The reign is letting up

Well, it was fun while it lasted, but at least now we can get some sleep.

Titletown is Tiredtown, because these Red Sox playoff games last as long as cricket matches, and the Patriots play too many night games, because the networks know that half of America tunes in to see the Pats lose - something that will happen with some frequency this year.

The fact is, Boston's undisputed reign as Titletown ended last month when that guy with the Kansas City Chiefs rolled into Tom Brady's knee. Tonight might be the official end. If not tonight, it'll be over before the Regatta is.

Now, before you say, "Jinx!" let's review, shall we?

True, the Red Sox faced the same predicament last year, down three games to one to the Cleveland Indians. But as anyone who's been to both cities can attest, Tampa isn't Cleveland. Besides having better cigars, Tampa fields one of the youngest, best all-around teams in baseball and, through no fault of their own, this Red Sox team isn't close to performing at the level of last year's team, let alone the Reverse the Curse team of 2004.

Lowell's out (bad), Manny's gone (good but bad), Papi's hurt (bad), and Beckett's fastball is 5 to 6 miles per hour slower than usual (yikes!). It's something of a miracle that a team as banged up as this one was able to get past the Angels.

There is no shame in losing to the Rays. They were a better team all year. They also happen to have, in Carlos Pena, one of the best players and best people in the game. You might have seen Pena's two cannon shots over the Monster the last couple games at Fenway. You might also remember his brief stint with the Red Sox in 2006, during which he hit a game-winning home run. The man can hit a baseball.

What you might not know is that Carlos Pena is a local product, the anti-Manny, as classy off the field as he is on it.

His parents moved from the Dominican Republic to Haverhill 16 years ago so he and his brothers and sister could have a better life. The family wasn't poor; his father, Felipe, was an engineer, and his mother, Juana, was a teacher. But Felipe Pena traded the family's four-bedroom house in Santo Domingo for a two-bedroom apartment in Haverhill so his kids could get a better education. Unlike the Red Sox decision not to re-sign Carlos Pena when they had the chance two years ago, it was a good move. All of the Pena kids went to college. Omar and Pedro followed Carlos to Northeastern. Omar's twin sister, Femaris, went to Boston College.

Even before he signed a big contract last year, Carlos Pena was giving back to kids a lot of what he makes playing a kids' game. He is tireless in charitable work. Last month, he was named one of the finalists for the Roberto Clemente Award, named for the Hall of Famer who was killed while flying aid to victims of an earthquake in Nicaragua and given annually to the major leaguer who exhibits character on, and especially off, the field.

Felipe Pena was at the ballpark Monday when his son's mammoth shot hit the light stanchion in left center. On Tuesday night, Felipe and his wife saw their son hit another home run while watching the game at the Haverhill home of their old friends, Mike and Judy Demillia.

Elsewhere in Haverhill, the mayor's wife, Martha Fiorentini, sat on a couch, repeating over and over, "We coulda had him."

"She says that whenever Carlos is up," Jim Fiorentini said. "Don't get her started."

Jim Fiorentini is without a doubt the only politician in the Commonwealth who can say the following: "If they're gonna lose, they might as well lose to Carlos."

Coming soon to Haverhill: Carlos Pena Day.

Kevin Cullen is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at cullen@globe.com.