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« October 22, 2007
October 24, 2007 »

Red Sox announce roster

PITCHERS (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  at 6:55 PM | Permalink | Comments 8

The Rematch is on!

By Joe McDonald
Journal Sports Writer

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  at 6:54 PM | Permalink

Rockies announce starting rotation

GAME ONE
LHP Jeff Francis vs. RHP Josh Beckett

GAME TWO
RHP Ubaldo Jimenez vs. TBA

GAME THREE
RHP Josh Fogg vs. TBA

GAME FOUR
RHP Aaron Cook vs. TBA

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 6:25 PM | Permalink

Tickets for games at Coors Field sell out / Photo

Journal photo / Gretchen Ertl
But if you're taking in the series from Boston's Fenway, you'll see a new addition to the field -- the World Series logo.

DENVER -- Red Sox fans hoping to get in to see a World Series game at Coors Field have less hope now.

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  at 6:17 PM | Permalink

Iannetta World Series bound

By Joe McDonald
Journal Sports Writer

BOSTON _ Not since Davey Lopes has a native Rhode Islander participated in the World Series – until now.

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  at 6:15 PM | Permalink

Photo: Beckett getting ready

Journal photo / Gretchen Ertl
Starting pitcher Josh Beckett takes the field for practice on Tuesday.

Posted by Donna McGarry  at 5:09 PM | Permalink

TUESDAY WORKOUT: Fenway "special" to Rockies' Francis

BY STEVEN KRASNER
Journal Sports Writer

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  at 4:46 PM | Permalink

TUESDAY WORKOUT: The trade that wasn't made

BY STEVEN KRASNER
Journal Sports Writer

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  at 4:34 PM | Permalink

UPDATE: Wakefield will not pitch in Series

Journal photo / Gretchen Ertl
Red Sox manager Terry Francona, center, stands in shallow center field with pitchers Curt Schilling, left, and Tim Wakefield.

By Joe McDonald
Journal Sports Writer

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  at 3:49 PM | Permalink

BREAKING NEWS: Wakefield's off the World Series roster

Tim 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  at 3:44 PM | Permalink | Comments 3

PHOTO: Matsuzaka chats with Matsui

AP Photo

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  at 3:08 PM | Permalink

TUESDAY WORKOUT: Clairvoyant Tulowitzki

BY STEVEN KRASNER
Journal Sports Writer

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  at 2:43 PM | Permalink

TUESDAY WORKOUT: Realizing a dream

BY STEVEN KRASNER
Journal Sports Writer

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  at 2:36 PM | Permalink

TUESDAY WORKOUT: Lopez a former Rockie

BY STEVEN KRASNER
Journal Sports Writer

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  at 2:22 PM | Permalink

TUESDAY WORKOUT: Is it the Stanley Cup Finals or the World Series?

BY SEAN McADAM
Journal Sports Writer

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  at 2:12 PM | Permalink

TUESDAY WORKOUT: Pedroia's over the jitters / Photo

Dustin Pedroia chats with manager Terry Francona and teammate Curt Schilling during Tuesday's workout at Fenway Park. AP Photo

BY SEAN McADAM
Journal Sports Writer

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  at 2:05 PM | Permalink

TUESDAY WORKOUT: Is Ortiz on first for all three games in Colorado? / Photo

AP Photo

BY SEAN McADAM
Journal Sports Writer

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  at 1:54 PM | Permalink | Comments 1

TUESDAY WORKOUT: Sign here, please

BY STEVEN KRASNER
Journal Sports Writer

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  at 1:18 PM | Permalink

TUESDAY WORKOUT: Who's the favorite?

By STEVEN KRASNER
Journal Sports Writer

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  at 1:03 PM | Permalink

Reporter's query: Seeking stories from World Series

Are 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  at 12:53 PM | Permalink

Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: Countdown to the World Series

Click 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  at 10:46 AM to McAdam | Permalink

Download today's sports cover

Get 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  at 10:35 AM | Permalink