 "The season is almost over, we were down 3-1, you get that sense of
urgency," said Pedroia, who hit his first postseason homer and
doubled with the bases loaded. "Nobody wanted to go home, nobody
wanted to say goodbye to each other. Once we got that win in
Cleveland, we started to believe."
Having ended their 86-year title drought in 2004 after digging out
of a 3-0 hole against the Yankees in the ALCS, the Red Sox earned a
chance to play Colorado in the World Series. The Rockies, who have
won 10 in a row and 21 of 22, will come back from a record eight
days off for Game 1 at Fenway Park on Wednesday night.
"The Rockies are on a magical run and we are going to have our hands
full. We're going to try and represent the American League the best
we can," general manager Theo Epstein said. "We haven't grown up any
since '04. That's part of what keeps these guys so good. It keeps us
all loose and we never stop believing."
Colorado outscored Boston 20-5 in winning two of three during an
interleague series at Fenway in June. The Red Sox did even better in
winning the last three games against Indians, outscoring them 30-5
in that span.
While Manny Ramirez, David Ortiz and ALCS MVP Josh Beckett helped
the Red Sox win their 12th pennant, the Indians only added more
misery to a city that hasn't celebrated a World Series championship
since 1948.
The Indians were a double-play grounder from winning the crown at
Florida in 1997. They appeared to take control of this series with
three consecutive victories, but aces C.C. Sabathia and Fausto
Carmona couldn't win a single game between them.
"We won three games in a row and they won three in a row," Indians
manager Eric Wedge said. "I'm disappointed, obviously, we weren't
able to finish it off."
Jake Westbrook settled down to offer a solid outing in Game 7, and
still the Indians came up short. They had a chance to tie it at 3 in
the seventh inning, but third-base coach Joel Skinner mistakenly
held up speedy Kenny Lofton as he rounded the bag.
With runners at the corners, Casey Blake grounded into an
inning-ending double play.
Then, the Red Sox blew it open. Pedroia, who homered earlier, hit a
three-run double and Kevin Youkilis launched a bottle rocket, a
two-run drive off the giant Coke bottle above the Green Monster.
Jonathan Papelbon pitched two innings for the save, finishing things
off when center fielder Coco Crisp raced back into the center-field
triangle, crashing into the wall to catch Blake's drive.
Crisp was still on the ground when Papelbon chucked his glove into
the air and then waited, crouching, for catcher Jason Varitek to
leap into his arms.
The Red Sox poured out of the dugout for their first playoff
clinching celebration at home since the first round in 2004.
"The champagne tastes sweeter at home," they chanted in the
clubhouse later.
Boston kept the bases busy early against Westbrook, but three double
plays in the first four innings kept the Indians in the game while
their starter settled down. The Red Sox scored once in each of the
first three innings, and Matsuzaka retired the first eight batters
he faced.
[to top of second column] |
Cleveland cut the deficit to 3-2 through five, then had a chance to tie it
in the seventh when Red Sox shortstop Julio Lugo dropped Lofton's
seemingly harmless popup in shallow left. Lugo drifted back, tracking
the ball with his glove in the air and holding off incoming left fielder
Ramirez with his right hand.
But the shortstop let the ball bounce off his glove, and Lofton was safe
on second.
Franklin Gutierrez hit a sharp grounder over third base that bounced off
the photographer's box in front of the grandstand and into shallow left.
But Skinner held up both hands for the speedy Lofton, and the
40-year-old outfielder skidded to a stop.
Lofton looked back for the ball and, seeing it in no man's land in
shallow left, snapped his head back to stare at Skinner.
A star in big games throughout his career in Japan, Matsuzaka followed
two sub-par playoff outings with his first American postseason victory.
He allowed two runs on six hits in five innings, striking out three and
walking none.
"I thought he pitched his heart out," Red Sox manager Terry Francona
said. "Those were some tough innings. He gave us what we needed."
Fellow Japanese rookie Hideki Okajima pitched two innings of shutout
ball. Papelbon closed, sending the sold-out Fenway into a frenzy.
Westbrook settled down after spotting Boston a 3-0 lead, retiring seven
consecutive batters before Jacoby Ellsbury _ another rookie _ bounced a
chopper through third baseman Blake for an error. After Lugo's sacrifice
bunt, Pedroia was up.
The diminutive second baseman, with eight major league homers to his
credit, hit an 0-1 pitch into the first row of the Monster Seats to make
it 5-2. He also doubled to clear the bases after Boston loaded them in
the eighth against Rafael Betancourt.
Youkilis, who was a rookie when Boston won it all in '04, followed with
a two-run homer to make it 11-2.
Cleveland's Game 4 starter, Paul Byrd, was forced to defend himself
before the finale when the San Francisco Chronicle reported that he
bought nearly $25,000 worth of human growth hormone and syringes from
2002-05. Byrd said he took HGH under a doctor's prescription.
"I do not want the fans of Cleveland or honest, caring people to think
that I cheated," Byrd told a throng of reporters before the game.
"Because I didn't."
Notes: Boston is 5-5 all-time in decisive Game 7s. ... The Red Sox were
already the only team to have rallied twice from a 3-1 deficit to win
the LCS, in 1986 and '04. It was the first winner-take-all in the
baseball postseason since the 2006 NLCS. ... Boston Game 4 starter Tim
Wakefield was unavailable to come out of the bullpen
[Associated Press;
by Jimmy Golen]
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This
material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or
redistributed.
|
