Party on?

Psst . . . yo, spead the word: Party on the Fenway lawn tonight. Uh-huh, another one -- sort of a tradition this time of year. Beer will cost you a few bucks, but the champagne should be on the house. It's sure to be a blast. Oh, and remind Papelbon to remember his cardboard hat. Dude's crazy, always the life of these things. Just wait 'til you see him dance.

Oh, OK, maybe our party planning is just a wee bit premature here. If there's anything we should have learned from the Patriots' debacle versus the Dolphins yesterday, it's that we should never count any victory before it's hatched. In fact, I'm pretty sure Joey Porter is predicting an Indians win tonight.

But with Sox ace Josh Beckett, who has a 0.95 ERA in his last three starts, opposing Cleveland rookie Zach Jackson, he of the 0-3 record and 6.48 ERA this season . . . well, we just can't help ourselves. This one should be as big a mismatch on the field as it is on paper.

And once the final out in the top of the ninth is recorded and "Dirty Water" blares deep into the Boston night, what has lately felt like something between a formality and the inevitable will finally become official:

For the fifth time in six seasons, the Red Sox will be bound for the postseason.

The scenario tonight is a simple one: If the Sox beat the Indians, they're in. The only team capable of tying them for the American League wild card is the Yankees, who trail the Sox by a full seven games with seven to play. The Yankees are idle this evening, and as you may have noticed, Sunday night's elaborate farewell at The House That Mariano Rivera Closed had the underlying tone of a concession speech.

(For the record, I am sad to see Yankee Stadium go dark. It's always a bummer to see a historic ballpark demolished for the sake of corporate greed, and beyond that, it was the site of one of my greatest -- and certainly the most redemptive -- experiences as a sports fan. To put it another way: I imagine I'll miss it more than Javier Vazquez or Kevin Brown will.)

There is a chance that, if/when the Sox clinch tonight, the celebration could be more subdued than we've suggested, if only because all matters aren't settled and the division crown remains in play. The Sox trail the Rays by a game-and-a-half (two in the loss column) with seven to play, hardly an insurmountable deficit, but one that serves as a reminder of how much circumstances have changed in one year.