as I've ever faced, and I was basically pitching on a broken foot with a lot less stuff than I have now and I gave up one run over seven innings," he said.

"There's no escuse for me not to be able to go out tomorrow with what I have now (for stuff) and, if I can execute perfectly, I can pitch as good, if not better. I've done a lot better in a lot worse circumstances with a lot worse stuff (in 2004). So tomorrow is going to be all about execution," said Schilling.

While Schilling has authored 216 regular-season big-league wins, and 9 more in the postseason, including the clincher in this year's ALDS against the Angels, he admits that there is a speck of self-doubt in the back of his mind, though it's more motivational than paralyzing.

"There's always fear," admitted Schilling. "I mean, I'm scared to death to go out and fail tomorrow. I'm terrified of letting my teammates down and the fan base down and this organization down because they're counting on me to survive. I'm scared to death to not do well tomorrow, but I'm also very cognizant of the fact that that fear is something that has always driven me and always pushed me."

Also in the back of his mind, Schilling said, is that tomorrow's start could be his last one in a Red Sox uniform. Boston elected not to offer him an extension this spring, and he likely will be allowed to leave via free agency after the season is over. He thought about that as he was flying home from Cleveland ahead of his teammates to get some extra rest just in case the Red Sox were able to win Thursday night and stave off elimination.

"Last night it did dawn on me . . . that I might have made my last start as a Boston Red Sox. I don't dwell on it. I have so much going on mentally right now to get ready for tomorrow. It's not something that worries me . . . beyond just the initial thought it could be all over for me (in Boston)," said Schilling.

"No matter how badly I want to come back here and how badly I want to be part of this, it takes two to tango, and if it's not in the cards on their end, then it's not going to happen. I want to be here. I hope they want me here," he said.

Certainly, if he is leaving, Schilling would like to leave on a positive note. And he knows it's going to take a superb effort, especially given the fact he no longer posseses overpowering stuff, to keep the Sox' season alive.

"Some people think I get overburdened with the expectation of perfection, and I don't," said Schilling. "I'm going to go out tomorrow. I'm going to try and execute 110 to 115 pitches perfectly and if I miss with two or three, okay. If I can't execute to that degree, I'm going to have trouble winning the game.

"It's very simple now," he said. "I go out and do my job tomorrow and we win, or I don't and we lose. I don't think there's too much pressure or too little. It's just reality. We put ourselves in this position, and I helped put us in this position. I've got the ball tomorrow. If I can do what I know I'm capable of doing and I can execute, we can win. And if I don't, then it's going to be very, very tough."

Posted by Steven Krasner  at 4:07 PM | Permalink

Ortiz and Ramirez -- The Sox' Powerful 1-2 Punch

By STEVEN KRASNER
Journal Sports Writer

BOSTON -- Opposing managers have been facing a dilemma for five seasons now.

David Ortiz or Manny Ramirez.

Who do they pitch to?

It's a "pick your poison" situation for the opposition. They both hit for average. They both hit for power. They both are very selective at the plate, content to take their walks and not leave the strike zone, refusing to so much as nibble at pitches that may be out of the zone.

And relief specialists don't faze them, either. Ortiz, a left-handed hitter, doesn't give an inch in the batter's box to left-handed pitchers. Likewise, right-handed pitchers don't necessarily alter Ramirez's approach or results.

Add all of it together, and toss in the fact that each one thrives in the glare of the postseason, and you see the nightmare the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the Cleveland Indians have been forced to endure in the A.L. Division Series and the A.L. Championship Series this month.

Heading into tomorrow night's Game Six of the ALCS, with the Red Sox facing elimination with a loss to the Indians, who hold a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series, Ortiz and Ramirez have been a two-man wrecking crew.

While the offensive support from the others in the lineup has come and gone, notably in a pair of losses in Cleveland that plunged Boston into a 3-1 series deficit, Ortiz and Ramirez have been shining beacons of potent consistency.

So far in the postseason, Ortiz is batting .500 (11 for 22) with an astounding on-base percentage of .639. The Sox' designated hitter, who has three homers and six RBI, has a slugging percentage of 1.000. Ramirez has been similarly dangerous. The Sox' left fielder is crushing the ball to the tune of a .440 batting average (11 for 25) with four homers and 12 RBI. His on-base percentage is .611.

To put these playoff on-base percentages in perspective, Ortiz led the A.L. at .445, while Ramirez's OBP was .388.

And while they have been monsters throughout the playoffs, Ortiz and Ramirez put together an amazing night of offensive efficiency in Game One of the ALCS. They each reached base in all five of their plate appearances -- Ortiz (double, single, two walks, hit by pitch); Ramirez (two singles, three walks, including a pair of bases-loaded free passes).

Even Ortiz was impressed with those performances.

"Basically I told (Ramirez) that we know that they're going to pitch kind of carefully (to us)," said Ortiz after that ballgame, a 10-3 Boston win.

"That's been the talk, night in and night out before this series. So we keep that in mind and we stick with whatever they give us. We still have another seven players that got to take advantage of it because in the playoffs when you walk somebody, sometimes you've got to pay for that later," he said.

