Jason Varitek broke out of his slump with a go-ahead solo home run and the Boston Red Sox got just enough from Josh Beckett as they went on to beat the Tampa Bay Rays 4-2 in front 40,497 at Tropicana Field to force a Game 7 in the ALCS Sunday night at 8:07 PM.
Josh Beckett gave the Red Sox just enough to force a Game 7.
Beckett had struggled in his first two starts of the postseason but started to show glimpses of the October Beckett that we all know and love. He went 5 innings allowing 2 runs on 4 hits while walking 1 and striking out 3. Hideki Okajima followed with 2 strong innings of relief walking one and striking out 1. Justin Masterson hit a batter in his inning of work and also struck out 1. Jonathan Papelbon struck out 1 in the 9th to pick up his second save of this ALCS.
Varitek’s lone hit of the night was the home run while Kevin Youkilis had a solo home run of his own and knocked in 2 on the night. Coco Crisp had another big night at the top of the lineup with a 3-for-4 night including a walk. David Ortiz had 2 hits and knocked in a run while J.D. Drew continues to swing a hot stick as he added 2 hits to the winning cause for the Red Sox.
The start of the game was not shown on TBS as they were experiencing some technical difficulties.
Coco got things started off in the 1st with a bunt single off “Big Choke James” Shields but Shields picked him off first. Dustin Pedroia popped out and Big Papi struck out to end the top half of the 1st.
Beckett’s night looked good to start as he struck out Akinori Iwamura but B.J. Upton continued his long ball prowess with a home run off the catwalk in left field to give the Rays a 1-0 lead. He then walked Carlos Peña but got a 6-4-3 inning-ending twin killing off the bat of Evan Longoria.
The lead didn’t last too long though for the Rays as the Big Choke gave up a leadoff home run to Youk. Drew followed with a single but Jason Bay grounded into a fielder’s choice. A Mark Kotsay single moved Bay up 90 feet but Jed Lowrie and Jason Varitek flew out to Upton in center.
Pedroia reached on a 1-out walk in the 3rd and Big Papi followed with a double. The Red Sox took a 2-1 lead when Youk grounded out to short. Shields then walked Drew and Bay but Kotsay flew out to center field.
The game was delayed for 15 minutes at the top of the 4th when home plate umpire Daryl Cousins had to leave the game after taking a foul ball off the bat of Varitek. Cousins ended up having a bruised collarbone and Tim McClelland took over for him. They ended up working with a 5 man crew and didn’t have an umpire stationed in left field.
Dioner Navarro led off the 5th with a single off of Beckett. Ben Zobrist came into pinch-hit for Gabe Gross and flew out to center. With Jason Bartlett at the plate, Varitek picked Navarro off first base. This would be huge as Bartlett crushed a home run into the left field seats to tie the game at 2.
Jason Varitek finally had a hit and big hit it was for the Red Sox.
Shields got the first two outs of the 6th inning before Varitek had his first hit of the ALCS, a home run, to give the Red Sox a 3-2 lead. Coco followed with a single and just like that Big Choke James gave way to J.P. Howell. He came in and got Pedroia to hit a grounder to short but Bartlett threw the ball away. Coco ended up at third on the play and came into score on Big Papi’s single to give the Red Sox the final margin of 4-2.
There’s no doubt about it, all of the pressure is on the Rays and Matt Garza in Game 7. For the Red Sox, this is nothing new and they have the right man on the mound in Jon Lester.
I BELIEVE!
Notes and musings:
Red Sox @ Rays ALCS Game 6 Box score
Through the 6th inning of Thursday’s game, the Red Sox were 2-for-20 with a pair of singles. At that point, the club had produced a .215 (51-237) average in this post-season beginning with Game 3 of the ALDS. Over last the 3 innings Thursday, Sox hitters were 9-for-16 with 2 doubles, 2 homers, and 8 runs.
J.D. Drew was just 2-for-15 in this series before a 2-run homer and walk-off RBI single in his final 2 at bats Thursday. It was Drew’s 2nd GW RBI in Boston’s final at bat of this post-season: 2-run 9th inning HR vs. Los Angeles in ALDS Game 2.
David Ortiz’s homer in the 7th inning of Game 5 ended his 15-game drought without a playoff home run. It was Ortiz’ 12th post-season homer with Boston, passing Manny Ramirez for most all-time.
Justin Masterson won Game 5 at the age of 23 years, 208 days, the youngest Red Sox pitcher to record a post-season victory since Babe Ruth at 21 years, 246 days in 2 Game of the 1916 World Series.
Masterson’s 8 appearances in this postseason match Hideki Okajima (2007) for most ever by a Red Sox rookie.
The Red Sox rallied in Game 5 from a 7-0 deficit in the 7th inning for a walk-off 8-7 victory. According to the Elias Sports Bureau:
- The 7-run deficit to win marked the 2nd largest ever in a post-season game. In Game 4 of the 1929 World Series, the A’s scored 10 runs in the 7th to overcome an 8- 0 deficit and defeat the Cubs, 10-8 at Philadelphia.
- It was the biggest comeback ever in a game where a team faced elimination in a playoff series. The previous largest margin was 5: Seattle vs. New York in Game 5 of the 1995 ALDS and Anaheim in Game 6 of the 2002 World Series vs. San Francisco.
- On only 4 occasions in the regular season have the Red Sox ever come back to win when trailing by 7+ runs in the 7th inning or later, last on June 18,1961 (Gm 1) vs. Washington at Fenway Park.
Today is Alex Cora’s 33rd birthday.
