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All signs point to...
While Red Sox fans lean on history in their hopes that there is yet another 3-1 ALCS deficit that their team can overcome, the St. Petersburg Times’ Brant James tells followers of the Tampa Bay Rays why it likely won’t happen this time.
- Manny Ramirez, who batted .409 with 10 RBIs in the 2007 ALCS, is now a Dodger.
- Starting pitcher Curt Schilling is injured and cannot provide bulldog performances or bloody-sock motivation like in 2004.
- The Red Sox who fell behind the Indians in last year's ALCS had amassed 21 runs and 27 hits through four games. This club: 15 runs on 33 hits, 18 of them singles.
- Designated hitter David Ortiz, the healthy one, was the club leader in postseason runs (38), doubles (14), homers (11) and RBIs (30) and was a career .317 hitter entering these playoffs. This Ortiz, who missed 45 games with a sheath tendon injury in his wrist, is 1-for-14 in the ALCS and was hitless until a triple on Tuesday. He batted .292 in the ALCS against Cleveland. He is hitting .071 against the Rays.
- Third baseman Mike Lowell batted .353 in the 2007 postseason, .400 with four RBIs to be named World Series MVP. Lowell was inactive for the first two rounds of the playoffs and will have hip surgery on Monday.
- Josh Beckett went 4-0 with a 1.20 ERA last season, cementing his legacy as one of the most dominating postseason pitchers of his generation. This season Beckett has endured elbow and right oblique injuries, and is 0-0 with an 11.57 ERA this postseason after allowing eight earned runs on nine hits in 41/3 innings against the Rays in Game 2.
- Boston had homefield advantage and won the final two games of the 2007 ALCS at Fenway Park. They would play those games at Tropicana Field this season, where they are 2-8.
Yeah, but…uh, anyone?
Sure, Eric, I'll try. .....in 2004, we had NO IDEA what Curt Schilling would bring to the mound and Derek Lowe (the game 7 starter) had been absolutely HORRID as a starter during the regular season. The Yankees were Pedro's daddy. In 2007, the Indians looked every bit as good as this current Rays team does. Schilling had been hit hard in game 2. Dice had been pretty bad in game 3. Saying there will be no comeback is really not going out on much of a limb. I can't say I don't feel the same way. But giving up now completely ignores how dire the situation had looked in both 2004 and 2007. The Red Sox were left for dead by just about everyone....but not by themselves. The Red Sox will need 3 outstanding starts by Lester, Dice and Beckett. The only one whom I'm not sure can do it is Beckett, cuz I think he is injured. Dice and Lester? They can do it. Hey...Mark Bellhorn was a hero in 2004 with HUGE HRs in game 6 of the ALCS and game 1 of the World Series. If that guy can be a hero, so can everyone on this Red Sox team.
If they had been playing well in the ALCS, they wouldn't be losing 3-1 and wouldn't need a comeback. Obviously the first four games didn't go as planned. Things rarely go as planned. Do I think the Sox are going to make a comeback? I don't know. Do I think they can? Of course I do. Giving up on them is not an option after the last few years.
Pick a cliche:
- Momentum is your next day's starting pitcher. (Earl Weaver)
- It ain't over till it's over. (Yogi Berra)
Yes, the odds are long. But is it really impossible to believe that Dice-K, Beckett, and Lester can throw three terrific games? It's not like Frank Castillo is starting.
Keep the faith.
When the Yankees blew out the Sox in Game 3 in 2004, Pedro went high and tight to both Sheffield and Matsui (both had been killing the Sox). From that point on, they were both ineffective. Why hasnt Longoria and Pena received similar treatment in this series. It is frustrating to see the Rays hitters so comfortable in the batters box. Balfour wasnt afraid to throw at JD Drew, why are Sox pitchers afraid to buzz the Rays? Hopefully, Ortiz is healthy next season and we find another bat. (tough to watch singles hitters against good pitching)
As much as this hurts, you must take your hats off to the Rays, they just kicked the you know what out of the Red Sox! What a massacre, just like the Yankees did a few years ago! They were the better team all year, they proved it. We were just a horrible team again them, no pitching, no hitting and this was like a little league team against a high school team. For next year, we need a better bullpen, big hitter, another starter and a new catcher. Sorry Tek you had a great career here, but you cannot hit anymore you are over matched, I really do think I can strike you out, and Lugo needs to go, a lot of work to do will be interesting!!
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on the ice at Fenway Park