But while opposing managers and pitchers try to find a way to get the Sox' Dynamic Duo out, Boston manager Terry Francona also faced a dilemma concerning Ortiz and Ramirez.

It was back in 2004. Ortiz wanted to bat third, with Ramirez behind him in the order as protection. Ramirez, meanwhile, also wanted to bat third, followed by Ortiz.

Francona was aware of each hitter's desire, but clearly could not satisfy both of them. There were times he flip-flopped the pair. In August of 2004, Francona settled on Ramirez batting third, followed by Ortiz in the cleanup spot. But a few months into the 2005 season, Francona flopped them again.

And the rest, as they say, is history.

Ortiz has blossomed into one of the most feared hitters in the game, especially when the game is on the line. And Ramirez, though his numbers fell off a little bit this season, during which he missed basically the last month because of a strained left oblique, has been quite productive as well.

"They're just dangerous hitters, no matter what time of year it is," recently said Boston catcher and team captain Jason Varitek.

So Angels manager Mike Scioscia noticed. In the ninth inning of Game Two of the ALDS, he had relief ace Frankie Rodriguez issue an intentional walk to Ortiz with two outs in a tie game. Ramirez made him pay by absolutely crushing a three-run homer over everything in left.

"You really pick your poison," said Scioscia. "Both those guys are terrific."

This round, the Ortiz-Ramirez duo has been Cleveland manager Eric Wedge's problem, one without a clear solution, as he has acknowledged.

"They've both got it going about the same time, and with Manny coming back (after his oblique injury) they obviously are both tremendous hitters," said Wedge.

"But even though they're great hitters, they're still going to get out seven out of 10 times and they're still going to mis-hit pitches. That's the way you have to look at it. You still have to focus on our strengths and what we need to do or what our individual pitcher needs to do out there, and that's what we're trying to do," he said.

With very little success. In the ALCS, Ortiz is batting .400 (6 for 15) with a homer, three RBI and a .522 OBP, while Ramirez is batting . 471 (8 for 17) with two homers, eight RBI and a .609 OBP. The rest of the team, meanwhile, is batting a mere .250 with four homers and 16 RBI.

To say it has been a two-man team offensively this season may be stretching things a bit, but there's no question that without these two hitters back-to-back in the lineup, the Sox wouldn't have made it this far.

"It's hard to let David beat you because he's such a good hitter," said Francona, reconizing the problems the duo presents for the opposition. "But Manny's such a good hitter behind him, he makes them pay."

And if all goes well for the Sox, Ortiz and Ramirez will be making the opposing pitchers pay to the tune six more victories this postseason, the number of wins Boston needs for its second World Series crown in four years.

Posted by Steven Krasner  at 12:59 PM | Permalink

Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: Beckett and Manny carry them through

Click here to listen to today's edition of projo SoxTalk with Sean McAdam. The topics: Josh Beckett's magnificent playoff run; how he's succeeded this postseason while other big-name pitchers have failed; the Kenny Lofton argument; Manny Ramirez, locked in for the first time all year; Manny's near home run and the case for instant replay; and why Coco Crisp may still get the call in center field on Saturday.

Following are some excerpts from Sean's comments.

On Beckett: "To look at what Beckett has accomplished in his three [postseason] starts -- where he's gone 23 innings, given up just three runs, struck out 26 and walked only a single batter while winning obviously all three starts -- it would be pretty tough, I would think, to have anyone in any other team's history match or top that, nevermind anyone in recent Red Sox history."

On Ramirez: "Manny made a reference on the night he hit that walk-off home run to beat the Angels, in Division Series Game Two, that he hadn't felt like he had a good rhythm or that his swing was locked in all season. But I've got to believe that that has changed now, because he is just red hot, at a time when his team needs it the most. It's often a pretty good indicator that Manny's locked in at the plate when you see him powering the ball to right center. And that's where the home run went in Game Four in Cleveland, and that's where the near home run went last night that missed going out by literally less than an inch."

Ellsbury vs. Crisp: "I had a feeling that if they won [Game Five] ... and Crisp didn't contribute, that they might be willing to go with Jacoby Ellsbury starting in Game Six. But I'm starting to rethink that, not because Crisp did anything to maintain his status as starting center fielder, but if you look at the World Series and looking down the road, I think that the Red Sox have to be looking at the fact that there are two left-handed starters for the Rockies in the World Series, and I think if you open the door by sitting Crisp in either Game Six or Seven, or both, then it's kind of hard to go back to him because you need him and his switch-hitting ability to face a couple of left-handed starters, maybe as many as four times in a seven-game World Series. So that's a long, roundabout way to say I think that, although he did nothing at the plate, they may stick with Crisp because they're looking down the road and trying to see the big picture here."

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 10:58 AM to McAdam | Permalink

Live coverage of Joe Torre's news conference

Click here to see live video coverage from the AP of Joe Torre's news conference, which is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. Torre will speak on the day after rejecting a one-year contract offer to return to manage the New York Yankees.

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 10:23 AM | Permalink

Download today's sports cover

The Red Sox' Game Five triumph over Cleveland is detailed on today's sports cover page.

Download a copy of the page in .pdf format.

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 7:21 AM | Permalink | Comments 1

RED SOX 7, INDIANS 1: When is a home run not a home run?

