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October 12, 2007
Journal photo / Bob Breidenbach
Josh Beckett throwing in the top of the third inning.
By JOE McDONALD
Journal Sports Writer
BOSTON -- It was complete domination.
Boston made Cleveland look like a college team during spring training as the Red Sox defeated the Indians, 10-3, in Game One of the American League Championship Series last night at Fenway Park. The Red Sox received solid starting pitching, an explosive offense and sound defense to take a 1-0 lead in this best-of-seven series.
\It wasn’t the pitchers’ duel most thought they would witness between the pair of Cy Young Award candidates.
As far as October artistry is concerned, Red Sox starter Josh Beckett continues to be poetic. Cleveland Indians ace C.C. Sabathia wasn't.
The right-handed Beckett, who pitched a complete-game four-hitter against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in Game One of the ALDS a week ago, was solid once again. He needed to work only six innings and allowed just two runs on four hits with no walks and seven strikeouts. Sabathia, the left-hander, never found his groove as Boston pounded him for eight runs on seven hits.
It was clear from the get-go that Beckett had his October stuff. He struck out the first two batters he faced in the brisk 51-degree game-time temperature before the Indians’ Travis Hafner unloaded with a solo home run that landed in the first row behind the visitor’s bullpen for a 1-0 Cleveland lead.
It was a mistake pitch by Beckett, a fastball that did not move enough inside, and Hafner turned on it. Other than that, Beckett was in control. The right-hander responded by retiring the next 10 batters he faced before hitting the Indians’ Ryan Garko with a pitch in the fifth.
Putting the runner on meant nothing, because Beckett was able to get Jhonny Peralta to ground into a 6-4-3 double play, and after Kenny Lofton doubled, Beckett got out of the jam by striking out Franklin Gutierrez to end the inning.
Prior to the game when Sabathia was warming up in the bullpen, the left-hander seemed out of sorts a bit and that proved to be true early last night. The key for the Red Sox was to get to him early, and they did. In the process, Boston gave its ace a solid offensive cushion.
Ramirez provided an RBI-single in the bottom of the first inning before the Red Sox pushed across a four-spot in the third to jump out to a 5-1 lead as Sabathia couldn’t quite get into a groove early. The big hit in the inning was a two-run ground-rule double for Lowell.
Sabathia retired the side in order in the fourth, but he imploded big time in the fifth. He loaded the bases before Bobby Kielty – starting in place of J.D. Drew due to his career success against the Cleveland starter – provided a two-run single to break the game wide open. That would end Sabathia’s night.
Right-handed reliever Jensen Lewis replaced the starter and surrendered an RBI-double to Jason Varitek to give Boston an 8-1 lead.
The Indians pushed across a run in the sixth off Beckett, a RBI-single by Asdrubal Cabrera, but that would all Cleveland could muster. The Red Sox, however, weren’t done.
Boston scored two more in the sixth inning with Ramirez drawing his second bases-loaded walk of the game, Lowell providing a sacrifice fly for a 10-2 lead. With the Sox holding an eight-run lead, Francona decided to pull Beckett after six innings and only 80 pitches (53 strikes).
Because of the short night, it’s possible he could come back and work Game Four – only if absolutely needed – instead of Tim Wakefield, who is scheduled to start that game Monday in Cleveland.
If Cleveland thought last night was bad, it won’t get any easier for the Indians Saturday night as they try to even the series when they face another October master pitcher in Curt Schilling.
Posted by Joe McDonald 
at 10:33 PM | Permalink
