pair of rookies lead Red Sox to brink of second World Series title in four years

Every move that Red Sox manager Terry Francona makes, seems to turn to gold this postseason. Last night, he had rookie outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury start in center and bat lead-off. Was the rookie fazed? Not in the least bit, he went 4-for-5 (3 doubles) with 2 runs and 2 RBIs. AL Rookie-of-the-year favorite Dustin Pedroia went down to the two spot last night and continued to rake. He went 3-for-5 (double) with 2 RBIs and a run. The Sox won game three 10-5 and now take a commanding 3-0 lead in the 2007 World Series.

The Sox have now won six straight games this postseason and seven overall in its last two World Series appearances. Dice-K was the early story of the game as he pitched five scoreless innings (before Javier Lopez allowed some of his inherited runners to score in the sixth) and knocked in two runs with an RBI single in the third. Boston exploded for six in the third as Ellsbury led off with a double and Pedroia reached on a bunt single. Ortiz laced an RBI double (making his lineup inclusion at 1B look perfect). The Rockies walked Manny to get the bases-loaded but Lowell made them pay by grounding a two-run single up the middle. Manny tried to score on Varitek's single but was tagged out at home in a bang-bang play. No matter, as Dice-K followed up a Lugo walk with his biggest contribution of the season for the Sox. Ellsbury closed out the inning with an RBI double thereby ending the night (2.2 innings) for the immortal Josh Fogg.

The Rockies relievers held the Sox bats down for the next four innings. Colorado scored two in the sixth and then Matt Holliday greeted Okajima with a three-run blast to center to cut the deficit to one (6-5 Sox in the seventh). Okajima settled down and got three outs to end the frame. Jacoby had another RBI double in the eighth followed by Pedroia's two-run double that really iced the game in the eighth. Boston added one more in the ninth on a Varitek sac-fly. Papelbon came on with two guys on, two outs in the eighth and retired Holliday. Papelbon closed out the ninth for his second save of the series.

Jon Lester gets the ball tonight against Aaron Cook. Lester can put a real Hollywood ending on this special season for the Red Sox. He was diagnosed with cancer last year and now has contributed to the 2007 best team in baseball. Why not end it all tonight? The Rockies are unquestionably on the ropes, so it's time to sweep this series. It'll be interesting to see who sits tonight. Youkilis sat last night so you'll figure he'll have to get in tonight. However, Francona doesn't want to sit Lowell and the lineup is completely weaker without Ortiz's monster bat. This hasn't been a contest so far, the Sox have outplayed Colorado in every phase of the game. It would only be fitting to have another unsung player (Lester) step up in a postseason that has been filled with new heroes (Youk, Ellsbury, Drew, Pedroia, Okajima).

Two games away from glory

One of the tell-tale signs of a great team is when they can win games in many different ways. The Sox had been pounding the ball the last three games. They found themselves in an old-fashioned pitchers duel last night but still came out on top, 2-1 in game two of the 2007 World Series.

Curt Schilling vs. rookie Ubaldo Jimenez is a classic mismatch in such a big game. No question, Jimenez (he of the 100 mph fastball and dirty off-speed stuff) has an electric arm while Schilling is surviving on smarts and guile. Was there any doubt that Sox would do just enough to pull this one out? Chalk it up to 2004 or the team's success this year, whatever the reason the Sox just have an air of inevitability about them in these playoffs. When they're on (working opposing hurlers and getting good starts from its rotation), they're nearly impossible to beat.

The Rockies scored in the top of the first but the Sox slowly waited out Ubaldo, scoring one in the fourth and fifth. He was gone before the end of the fifth, having only given up two runs on three hits but he walked five. Schilling was gone one out into the sixth, surrendering only the one run on four hits, striking out four. The MVP of this game for the Sox was Hideki Okajima. He fell apart in the second half of the season as he wore down but last night, he looked like the lights out Okajima of May-July that made the All-Star game. Hideki got seven outs without allowing a hit or walk while striking out four. Papelbon recorded the last four outs, giving up one hit and striking out two.

Matt Holliday was the bulk of the offense for the Rockies, he had four of their five hits. As a team they struck out ten times and left 14 on base. Seeing them in the dugout in the late innings, they hardly resembled the freight train that reeled off 21 of 22 wins to make it here. They looked rattled, they look over matched.The Sox scored its first run on a Varitek sac fly which plated Lowell. Lowell had the biggest hit as his RBI double scored Ortiz. Drew was on base all four times he came to the plate: two hits, a walk and hit by a pitch.Once again, after Schilling left the game, you sensed that this could be his last game starting for the Red Sox at Fenway. Unless, this series comes back to Fenway (unlikely), he is probably done here. One more big game performance like that will look good as he tries to get into the Hall of Fame.