BY JOE McDONALD
Journal Sports Writer

CLEVELAND -- Manny Ramirez thought he had a home run.

''I thought it was out,'' he admitted, ''but what can I say?''

Terry Francona wasn't sure . . . but he knew what he wanted.

''I think there's a point as a manager where you don't care if [the umpires get it] right,'' he said. ''You want the run.''

In the end, neither Ramirez nor Francona got what they wanted. A long drive by Ramirez in the third inning that bounced off the very top of the wall over the glove of Indians center fielder Grady Sizemore was ruled -- correctly, it appeared on TV replays -- to have stayed in play. David Ortiz was able to score from first, but Ramirez, who had gone into his home-run trot, only got to first, prompting the Fox announcers to call it ''the longest run-scoring single in the history of baseball.''

The umpires originally ruled the ball to be in play as it happened, then got together and discussed it. After they'd talked it over, they stayed with their original decision.

''The hard thing is there's so much emotion . . . when you think you have another run,'' said Francona. ''[The umpires] hustled, they talked about it, and from my understanding, even on replays it's a little bit hard to distinguish.''

Even so, Ramirez' would-be-homer-turned-single drove in what proved to be the winning run. It put Boston ahead 2-1 at the time, and the Sox cruised to a 7-1 win.

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 2:00 AM | Permalink | Comments 1

RED SOX 7, INDIANS 1: Undaunted, Manny speaks again

BY SEAN McADAM
Journal Sports Writer

CLEVELAND -- In the postseason, Manny Ramirez has inexplicably turned into a little chatterbox.

Ramirez, who drew some criticism Wednesday for some misconstrued remarks, spoke again after the Red Sox 7-1 victory Thursday night.

''We play hard and we leave everything out there on the field and whatever happens, happens,'' said Ramirez, continuing his casual approach. ''Hey, I got a lot of confidence in my teammates, man. Like I say, we try to play hard every day. We leave everything out on the field and whatever happens, happens. That's it.''

Ramirez was enthused about the prospect of returning to Fenway for Game Six -- and perhaps Game Seven, too.

''We've got nothing to lose,'' said Ramirez. ''There's no pressure, man. Like I said, we play hard.''

Ramirez had an action-packed game. In the first, he doubled, but got thrown out at home plate by Franklin Gutierrez, choosing not to slide. In the third, he mashed a ball to right-center that just missed going out by an inch, hitting the yellow stripe atop the wall. Jacobs Field ground rules dictate that the ball must be completely over the stripe.

''I thought it was out,'' said Ramirez, who argued with the umpiring crew, ''but what can I say.''

WIth that, David Ortiz extended his hand to pull Ramirez off the couch and away from the media throng.

''That's it,'' said Ortiz to his teammate. ''I don't want you to (foul) up again.''

Posted by Sean McAdam  at 1:55 AM | Permalink

RED SOX 7, INDIANS 1: Clubhouse reaction

Dustin Pedroia on Josh Beckett's outing:
''He was awesome. He’s been doing it all year long. He was outstanding, man. That’s why he’s one of the best in the game. He dealt tonight.''

Pedroia on Manny Ramirez's long single:
''Manny’s ball could have gone either way.''

Pedroia on heading back to Boston:
''We’re grinding it out, man. Our backs are still against the wall. We’re just concentrating on winning Saturday. We have to play it pitch-by-pitch.''

Kevin Youkilis on Beckett:
''It’s definitely exciting to watch. It’s fun to play behind a guy who can dominate a game. It’s a little more relaxing being on the field.''

Youkilis on his ailing wrist and hand:
''My health reasons were definitely tough. My whole entire wrist and hand were feeling 100 percent. When I hit I’m more of a handsy hitter, I try to use more hands than body a lot of times. It was tough just to get the swing back and the feel of facing live pitching again. When you’re out for over a week, it’s tough to go out there and face live pitching, and timing and feeling comfortable at the plate. Luckily, I felt comfortable in the box and I’m just trying to stick to the little things.''

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 1:50 AM | Permalink

RED SOX 7, INDIANS 1: Beckett vs. Lofton, Round 2

BY SEAN McADAM
Journal Sports Writer

CLEVELAND -- The dust-up between Kenny Lofton and Josh Beckett wasn't their first confrontation.

In the fifth inning Thursday night, with the count 3-and-0, Beckett threw a strike that Lofton thought was a ball. The veteran outfielder laid the bat down and started for first base before returning after the strike call by home-plate umpire Gary Cederstrom.

Beckett took exception to Lofton showing him up and when Lofton hit a routine opposite-field flyout to left on the next pitch, Lofton was barely through with his swing before Beckett was barking at him.

As Lofton trotted to first, Lofton shouted something back and as he crossed the infield to return to the Cleveland dugout, they exchanged more words.

Before long, teammates were interceding near the mound and the dugouts and bullpens emptied.

Mike Lowell was one of the first to arrive and act as peacemaker.

''I just wanted to get in between them,'' said Lowell. ''They're both intense and emotional and I didn't want anything more to come of that.''

''It was a lot of stuff,'' said Beckett afterward. ''It kind of goes back before today.''

Indeed, the two squared off on May 24, 2005 when Becektt was with the Marlins and Lofton with the Philadelphia Phillies. The circumstances were similar, with Lofton taking a walk -- that time, the pitch actually was a ball; Beckett took exception to Lofton laying down the bat and going to first -- and Beckett voicing his displeasure. Just like Thursday night, words, but no punches, were exhcanged.

Posted by Sean McAdam  at 1:49 AM | Permalink

RED SOX 7, INDIANS 1: Youkilis, Pedroia find groove

By JOE McDONALD
Journal Sports Writer

CLEVELAND -- The Cleveland Indians’ game plan entering the ALCS against the Boston Red Sox was to try to keep the club’s top two hitters – Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis – off the base paths.

The plan worked for a while. But not Thursday night. Both Pedroia and Youkilis found their groove, and combined for four hits, three RBI and three runs scored.

With the Indians sending ace C.C. Sabathia to the mound for Game Five Thursday night at Jacobs Field, Boston needed to score first and Youkilis got the job done with his solo homer in the first inning. It was hit third roundtripper of the season. He added an RBI triple in the seventh.

''Getting ahead was a huge factor for us in this game,'' said Youkilis. ''Gaining confidence and getting that first run was huge for this team, and knowing when Josh Beckett is on the mound, maybe that one run is all we needed in the game. I think a lot of guys were pretty pumped to get on top and it eased a lot of peoples’ minds.''

After producing big time at the start of the season (.377 in 77 games), Youkilis flattened out in the second half, hitting .238 following the All-Star break. Then he missed seven games due to a wrist injury he suffered when he was hit by a pitch on Sept. 15 against the Yankees.

It’s October and he says he’s healthy.

''My health reasons were definitely tough,'' he said. ''My whole entire wrist and hand [are] feeling 100 percent. When I hit I’m more of a handsy hitter, I try to use more hands than body a lot of times. It was tough just to get the swing back and the feel of facing live pitching again. When you’re out for over a week, it’s tough to go out there and face live pitching, and timing and feeling comfortable at the plate. Luckily, I felt comfortable in the box and I’m just trying to stick to the little things.''

Red Sox manager Terry Francona also knows in order for Boston to advance to its second World Series in the last four years, Youkilis will need to produce.

''I think some of the aches and pains go away,” Francona said. ''Youk has really taken some good swings and has had some good at-bats. The way Youk plays he can somewhat wear down at times. Maybe the wrist injury was a blessing in disguise after it’s all said and done. Some of his aches and pains go away, and his bat speed looks like it’s where it was at the beginning of the year.''

Youkilis wasn’t the only one feeling comfortable at the plate.

Pedroia, who said he had been pressing a little too much at the start of the postseason, has been squaring balls up of late, and he finally busted out last night with two hits, including a double.

Following Boston’s victory, Pedroia was sporting a brown pinstripe suit that he said teammate Manny Ramirez bought for him when the club was in Anaheim. Alex Cora and Julio Lugo have also bought him suits this year, and if he continues to contribute, Pedroia just might be the best-dressed guy in the clubhouse.

''I don’t get too down when things don’t go my way,'' he said. ''I try to stay away from all the negativity that can go on around here. I knew during the course of the year if I got 500 at-bats I could hit .300, so I don’t think having 12 or 13 at-bats (in the playoffs) means I stink. Other people may think so sometimes, but that’s okay. I’ll grind it out.''

It’s his spunky attitude and old-school style of play that allows the 5-foot-9, 180-pounder to have as much success that’s he’s enjoyed this season, and appears to be coming around in October.

''I have to [play with that attitude],'' he said. ''I’m 5-foot-2 and 115 pounds and any edge I get I have to use it. That’s just how I have to be.”

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 1:40 AM | Permalink

RED SOX 7, INDIANS 1: McAdam -- Big game hunter

BY SEAN McADAM
Journal Sports Writer

CLEVELAND -- One question: Can Josh Beckett start Game Seven Sunday on two days' rest?

It didn't work with Jim Lonborg 40 years ago, but at this point, is there anything Beckett can't do in the postseason? Anything at all?

''He is the best pitcher I've ever seen in the playoffs -- ever,'' said David Ortiz after Beckett had extended the Red Sox' season with a masterful eight-inning, one-run start Thursday night in Game Five.

It's hard to argue with Ortiz's point. After all, Beckett now has the third-lowest ERA -- 1.78 -- in postseason history among pitchers with 50 or more innings pitched, behind only Sandy Koufax and Mariano Rivera.

This October alone, Beckett is 3-0 with 26 strikeouts in 23 innings. Oh, and one walk -- one.

''He's got something other guys don't,'' said third baseman Mike Lowell, who was part of the 2003 Florida Marlins for whom Beckett won a World Series MVP. ''There's a much different feeling when he takes the mound than anybody else. I just think you have this antcipation that he dominate any lineup any time he goes out there (in October).''

Like Thursday night. Or Game One, last Friday. This American League Championship Series has been unpredictable, but one distinct pattern has emerged through the first five games: When Beckett pitches, the Red Sox win; when he doesn't, they don't.

Talk about valuable.