The series shifts to Colorado tomorrow night and as my buddy KC said, "all the Sox have to do is win one of the next two games because Beckett in game five is a lock of the century." So there you go. Matsuzaka in game three and Lester in game four don't exactly conjure up images of shutouts or no-hitter's. However, they're facing journeyman Josh Fogg and Aaron Cook (coming off a long injury layoff) so who knows what to expect from those two. I have a feeling the next two games will be slug-fests. The Sox clearly have the better bullpen so things couldn't look better after two games.

Rockies fail to show up in game one

It can't be that easy? Right? The Sox continued their torrid play from Games 5-7 vs. Cleveland and just decimated the Rockies, 13-1 in game one of the 2007 World Series. The Rockies looked every bit like the team that had eight days off, not the one that reeled off 21 wins in its last 22 games. Beckett is clearly the best pitcher in MLB as we speak. He went seven dominant innings last night, giving up six hits, one earned run and striking out nine.

The offensive tone was set by leadoff man Dustin Pedroia, who belted the second pitch he saw just over the lip of the Monster. The Sox scored two more in the first then both teams had one in the second. Two in the fourth and seven in the fifth officially made this a laugher for the home team. So many hitters for the Sox-Pedroia, Youk, Ortiz, Manny-are all currently locked in. It's something to behold as everyone looked dangerous last night. Ortiz and Manny led the way with three hits and two RBIS apiece. Lugo even had three hits, Varitek and Drew each had two hits and two RBIs while Pedroia (two RBIs) and Youk (two hits, three runs, RBI) are on fire.

Rockies starter Jeff Francis didn't have a puncher's chance against that lineup. A soft-throwing lefty, he didn't hit his spots at all and was gone after four innings (six earned runs). The Rockies bullpen which had been one of the team's biggest strengths in its great October run was awful last night. Morales gave up seven earned runs and Speier walked three straight batters with the bases loaded. Every at bat from the Red Sox seemed like a hitting clinic. They weren't swinging at any balls and fouling off tough pitches before putting the fat pitches in play (usually where the Rockies defense wasn't). All told, they had 17 hits and 8 walks.

Still, going in everyone picked the Sox to win game one. Nobody was going to beat Beckett, who now has 35 strikeouts and two walks, going 4-0 in the 2007 playoffs. Just filthy numbers for this stud. Regardless, let's not get ahead of ourselves. It's only one game. If the Rockies take game two (like the Indians did in the ALCS), it makes things much more complicated since the next three would be at Coors Field in Denver. The away team in the league championship series and World Series is only looking to get a game before they head home. If the Sox win tonight, a sweep is a very real possibility but if they lose we could have ourselves a series. It's Ubaldo Jimenez, a 23-year-old rookie who throws 100 mph vs. Schilling. In its last four games, the BoSox have outscored opponents 43-6.

We're going back to the World Series

Three years after breaking 86 years of misery, the Boston Red Sox find themselves back in the World Series. No comeback will ever top the 2004 ALCS but the 2007 Red Sox submitted a pretty nice comeback of their own. Down 3-1 to the Cleveland Indians, Boston roared back, winning the last three by a combined score of 30-5.

Game 7 actually was pretty tight for a while. The Sox scored single runs in the first three innings off Indians starter Jake Westbrook but it could have been much worse as they grounded into three double plays (they set a playoff record with 14). Dice-K came out and retired the first eight men he faced. The Tribe struck back with a run in the fourth and one in the fifth to cut the lead to one. Dice-K left after five (two runs, six hits, three strikeouts) and gave way to Okajima, who pitched two scoreless innings of his own. The Indians squandered its chance when the 3rd base coach held Lofton on what would have been the tying run. Blake grounded into a double play on the next at bat.

Pedroia was the hero of the night as he hit a two-run homer into the monster seats in the seventh. He followed that with a three-run double in the eighth. Youk knocked him in with a bomb off the Coke bottles. Game over. Papelbon pitched the final two innings for the save.
This had to be the most predictable comeback in Red Sox history. They just seemed to have nothing going right in games 3-4. The Indians are a worthy team but they're too young and inexperienced in the playoffs to get the job done in the ALCS. Once Beckett won and the series shifted back to Boston, they were cooked. Their bats were silenced and the bullpen was taxed. Plus, Carmona and Sabathia produced zero wins between them in the series.

Beckett deservedly received the ALCS MVP but it also could have gone to Youkilis, who is smoking the ball or Manny. The World Series starts Wednesday at Fenway. Who knows what to expect from the Rockies? They're legit and they have that absurd run but predicting what'll happen in the World Series is nearly impossible. Beckett will start on normal rest in game one.