''We leaned on him all year,'' said manager Terry Francona. ''He gave up three hits (and a run) in the first and then the line drive single to (Casey) Blake and the infield single (in the fifth). That's all he gave up. That's pretty ghod.''

During the season, Beckett was 10-3 after Red Sox defeats, ensuring that losing streaks didn't go and negative momentum was stopped in its tracks. But Thursday night, Beckett operated without a safety net. Without a win, the Red Sox would have come to the end of the road.

After a somewhat shaky first in which he left some pitches up, Beckett established his curveball and the Indians were overmatched the rest of the way. After the first inning, he allowed four baserunners over the next seven frames.

One of those was an infield single that resulted from Julio Lugo ranging too far to the right side, screening double-play partner Dustin Pedroia; another was his own error when he was over-amped to field a slow comebacker from Kenny Lofton.

Other than that, he was nearly perfect.

''He's a big-stage pitcher,'' gushed Ortiz, ''and he knows how to handle it.''

Over the last few days, there were stories from the Red Sox clubhouse that Beckett had felt some stiffness in his right shoulder, cutting short his Game One start after just 80 pitches. But there were no signs of fatigue, nothing holding him back. His fastball popped, his breaking ball dipped, his changeup danced and the Indians were punchless.

''You can see (catcher Jason) Varitek sets off a little bit,'' said Kevin Youkilis, ''and he hits off the corner and guys are taking because they just don't see it that well.''

In eight postseason starts over his career, Beckett has allowed two runs or fewer seven times. Five times, he has allowed a run or pitched a shutout.

Really, given his age, his excellennce in the postseason and his stuff, is there a single pitcher in the game for whom you would trade him?

If you were on the edge, perhaps Thursday night won you over.

''Josh,'' said Varitek, ''gave us exactly what we needed.''

What they needed, of course, was more time, a chance to go back to Boston, an opportunity to tie this series Saturday, and, maybe, a chance to win the pennant Sunday. Without him, they would have packed and gone home for the season.

Thanks to him, they packed and got ready to play some more.

He'll be ready to go for Game One of the World Series. All the Red Sox have to do over the weekend is make sure they get him there.

Posted by Sean McAdam  at 1:36 AM | Permalink

RED SOX 7, INDIANS 1: Postgame notes

FIRST PITCH: 8:23 p.m.
GAME-TIME TEMPERATURE: 69 degrees
TONIGHT’S ATTENDANCE: 44,588
TIME OF GAME: 3:46

BACK TO BOSTON: The Red Sox snapped a 3-game losing streak in this series to force Game 6 Saturday night at Fenway Park in Boston…First pitch is scheduled for 8:23 p.m. ET, with FAUSTO CARMONA starting for Cleveland
against CURT SCHILLING for the Red Sox…Boston is the first club to stave off elimination from a 3-1 deficit since St. Louis prolonged its 2005 NLCS series against the Astros with a 5-4 Game 5 win at Houston, before losing in 6.

FIRST PITCH TIMES: Game 6 and 7 (if necessary) will begin at 8:23 p.m. ET on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.

DOMINANT: JOSH BECKETT struck out 11 batters tonight, the 4th time a Red Sox pitcher has fanned 10 or more batters in a postseason game…The other 3 Red Sox pitchers to fan 10 or more batters in a postseason game: PEDRO
MARTINEZ, 12, Oct. 16, ’99 vs. NYY, Gm. 3 ALCS; BILL DINNEEN, 11, Oct. 2, 1903 vs. PIT, Gm. 2; JOE WOOD, 11, Oct. 8, 1912 vs. NYG, Gm. 1…Beckett was the last pitcher to strikeout 10 batters in the postseason, in Game 3 of the 2003 World Series against New York with Florida…He has now fanned 10 batters or more in a postseason game 3 times, striking out 11 Chicago Cubs in Game 5 of the 2003 NLCS with Florida….Beckett was the last to fan 11 batters in a postseason game….Beckett walked FRANKLIN GUTIERREZ in the 2nd inning, his 1st (and only) walk allowed in this postseason…Beckett had not walked a batter in 16 innings this postseason.

TYING THE RECORD: MANNY RAMIREZ tied an LCS record with a hit in his 15th consecutive LCS game, tying PETE ROSE, who hit safely in
15 straight LCS games from 1973-’83…Ramirez’s streak began in Game 5 of the 2003 ALCS, on October 14 at Boston against New York…Ramirez has hit safely in all 8 games this postseason, matching teammate DAVID ORTIZ for the longest hitting streaks this postseason.

BASES LOADED WALKS: The Red Sox drew their 4th bases-loaded walk of this series, the most ever in any single postseason series…The 4 such walks ties a single postseason record, done twice previously, with the 1945 Tigers and the 1931 Athletics.

FIRST-INNING RUNS: For the 2nd time in this series, both teams scored in the 1st inning…It is the 1st time in ALCS history that both teams totaled 1st inning runs on multiple occasions…Two teams had not both scored in the 1st inning
since Game 5 of the 1998 ALCS (1011/98) by New York (3) at Cleveland (2).

ONGOING: DAVID ORTIZ extended his postseason hitting streak to 13 games, dating back to Game 3 of the 2004 World Series (10/26/04)…The career-best postseason hitting streak for Ortiz (he’s also had an 11-gamer) matches the 9th-longest in postseason history, joining 7 others, most recently BENNY AGBAYANI with the Mets in 1999 and 2000.

ANOHTER LOSS: C.C. SABATHIA recorded his 2nd straight defeat, allowing 10 hits, his most surrendered since giving up 11 on July 14 against Kansas City…His consecutive losses are his first since dropping back-to-back decisions July 24-29, 2007.

GIDPs TIE LCS RECORD: With 2 GIDPs tonight, the Red Sox have tied an LCS record for most GIDP in a series of any length with 10, matching Baltimore in 1997, done in 6 games…Boston has hit into at least one GIDP in each of the 5 games this series…The club has 16 GIDPs this postseason, one shy of the postseason record (17), set by St. Louis in 2006.

SHORTS: KEVIN YOUKILIS homered for the 2nd straight game, his 3rd of this postseason, in the 1st inning…The Red Sox scored 1st for the first time in 5 games of this series on Youkilis’ home run…ASDRUBAL CABRERA extended his
hitting streak to 7 straight games…JONATHAN PAPELBON pitched for the 2nd time in this series, his first appearance since Game 2 at Boston…TRAVIS HAFNER is hitless in his last 11 at-bats with 7 strikeouts and 1 walk…The Red Sox scored 7 runs, the team’s most since scoring 10 in Game One…Every Red Sox starter except COCO CRISP collected a base hit in tonight’s game.

Posted by Art Martone  at 1:22 AM | Permalink

RED SOX 7, INDIANS 1: Transcript of Terry Francona's postgame press conference

We know Josh Beckett is always pretty good, but what does it say about him when he's really at his best when his team needs him the most?
I think it says a lot about him. We've leaned on him all year. I thought early he was up in the first inning, and then once he settled down, started establishing that breaking ball, he really became the guy, the dominant pitcher that we rely on so much. He gave up three hits in the first, and then the Blake line drive and the infield single, that's all he gave up. That's pretty good.

How encouraged were you by the late rallies being generated by guys outside your big three?
Well, very encouraged. We really did a good job getting runners on base early but we didn't do a whole lot with it, but we stayed at it and stayed at it and finally cashed in. We had good at-bats.

We probably know the answer to this one, but I've got to ask it anyway: How tough a decision was it for you to not let Beckett finish the whole thing with the groove that he was in?
Oh, no, that wasn't tough. We actually had Okajima up and Pap in the eighth. Pap hadn't pitched in four days, Oki had pitched two days ago. So no, that was an easy decision: Pap needed to pitch the ninth.

Youkilis did not have a great second half numbers-wise. Is it just a question of reaching his level now or is he doing something better than he did in the second half?
I think some of the aches and pains go away. Youk has really taken some good swings, had some good at-bats. I think the way Youk plays, he can somewhat wear down at times. And again, maybe the wrist injury when he got hit, maybe it's a blessing in disguise after it's all said and done. I don't think it was at the time, but I think some of his aches and pains go away, and his bat speed looks like it's where it was at the beginning of the year.

What was your take on Manny's long single and what did the ump say to you?
You know, the hard thing is there's so much emotion, and when you think you have another run. They hustled, they talked about it, and from my understanding even on replays it's a little bit hard to distinguish. So seeing it live and happening quick like that -- I think there's a point as a manager where you don't care if it's right, you want the run (laughter).

What have you guys been able to figure out against C.C. Sabathia? He wins 19 games in the regular season and two starts here you guys have beaten him both times?
I don't know that it's figuring out. We try to stay with a consistent approach against every pitcher. There's some games that C.C. has thrown this year that I'm not sure it matters who it is, he's going to throw that nine-inning complete game just because he's so good. But we've had a very consistent approach and didn't abandon it. Even tonight when we didn't get it buttoned down, didn't score, but we didn't try to do too much and we got rewarded for it.

Posted by Art Martone  at 1:20 AM | Permalink

RED SOX 7, INDIANS 1: Transcript of Kevin Youkilis' postgame press conference

Facing elimination like you guys were, to hit that home run, did the team get a big lift right off the bat when you came back into the dugout? Did you feel the mood of the team change at all?
Yeah, I think getting ahead was a huge factor for us in this game. I think getting the confidence and all the players, getting that first run ahead is huge for this team. Knowing when Josh Beckett is on the mound, we know maybe that one run could be all we need in a game. I think a lot of guys were pretty pumped up to get on top. It definitely eased a lot of people's minds, and it was great. But we also knew that one run, we had to get more than that in this game because this Indians offense is a pretty good offense, and they can come back. For us we just had to go inning by inning, and try to get as many runs as we could.

What's it like playing behind Josh
Beckett when he's got it going, again, tonight?
It's definitely exciting to watch. It's definitely fun to go out there and play behind a guy that can dominate a game. It definitely is a little more relaxing when you're out there on the field because when you see balls that guys are taking that are moving, you can see Varitek sets off a little bit and he hits off that corner, and guys are taking because they just don't see it that well. It's great just to have him go out there and pitch the way he does because it eases us as hitters knowing that we don't have to try to do too much at the plate.

You've been hot in the playoffs, you didn't finish the season hot. Is this a question of just mainly being back to good health again, or is there something different going on, something more going on?
Well, yeah, I think the health reasons was definitely -- it was tough. My whole entire wrist and hand weren't feeling 100 percent. When I hit I'm more of a handsy hitter. I try to use more hands than body a lot of times. It was tough just to get the swing back and get the feel of facing live pitching again. When you're out over a week, it's very tough to go out there and hit against live pitching, and timing, and feeling comfortable at the plate. Luckily I've gone up there every at-bat and just felt comfortable in the box, and just trying to stick to doing the little things and not getting away from my approach, and I've had success just by sticking to my plan when I go up to bat.

Terry talked about the approach you guys went with against C.C. You've beaten him twice now in the playoffs. Earlier this year I think it was a 1-0 game. What changes have you guys made as hitters going up against him to have the success you've had?
You know, it's kind of tough when you only face C.C. once during the season and now in the playoffs. It's kind of tough to say that we've faced him enough where we can actually see some differences in the way he pitches. For us I think it was just going up there and having a plan. You've got to try to jump on hitters' pitches. When he's throwing his pitches in his spots, it's very tough to go up there and hit. So for us it was just going up there and getting pitches that we could hit hard and capitalize on them. You have to go out there and hit those pitches that you can hit and try to lay off the pitcher's pitches. He wants you to swing at balls out of the zone, and he wants you to chase the pitch up in the zone and pop you up. I think for us it's about battling each at-bat and trying to stay alive when you get two strikes, and try to get him out of the game as soon as possible with the pitch count.

It was either yesterday or the day before, Terry talked about when the team was down 3-0 against the Yankees a couple years ago, or in '04, and had Animal House playing in the clubhouse. I'm wondering if there's any pregame flavor you could share with us about what was going on in there before you guys went out on the field.
We really don't do anything as crazy as 2004. I think this group of guys is a little bit different in the way they go about their business and go about their approach to get ready for the game. I think it's a little more quiet of a group. But there's some joking around. For us it just seemed like another game. Guys were in there with the same attitude they had day one, and I think that's what helped us win this game tonight. Everyone had the same approach, no one looked unconfident in their abilities, and guys went out there and just went pitch to pitch and at-bat to at-bat, and I think that was the biggest success tonight is everyone just went out there and played for the moment. After they'd have an at-bat and get an out, they'd go to the next at-bat and go out on the field and play their position. I think that was the key to the defense we played.

Posted by Art Martone  at 1:17 AM | Permalink

RED SOX 7, INDIANS 1: Transcript of Josh Beckett's postgame press conference

What changed for you after that first inning?
I don't know. You know, I thought I executed my pitches pretty well in the first inning, too. Just unfortunately you give up a bloop hit to a guy that's -- good hitters find ways to get hits, and Grady is definitely one of those guys. You know, I give up a bloop hit and they manufacture a run. That's part of the deal. It was tough because we came out and scored a run in the first, so I obviously wanted to go out there and shut them down.

With the team facing elimination, how satisfying was it for you to pitch like you did tonight, and how kind of locked in did you feel as the game went on?
I felt good. Like we always say, it's easy when you've got everything going. Once again, I had great defense and I held them off just long enough for us to put up some runs. It was a team effort. We know what we have to do now: We have to win.

Along those lines, you pitched a big game at Yankee Stadium in '03. You're back here at another visitor's ballpark and you pitched a big game. How hard is that to do in somebody else's ballpark?
I don't know that it's any more difficult or any easier when you're at home or whatnot. It's just basically comes down to the same thing, no matter what you're playing. If you're playing in the backyard with your buddies, it comes to executing pitches. Some guys make some great plays and score enough runs to win.

Do you feel physically like you could give this team a couple innings if this thing goes to a Game 7 out of the bullpen or whatever?
We'll delve into that later. Obviously I'm preparing myself for them to ask me that, and as of right now, yeah, I think that would be something I could do.

What happened with you and Kenny? Was it just the flip of the bat that kind of set you off?
Yeah, it was a lot of stuff. It kind of goes back before today. Those things have a way of working themselves out, though.

From the first time you faced them, did you do anything different tonight, or was it the same game plan, same approach? And were you surprised if it was they didn't make many adjustments?
They've got a good lineup. There ain't no way you're going to face somebody seven days after facing them before and not make some adjustments and not give up some runs. I definitely made some adjustments. Jason went along with the game plan and it worked out. They hit some balls at some guys, that's about it.

Were you bothered at all by the fact that they had Danielle Peck sing the national anthem?
I don't get paid to make those . . . decisions. She's a friend of mine. That doesn't bother me at all. Thanks for flying one of my friends to the game so she could watch it for free (laughter).

How good do you feel having a guy like Schilling on the mound for the next game with all the big games that he's pitched in his career?
We're excited to get back to Boston. It's going to be a great flight. Better than if we would have went down losing. This is not where we want to be, but obviously we're inching closer to where we want to be. Kind of the motto in the clubhouse right now is "It's better to die on your feet than live on your knees."

Posted by Art Martone  at 1:13 AM | Permalink

Photo: Down and out

Journal photo / Bob Breidenbach
An Indian fan holds her head in her hands in despair after the game.

Posted by Donna McGarry  at 12:46 AM | Permalink

Photo: Youkilis walks

Journal photo / Bob Breidenbach
Kevin Youlikis walks with the bases loaded in the eighth inning.

Posted by Donna McGarry  at 12:43 AM | Permalink

FINAL: Red Sox 7, Indians 1

BY JOE McDONALD
Journal Sports Writer

CLEVELAND — Josh Beckett is normally the type of pitcher the Red Sox don’t need to score a lot of runs for.

So when they got him seven last night, there was no question this series was headed back to Boston.

The previously somnolent Red Sox offense erupted for 13 hits, led by Kevin Youkilis’ triple and home run and two RBI, and Beckett took care of the rest, scattering five hits and striking out 11 as the Sox defeated the Indians, 7-1, in Game Five of the American League Championship Series.

''Josh threw the ball well for us,'' said Youkilis. ''He was just mowing. He was throwing the ball like he usually does.''

''We've leaned on [Beckett] all year,'' said manager Terry Francona. ''He was up in the first inning, but once he settled down and got his breaking ball, he became the dominant pitcher we've known all year.''

The Sox — attempting to become the 11th team in history, and the third Red Sox team in history, to come back from a 3-1 deficit in a best-of-seven series — had the proper attitude heading into to last night’s do-or-die showdown.

''We weren’t trying to win three games in one night,'' said Youkilis. ''We just did what we had to do to win this ballgame, and we did a great job.''

Prior to last night, the Sox’ biggest problem had been the lack of timely hitting. And it continued at the beginning of last night’s game.

Youkilis, who hit his third homer of this series last night, gave the stagnant offense a huge boost in the top of the first inning. After Dustin Pedroia had led off the game with a groundout to shortstop, Youkilis crushed a 1-and-0 offering from C.C. Sabathia, depositing it over the left-field wall, 373 feet from home plate, to give Boston an early 1-0 lead.

''Getting ahead was a huge factor for us,'' said Youkilis. ''Getting the confidence, getting that first run is huge. With Josh Beckett on the mound, that one run might be all we need.''

David Ortiz followed with a strikeout before Ramirez doubled to left-center. The Red Sox’ threat came to a halt, however, when Ramirez was thrown out at home attempting to score on a Mike Lowell single to right.

The three-hit success Boston enjoyed off Sabathia in the first was matched by Cleveland in the bottom of the inning.

Beckett, who pitched a complete-game four-hitter in Game One of this series, surrendered one run on three hits in the first, but he settled in after that. The Indians managed only two hits the rest of the way.

Beckett did get a little more help in the third inning when Ramirez delivered a RBI single to give Boston a 2-1 lead. It could have been more, though.

Ramirez lifted a high fly ball to deep right-center that appeared to be a home run. He argued his case. Francona argued his case. Ortiz argued his. The umpiring crew discussed the play and ruled the ball did not clear the yellow line atop the wall, and therefore Ramirez remained at first base.

''I thought it was out,'' said Ramirez, ''but what can I say?''

''[The umpires] hustled, they talked about it,'' admitted Francona. ''[But] seeing it live, having it happen quick like that, you don't care if it's right. You want the run.''

As it’s been the last few games, the talk around the water cooler must be filled with fans second-guessing Francona for his lineup decisions. The idea of keeping the slumping Coco Crisp in center field as opposed to using rookie Jacoby Ellsbury was once brought to the forefront in the fourth inning last night.

With two on and none out, Crisp failed to execute a sacrifice bunt and eventually struck out looking. No matter the result, Francona has been adamant about keeping the Gold Glove center fielder in the lineup. His players certainly back every decision he makes.

“Anybody can second-guess when something goes wrong,” said Pedroia. “We’ve played 162 games with the same guys and we got ourselves here, so now that we’re here, what are we supposed to change everything? That’s ridiculous. We’re just going to go out and keep playing.”

Another lineup example is Bobby Kielty replacing J.D. Drew in right field when Sabathia pitches. Kielty entered last night’s game hitting .323 (10-for-31), with 4 doubles, 2 homers, 3 walks and 5 strikeouts, against the portly tubby left-hander. In Game One of this series, Kielty hit a two-run single off Sabathia, but he couldn’t keep it going in a key situation last night. With the bases loaded juiced in the top of the fifth, he flied out to right field.

Youkilis was dialed in last night as he gave Boston a 3-1 lead with his three-bagger to right-center that scored Pedroia.

''His bat speed looks like it where it was at the beginning of the year,'' said Francona.

The timely hitting appeared to be back for Boston when Ortiz lofted a sacrifice fly to deep left for a 4-1 Red Sox lead.

And then the Sox ended any pretense with a three-run outburst in the eighth.

''We really did a good job getting runners on base early, but we didn't do a whole lot with it,'' said Francona. ''But we stayed at it and stayed at it, and finally broke through.''

''We're happy that we're going to take this [back] to Boston,'' said Ramirez, ''and we'll see what happens.''

Posted by Art Martone  at 12:12 AM | Permalink